Muri b. Bern/Switzerland, October 19, 2021 – The Swiss trading group Meraxis is now offering its customers automated order management for prime and recycled materials. Its new VMI (vendor-managed inventory) service, «Ordering 4.0», will allow the polymer distributor to simplify the procurement process and optimize inventories and orders, making processes more reliable and minimizing failure risks.
The digital «Ordering 4.0» solution will be used to transmit data on customers’ filling and material levels to Meraxis on a regular basis, for example using sensors in raw material silos. As soon as the fill level falls below a defined mark, the material is automatically reordered with an ideal delivery time. “Smart ordering optimizes inventory and delivery cycles,” says Michael Grysczyk, Manager of Digital & Disruptive Business at Meraxis. “This allows us to ensure that our customers never run out of material and always have optimum stock levels. Customers benefit from processes that require less effort and are more reliable.”
The new service is being implemented in close cooperation with the company’s customers, with Meraxis’ logistics experts first of all working hand-in-hand with the company concerned to review all of the relevant requirements. These include, for example, material consumption, batch size and replenishment times, but also requirements such as the available storage space, the size and number of silos, and the measurement technology available. If necessary, Meraxis installs sensors in the customer silos that use a gateway to transmit the fill level to cloud software. Once the setup process is complete, Meraxis checks the customer’s material stocks in real time and arranges the necessary deliveries at the ideal time.
«Ordering 4.0» is connected to the digital Meraxis «Customer Portal», where customers can view scheduled and completed deliveries at any time. As well as information on all orders, the portal also stores contracts and related data such as product documents, order confirmations and invoices centrally. It also makes market information available. “Our goal is to achieve a truly connected supply chain, i.e. a digital supply chain that is interconnected, transparent and automated,” says Dr. Stefan Girschik, CEO of Meraxis. “This is all the more important because challenges such as material shortages or extreme weather events will continue to put pressure on global supply chains in the future. Smart and digital solutions are the key to greater efficiency and, above all, resilience. This is something we are working on continuously at Meraxis. By way of example, we are currently in the process of developing a digital track & trace solution to track deliveries.”
Digital solutions like these are being created in the «Meraxis Elevator» innovation network. Working hand-in-hand with customers, suppliers and other partners, such as the INC Invention Center at RWTH Aachen University, Meraxis is using the network to work on digital services in the polymer processing industry value chain. Among other things, the aim is to make supply chains as resilient as possible, to optimize ordering processes, and to reduce process and logistics costs.
Link to the explanatory video «Ordering 4.0» https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfYjmoA3alQ
About the Meraxis Group
With a sales of over EUR 2 billion, Meraxis is one of the leading international distributors of polymer-related solutions. The Swiss trading group offers their customers tailor-made solutions for each requirement in the polymer value chain thanks to their worldwide logistics network and access to global polymer markets. The full-service provider combines many years of experience in global trading and the development and processing of polymers as well as sound material and product knowledge of the polymer converting industry. Meraxis supplies companies from all industrial sectors – from the automotive and construction industries to packaging companies.
The product portfolio of the company, located in Muri bei Bern (CH), includes classic polymers (PE, PP, PET, PVC), engineered and high-temperature thermoplastics, masterbatches, additives plasticizers, coating and printing inks and recycled materials. Trade parts and components (e.g. metail, foils, electrical) as well as machines, systems, and tools for various plastic processing technologies, all accompanied by service and consulting related to the required product properties round up the portfolio.
The polymer distributor is committed to driving the continued development of sustainable and innovative polymer-related solutions. With its unique one-stop-shop approach, Meraxis adds customer value by offering complete solutions for prime materials, recyclates, recycling compounds, and digital supply chain services.
Web: https://www.meraxis-group.com/en/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meraxis-group/
