TVH and growth – it’s a winning combo. But with growth comes the need for expansion and added system capacity. Enter WB3, a brand-new and soon-to-be fully automated warehouse at TVH’s headquarters in Waregem which is skyrocketing the company’s order line processing capability. It’s a brilliant piece of work and extensive collaboration between several departments, not in the least the IT department.
Doubling an international company’s system capacity takes time. In terms of IT, it means talking to stakeholders, mapping out logistical needs and translating them to IT requirements, creating system blueprints and testing them, fixing bugs and testing again. All with the aim of reaching milestone after milestone and increasing automation one step at a time. Challenging? You bet it is.
IMPACTFUL AND INNOVATIVE
Teo Deconinck, Digital Product Manager at TVH, explains it best when he says that “the most satisfying aspect of big IT projects like this one is the obvious impact that you have, not only on the project itself but on the entire company. It’s getting and keeping a system-driven process up and running, and knowing that your business depends on it daily. We’re talking order processing here, which is linked to everything – from daily functioning over corporate strategy to profitability.”
He continues: “My specific contribution to the project consists of getting a clear understanding of the required functionalities, and translating them into IT specifications and priorities. In order to have a fully automated warehouse, all systems need to communicate with each other perfectly. Coordinating PLC-driven hardware, infrastructure, WCS and (global) WMS systems, databases and more, all while keeping in mind future needs as well. We’re mostly using the very latest technologies; it’s nothing short of innovative.”
LONG-TERM PROJECT, SHORT-TERM RESULTS
Hanne Spruyt, Center of Excellence Lead Analysis at TVH, agrees: “WB3 now has its own tailored software, and we’re still developing. IT is at the very heart of all logistic processes at the warehouse. It’s especially fulfilling to know and physically see the impact that you’re making. It’s made tangible through the number of processed orders daily, operable work stations and sent packages for example. Also satisfying is the appreciation from business stakeholders. WB3 might very well be a big IT project that runs over several years, but there’s lots of short-term results.”
“What I love about the project, and my job as a whole actually, is how I’m challenged on a daily basis to deep dive into IT problems and come up with the exact right solutions. Based on our needs, how do we want the system to operate? Next: how will we implement this and make this fully functional and automated? Then: how do we optimize and increase efficiency even more? My office is located in WB3 itself, so I’m always ready for some on-site testing. Never a dull moment.”
Needless to say that the WB3 warehouse project is only one of many at TVH. Think of system implementation at branches worldwide, e-commerce challenges and strategic transformation projects. Just as TVH keeps growing, its IT department is ever-evolving to keep up with that growth. If you’re looking for new IT opportunities, ones that will encourage you to grow and evolve along with your company, consider a career at TVH and have a look at our job site.
