Schulte Berater + Planer: Capacity Optimisation on Limited Storage Space

Burkhardt Fruchtsäfte, a company with a 90-year tradition, produces around 25 million bottles annually for customers within a 250 kilometer radius. Offering over 80 products, Burkhardt supplies premium juices to both the hospitality industry and retailers.

With increasing filling volumes and an expanding product range, the company needed more storage capacity at its Machtolsheim headquarters. However, this had to be achieved without major construction work. In collaboration with Schulte Berater + Partner, the entire warehouse layout was redesigned, and the logistics processes were reorganized using modern storage technologies.

Challenge - Warehouse capacity expansion & production space optimization

The expansion of the bottling lines required additional space, but there were no free areas available within the production facility, and building extensions were not an option. A portion of the existing finished goods warehouse had to be repurposed for the new bottling line, creating a capacity bottleneck. This issue was made worse by the increasing need for storage space. Using an existing external warehouse would have required a costly and time-consuming shuttle system, so the ideal solution was to increase storage capacity within the current building footprint.

Solution - Conversion, separation, reduction, repositioning, and compensation

A detailed analysis of the product range and inventory situation led to a plan that increased capacity and improved internal processes without requiring expensive construction. Key actions included,

Switching storage systems: Replacing block storage with compact and flexible technology using shuttle-operated channel storage
Reducing traffic routes: Introducing space-saving reach trucks to minimize transport paths
Compensating for complex shuttle handling: Improving processes in other warehouse areas to balance the added complexity in the shuttle-operated storage
Separating picking and storage processes: Establishing a dedicated picking zone, eliminating the need for picking in the block or rack storage areas
Repositioning top-selling items: Moving the most popular products closer to production and loading areas for quicker access

Result - The reorganization of the finished goods warehouse and its processes delivered:

an almost 10% increase in capacity despite losing storage space
more productive warehouse operations with a reduced error rate
A significantly improved utilization of the finished goods warehouse
seamless implementation of the new bottling line in production

Contact Person - Would you like more information or do you have a similar project?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jörg Schulte

+49 (0) 251/8 57 18-20 jschulte@sbp-ms.de

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Customer testimonials that convince - Learn what our customers have to say

“The project with Schulte Berater + Planer on a sensitive and important topic in our transport logistics was very goal-oriented and successful. We received vital impulses and also found the collaboration within the project team to be very agreeable.”
Klaus Hartmann, Fleet Manager, nobilia-Werke J. Stickling, Verl
“We have been working with Schulte Berater + Planer for 20 years. Our first project, the planning and realization of a new logistics center across from the brewery, was a great success. Since then, we have achieved much together in partnership, with projects in logistics and the digitalization of processes. On a personal level, every reunion is always a pleasure!”
Franz Kolm, Head of Logistics, Privatbrauerei Zwettl, Zwettl
“When we faced the challenge of finding the right concept for our new logistics location in 2021 due to our dynamic growth, we relied on SBP’s expertise. The collaboration resulted in a convincing overall concept, which is why we decided to entrust SBP with the project management for the complete realization of the new location!”
Tim Schön, Managing Director, Kreyenhop & Kluge
“I have known Schulte Berater + Planer for many years now and appreciate the flexible and competent support for a wide range of tasks in logistics and strategy. With SBP, we can quickly and efficiently bring industry experience, up-to-date know-how, an external perspective, and professional project execution into our project teams.”
Jörg Metzner, Head of Logistics, Paulaner Brewery Group, Munich
“With SBP, we succeeded in a better understanding and ultimately an optimizing of our internal processes in purchasing and sales. We therefore achieved measurable results that have helped us significantly increase profitability. We are delighted to have such a competent partner in SBP by our side.”
Simone Kraus, Managing Director, WiBU TextilPlus, Ahrensburg