Standing for quick delivery, efficiency and quality – through a modern logistics system and more than 50 years of experience – WASI GmbH has positioned itself as a specialist in stainless steel fasteners.
Headquartered in Wuppertal, Germany, WASI has recently expanded its facilities to include a new administration and logistics building. “Previously we were in two locations, with the administration department situated in one building and distribution/logistics in the other,” explains Daniel Gellert – recently appointed as managing director responsible for administration, logistics and purchasing. “Even though they were only 2km apart, it still made it difficult to optimise the processes and communicate between the departments, which is one of the reasons we introduced the new administration building at the head office in 2017.
Moving to one location has proven the right decision as WASI has experienced a series of benefits. “Our key aim from being based at one location was to improve our performance and logistics – for shorter delivery times and higher availability of our products,” mentions Karlheinz Schreiber, managing director responsible for sales in trade and industry. “The market is very fast and customers’ requirements change every day. It is crucial we are able to meet these increasing demands and handle the requirements.”
In addition to the administration building, WASI also added a new 3,000m² hall to its existing logistics centre – enabling it to expand its product range and stock availability even further. “We now have an additional 4,000 pallet spaces in the new building, which has enabled us to grow and develop our product range – a key focus for us as a business,” points out Daniel.
Karlheinz adds: “If you look back five years ago there was no real product management within the company. We needed to improve our product range according to the needs of the markets and through changes within the structure of the company, and the addition of the new logistics hall, we have been able to react quicker to market needs and have the space for the stock.”
Flexible logistics
WASI’s logistics processes are designed to give the customer all the possibilities for an efficient goods flow. “We want to make it easier for the customer to buy from us, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” states Karlheinz. “Our logistics is highly automated, including a high-bay warehouse that is totally automatic. We also have our own logistics system that helps optimise the picking process to ensure the most effective method of picking is chosen.”
When working with logistics there is always Industry 4.0 and digitisation to consider. “Our logistics service is already highly automated, but we are still looking at how we can automate processes even further,” mentions Daniel. “However, automation does have its challenges. It is not cheap to have an automated logistics – there is the investment in the initial set-up itself, but then you have to maintain the machinery.”
“We have five technical employees who are here for any maintenance that might be required. If there is a problem with the system then nothing works, so it is vital you get everything working as soon as possible. So whilst automation might reduce the amount of people needed to pick orders, you need a bigger technical maintenance team to maintain the system.”
Worldwide supplier network
WASI has subsidiaries in Austria, Belgium, Spain and Denmark, with sales representatives present in each country. “These sales people only have one task – sell,” says Karlheinz. “The whole administration, reporting and delivery of products is carried out from the head office in Wuppertal. The sales reps all speak the local language and are native to each country, so they understand the business philosophy within the country. Also, by having them located in the countries, they have the knowledge of the market and can build the relationship with the customers, whilst receiving all the necessary support and advice from the main office.”
Daniel Gellert adds: “We also have sales conferences between all the reps where they can speak about opportunities and challenges they may be facing, as well as discuss products and strategies. The product range and targets are very similar, but there are different requirements in each country and it is difficult to understand them from sitting in the main office.”
Staying connected
“We have set ourselves the target of being the number one supplier in Europe,” states Karlheinz. “However, the stainless steel market is always developing and now there are more and more companies sourcing directly from the Far East, which creates more competition. Everybody has a web shop and the customer just needs to open the web shops of 3 or 4 suppliers and then compare the prices. It is very easy.”
Daniel adds: “This makes it difficult to have a USP, compared to other competitors, based on the products. It is more about the added services we can provide that helps differentiate us and helps the customer save time – repacking options, private label, drop shipments, Kanban services, EDI connection, web shop – all focused on being the best service partner.”
A recent addition that will help WASI differentiate itself within the market and stay connected with its customers is the WASI App. “The App gives users complete access, and overview, of the entire WASI range of over 21,000 products – even while on the go,” explains Daniel. “It enables users to access relevant product information via their smart phone, including availability, price and delivery time. There is also a tracking function, so the user can see where their order is.”
The WASI App is linked to the webshop, so if a customer scans a product barcode, using the camera on their mobile phone, the product is automatically added to the customer’s basket on the webshop. The user then confirms the order via a PC at a later date.
Developing for the future
“We have a young team and we are looking to develop alongside our company goal of becoming more customer-friendly and a service partner for our customers,” summarises Daniel. “We want to be more modern, more flexible and make sure we can reach the changing requirements of our customers.”
Karlheinz concludes: “We need to make it clear why customers should be buying from us. A big stock and product range is obviously important, as is of course the best price, but the key is to deliver consistently for customers and create long-lasting partnerships.”
Will joined Fastener + Fixing Magazine in 2007 and over the last 15 years has experienced every facet of the fastener sector - interviewing key figures within the industry and visiting leading companies and exhibitions around the globe.
Will manages the content strategy across all platforms and is the guardian for the high editorial standards that the Magazine is renowned.
Don't have an account? Sign Up
Signing up to Fastener + Fixing Magazine enables you to manage your account details.
