ERP, EDI and warehouse logistics seamlessly integrated at Schlumberger

Schlumberger GmbH & Co. KG and its subsidiary A. Segnitz & Co. GmbH are among the leading distribution companies for premium wines, champagne, sparkling wines, and spirits in Germany. As a partner to trade and gastronomy, the Meckenheim-based company offers more than 1,000 selected products. With around 130 employees, Schlumberger is the go-to address for sourcing excellent wines from the best vineyards in 16 different countries. Through its subsidiary Bremer Weinkolleg, private customers can also order wines online.

As an intermediary and shipping wholesaler in the consumer goods industry, Schlumberger operates a complex value chain that requires different information logistics solutions to coordinate with suppliers, partners, and customers. As part of the introduction of the new ERP system based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Yaveon’s industry-specific ERP solution for merchandise management, Yaveon’s electronic supply chain solution was also implemented.

“At first, we only wanted to handle electronic data interchange (EDI) with Yaveon, but it quickly became clear that the solution would be the hub of the supply chain and thus the heart of our ERP solutions,” recalls Ivo Schiffmann, Head of IT at Schlumberger.

Yaveon’s EDI-related tasks should not be underestimated: From NAV, messages such as orders, DESADV, INVOICE, and more are generated, sent, and received for all major grocery retail customers. In addition, freight forwarders are connected directly via EDI. A customs connection completes the set of EDI messages.

“We are positively surprised by the performance of the Yaveon solution and are delighted that orders are integrated into the system so quickly and automatically,” says Ivo Schiffmann. Order monitoring is also facilitated by the fact that pre-orders are scheduled backward and executed automatically on time. In addition to the EDI interface, the Yaveon solution also manages the interface to the existing warehouse management system. One key advantage is that customers are only billed for what is actually delivered, as confirmations from order picking are incorporated. Furthermore, when entering orders, the system ensures that orders destined for Schlumberger and its subsidiary Segnitz can be logistically bundled and shipped together while still remaining separated in accounting. Likewise, all intercompany bookings triggered by the subsidiary Bremer Weinkolleg are correctly posted, and the documents are automatically created and processed.

On this basis, Schlumberger can also act as a pure logistics service provider for other wine merchants, handling all logistical processes and document creation without their customers realizing that an additional partner is involved.

Another special feature that Yaveon handles very well is consignment warehouses. Under the “Pay on Click” concept, customers only pay for goods once they are scanned at the point of sale. Automated aggregation of individual outbound notifications enables Schlumberger to issue monthly collective invoices. Schlumberger also solves the problem that wines cannot be assigned new EAN codes for different vintages, as this would require a new listing procedure. Internally, the EAN code can be linked to the article numbers and vintage information, making precise batch assignment possible.

Suppliers also benefit, as Schlumberger can use Yaveon’s solution to increase transparency in the logistics chain. Additionally, Schlumberger integrates purchasing order systems of large-scale buyers such as hotel chains or purchasing associations, allowing orders to be captured directly in the system. “Due to the specific workflows at Schlumberger, we were able to expand the plausibility check and automated validations beyond the usual scope in Dynamics NAV,” says Schiffmann. At the same time, full control of all bookings is always possible, and tasks are assigned via workflow using direct links.

Conclusion: For a trading company like Schlumberger, Yaveon’s solutions are the central hub of information logistics, creating a highly automated, workflow-driven supply chain. “Thanks to the excellent collaboration with Yaveon’s consultants and developers, we have been fully operational from go-live and achieved a textbook start, the likes of which I have rarely seen in IT projects,” praises Schiffmann.