The Synthos Group is a leading producer of chemical raw materials in Poland, the first supplier of synthetic rubbers in Europe and the largest European producer of expanded polystyrene. The Group’s activity is focused on the production and sale of chemical products that are used as raw materials and intermediate products in the automotive and packaging industry or in construction. Synthos supplies rubber to some of the world-famous brands from the tire market such as Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Goodyear and Pirelli. The company manages its production plants in Oświęcim, Nowa Sarzyna, Kralupy (Czech Republic), Ribécourt and Wingles (France) and in Breda (Netherlands).

 

In order to effectively manage its warehouse processes, the Synthos Group has decided to cooperate with Optidata. Initially, implementation of the WMS OPTIpromag® system took place in 2011. Due to the company’s development, need to increase efficiency and the desire to maintain a competitive advantage, the Synthos Group decided to adapt and implement the WMS OPTIpromag® system in other Group companies. The implementation of the new and the update of the existing system took place in three plans simultaneously; in Poland (Dwory and Agro) and in the Czech Republic (Kralupy). An additional factor hindering the process was the combination of implementation and launch of the SAP system. The implementation of two such large IT systems simultaneously was a big challenge.

 

Synthos Dwory works in the production of synthetic rubbers and latexes, polystyrene (PS) and expandable polystyrene (EPS), XPS insulation boards as well as vinyl and acrylic dispersions and wood adhesives. The WMS OPTIpromag® system has been supporting the warehouse and production processes at this location for 8 years. As part of the recent implementation, the latest version of the software has been launched.

 

At the Plant in Kralupy, which is the Czech equivalent of the Plant in Dwory, the implementation of the WMS OPTIpromag® took place from scratch. The big change was the transition from the previously used off-line solution to the real-time WMS OPTIpromag® system.

 

The updated version of the WMS system also operates in another Synthos company, AGRO, which is a supplier of plant protection products. As part of the WMS OPTIpromag® system, great emphasis was placed on optimising storage strategies that ensure even distribution of the inventory on mobile racks while maintaining proper separation of specific chemical components.

 

The WMS OPTipromag® system works in many areas ranging from production receipts, labelling (according to the GS1 and Odette standards), the placement of goods in the warehouse, handling of logistics unit/batch blocks and parameter control. In addition, the software allows you to generate and print quality certificates, release goods to the customer and manage goodpack packaging.

 

One of the key requirements for the WMS OPTIpromag® system in the Synthos Group plants was the management of quality parameters. They are one of the main criteria determining the selection of a batch of an assortment delivered to the recipient. The implemented system has been integrated with the SAP system in the field of information exchange in quality parameters. The parameters registered in the SAP system are transferred to the WMS system, which binds them to the inventory, and then uses them in the issue process, selecting the optimal batch of goods for the customer.

 

The whole implementation was successful, which can be confirmed by the achievement of the operational capacity of over 98%, immediately after starting the system.

 

Implementation benefits:

  • Automation and efficiency increase of the logistics processes;
  • High-quality customer service;
  • Improving goods receipt processes through integration with the labelling machines on production lines;
  • Effective quality control service.