active logistics GmbH
Hyland’s Alfresco platform: Bringing modularity and scalability to active logistics.
The challenge
active logistics GmbH is driving innovation in the global logistics industry with modules, products and services for the digitalization of all aspects of the value chain.
For over 40 years, the North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany-based company has pioneered new IT solutions to meet the complex requirements of its 400-plus customers from the logistics and manufacturing sectors. The applications developed encompass all facets of the supply chain and all modes of transport.
active logistics operates one of Europe’s largest data centers for the transport and logistics industry in Hessen, Germany. Approximately 80% of customers are linked to this data center, with 25,000 users from customer organizations accessing the provider’s software and systems on a daily basis.
Existing archive proved too restrictive
active logistics found itself constrained by its legacy document archive system, which was built in a different era. As a result, developing new solutions and processes for customers was time consuming and expensive.
René Ittershagen, IT project manager at active logistics, explained the situation: “We were already stretched thin in terms of personnel, as hardly anyone could still maintain the old system.”
Additionally, the system’s performance deficiencies made daily operations more challenging. In short, the archive inventory was no longer fit for purpose.
The solution empowers our development team to create new applications with little or no coding required.
— René Ittershagen, IT Project Manager, active logistics GmbH
The solution
Hyland’s Alfresco platform emerged as the clear winner, for several reasons, as active logistics searched for a replacement to its outdated system.
Firstly, the Alfresco platform’s interoperability with other core systems was imperative for active logistics.
“We have our own development department that tailors solutions for each customer,” Ittershagen said. “Hence, openness holds great significance for us in this context. We don’t want to be pushed in one direction.”
The open source model also confers maximum flexibility and scalability, as well as the ability to be effortlessly relocated to any customer data center, according to Ittershagen.
The Alfresco platform also offered a significant reduction in costs compared to the licencing fees of the previous and alternative solutions.
Moreover, the Alfresco platform aids in archiving the entire delivery documentation process for active logistics’s customers. Typically, orders are logged in a transport management system, traverse the entire transport chain and ultimately culminate in a delivery receipt as proof of successful goods delivery — all of which can be easily archived in the Alfresco platform.
Meeting complicated supply chain regulations worldwide
Alfresco platform’s functionality also proved pivotal for active logistics for another reason: Compliance.
Regulatory bodies worldwide are tightening regulations and demanding comprehensive record-keeping across the supply chain.
“This involves tracing the precise journey of the goods,” said Lukas Eickhoff, the company’s product manager. “Where did they originate, who provided the service, and who transported the goods to the depot? Freight forwarders and manufacturing companies must have answers to such queries. The Supply Chain Act [a German law requiring companies to monitor human rights and environmental risks in the supply chains] is illustrative of this. This underscores the growing importance of an archiving system like the Alfresco platform.”
Modularity overcomes need for additional external solutions
Another advantage of the Alfresco platform for active logistics is its modularity.
“The solution empowers our development team to create new applications with little or no coding required. We don’t need to purchase external software solutions,” explained Eickhoff.
Both this modularity and its openness to various sources offer active logistics further advantages in customer projects.
“This grants us interface compatibility, for example with CRM, SAP and other systems, which in turn is highly advantageous for our customers,” Ittershagen said.
Future processes can be seamlessly integrated
The verdict from the experts at active logistics?
“The Alfresco platform ticks all the boxes on our wish list — from meeting verification requirements to scalability and flexibility, as well as the ability to integrate seamlessly with other systems and applications. Therefore, it was and remains the unequivocal right choice,” Ittershagen said.
The company also has plans to take advantage of Hyland’s automation technology. This means that in the future, not only will delivery documents, invoice data or delivery notes be archived, but they’ll also be processed.
Furthermore, active logistics is progressively extending the Alfresco platform to encompass other document types. If customers wish to link with their accounting software or integrate other document types, this should no longer be a problem.
The difference
Hyland’s Alfresco platform is built on an open source core with support for open standards and open APIs. The open, modular architecture, the REST APIs and the SDKs enable the Alfresco platform to be extended to meet the ever-changing needs of businesses.
In addition, the Alfresco Development Framework provides a wide range of highly configurable, reusable components to develop modern, responsive applications for browsers and mobile devices. There is also out-of-the-box support for leading applications such as Microsoft Office, Office 365, Google Docs, Outlook, Salesforce.com and others.