Traditional sour milk cheese and new cheese salad creations have brought steady growth to Käse Lehmann. This has also made operations and production more complex - thanks to the newly introduced GUS-OS Suite, all processes can now be largely automated and controlled in a stable manner.
The chance
The focus on cheese production and successful new products ensured that Käse Lehmann, a traditional company, has been able to increase its growth by a good 50 percent since 2010. This has had an impact on the company's IT: With success, requirements have become more complex, for example price labeling according to customer wishes. In addition, much more data is generated than before, as the company processes more raw materials. Mapping all these requirements in the existing IT with its scattered and outdated island systems was not an option. Käse Lehmann quickly realized that the company needed a new, central solution that would map and bring together all the functions it needed - in the form of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution.
IT - rethought
Käse Lehmann decided in favor of the GUS-OS Suite after viewing various practical installations in companies. The decisive factor for the ERP solution of the GUS Group was, in addition to the clear industry orientation, that the users can work very independently with the system. For example, daily reports or new forms can be easily created without support assistance. The workflow engine of the GUS-OS Suite shows its strengths especially in the case of quickly changing requirements in everyday operations. Thanks to the easy-to-use production control system (Manufacturing Execution System, MES), Käse Lehmann's very small batches and frequent product changes can be managed and production processes can be completed quickly at the click of a mouse. Other internal processes have been improved: For example, the system provides all the information needed to trace raw materials used and to meet legal requirements (compliance) within a few minutes.
Fit for the future
The comprehensive and customizable ERP system GUS-OS Suite ensures that Käse Lehmann can continue to pursue its growth course on a stable IT basis:
- Scattered island systems were replaced by the central ERP system, which covers all areas from office to production
- Business and production processes run faster and more stably - and thanks to finely granular data, they are also of better quality
- Largely automated work: GUS-OS supports many processes that were previously paper-based. Thus, bookings run largely automated and batch-oriented
- The new system enables more flexibility in production planning. Instead of printed to-do lists, there is electronic production planning that can be quickly adapted to new production and order requirements.
- Elimination of manual processes makes workflows more efficient and faster
- Employees can be introduced to their respective work steps in a targeted manner without the need for extensive training
- Improved compliance and traceability: All required information can be provided at the push of a button
