2013|14
Open spaces
Austria
96 %
60 %
KWF
Hart bei Graz
KWF Betriebsanlagenverwaltungs GmbH
KIS
Grambach bei Graz
KNAPP IT Solutions GmbH
100 % YIS
100 % KSI 100 %
Dobl
YLOG Industry Solutions GmbH
Leoben
KNAPP Systemintegration GmbH
TheKNAPP
Group
AG (KAG)
Hart bei Graz
100 %
DFT
100 %
KZA
100 % KUK 100 % KNL 100 %
KIB
KUS
99,67 % KAG KBE
0,33 % KWF
KNAPP Benelux BVBA
International
Bielefeld
Germany
Dürkopp Fördertechnik GmbH
100 %
Kennesaw
USA
KNAPP Logistics & Automation, Inc.
KIT
Milan
Italy
Long Crendon
England
KNAPP Italia S.R.L.
100 % KDK
70 %
Næstved
Denmark
KNAPP A/S
Åstorp
Sweden
KNAPP Benelux B.V.
KSA
100 % KDE
Sao José dos Pinhais
Brasil
100 % KNO
Sandvika
Norway
KNAPP AS
Kosmosdal
South Africa
KNAPP Logistic South Africa (PTY) LTD
Madrid
Spain
KNAPP Logistica Automatización Ibérica, S.L.
80 %
KMI
Madrid
Spain
KNAPP Montajes Industriales, S.L.
Heusenstamm
Germany
KNAPP Deutschland GmbH
100 % KAU 100 % KCN 100 % KPL
Lindfield
Australia
KNAPP AB
Roermond
The Netherlands
KNAPP U.K. Limited
KNAPP Sudamérica Logistica e Autom. LTDA
100 % KSE
Sint Niklaas
Belgium
KNAPP AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd
Beijing
China
KNAPP Logistics Automation
Systems (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Warsaw
Poland
KNAPP Polska Sp. z o.o.
100 % KFR 100 % KCH 100 % KRU
Lognes
France
KNAPP France SARL
Zofingen
Switzerland
KNAPP Logistiksysteme GmbH
Moscow
Russia
OOO KNAPP
Key indicators at a glance
-Marge %
5
4
3
2013/14
Change
2012/13
Turnover
383,752
1.1%
379,499
EBITDA
23,428
4.7%
22,381
EBITDA margin
6.11 %
3.5%
5.90%
EBIT
15,430
5.2%
14,666
Mitarbeiter
EBIT margin
350
4.02 %
4.0%
3.86%
2500
EBT
14,238
6.7%
13,345
Backlog (Auftragsstand)
300
250
EBT-Margin
3.71 %
5.5%
3.52%
Equity
60,257
12.1%
53,737
200
150
Equity ration
2
23.5 %
3.0%
22.9%
100
23.6 %
-4.8%
24.8%
50
5.6 %
-1.8%
5.7%
13/14
330,048
24.4%
265,352
2,444
8.3%
2,256
Return on equity
1
Return on assets
0
09/10
10/11
11/12
12/13
Backlog
13/14
0
09/10
10/11
11/12
12/13
Employees
Turnover
in EBITDA
million euros
Umsatz
Umsatz
Umsatz
400
400
400
350
350
350
300
300
300
250
250
250
200
200
200
150
150
100
100
50
50
satz
EBITDA
400
25
10/11
11/12
12/13
Financial
year
250
13/14
09/10
0
100
25
25
20
11/12
10/11
0
5
09/10
12/13
11/12
10/11
13/14
12/13
11/12
13/14
12/13
20
15
15
150
10
100
5
6
256,2
200
10
122,2
145,7
13/14
09/10
0
0
09/1013/14 12/13
10/11
10/11 09/1011/12 10/1112/13 11/12
11/12
13/14
Financial year
6
6
5
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
0
10/11
09/10
19,3
2
2
2
1
1
1
0
11/12
10/11 09/10 12/13
11/12 10/11 13/14
12/13 11/12 13/14 12/13
0
20
8
7
7,0
15
6
265,4
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
09/10 11/12 13/14
10/11 12/13 11/12 13/14 12/13
12/13 09/10 13/14 10/11 09/10 11/12 10/11 12/13
23,4
EBITDA margin in %
5
50
50
7
22,4
EBITDA-Marge EBIT
%
330,1
7
250
0
5
8
25
300
20
10
9,4
10/11
09/10
0
7
6
15
10
Backlog (OrderEBITDA-Marge
status %in million euros)
350
20
15
5
500
8
19,1
15
1.605
1000
8
7
20
2.444
2.256
1.823
1500
8
383,7
10
200
150
EBITDA
EBITDA
Backlog (Auftragsstand)
350
300
0
272,2
150
50
09/10
326,9
204,6
100
0
379,5
2.082
2000
09/10
10/11
11/12
12/13
13/14
EBITDAEBITDA-Marge
in million
eurosEBITDA-Marge
%
EBIT
EBITDA-Marge
%
% EBIT in million euros
EBIT
EBIT
EBITDA
25
Employees
13/14
0
5,9
5,9
6,11
20
15
10/11
09/10
0
11/12
10/1109/10 12/13
11/1210/11 13/14
12/1311/12
2500
20
5
5
4
15
Backlog (Auftragsstand)
5
4
0
350
350
350
300
300
300
250
250
250
200
200
200
150
150
150
100
100
100
50
50
50
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
5
1
13/14
09/10
0
10/11
09/10
1
EBIT-Marge %
0
11/12
10/1109/10 12/13
11/1210/11 13/14
12/1311/12
1
3
3,8
4,0
13/1412/13
0
13/14
09/10
Backlog (Auftragsstand)
5
3,5
Mitarbeiter
Backlog (Auftragsstand)
Backlog (Auftragsstand)
MitarbeiterMitarbeiter
2500
2500
2500
2000
2000
2000
1500
1500
1500
1000
1000
1000
500
500
500
10
4,4
4
2000
15
13/1412/13
EBIT – margin in %
EBIT-Marge %
0
10/11
09/10
11/12
10/11
0
09/10
12/13
11/12
10/11
13/14
12/13
11/12
13/14
12/13
Backlog (Auftragsstand)
350
350
300
300
250
250
200
200
150
150
100
100
50
50
0
13/14
09/10
0
10/11
09/10
11/12
10/11
12/13
11/12
13/14
12/13
0
13/14
3
10/11
11/12
12/13
2
5
500
13/14
00
1
09/10
09/10
2
1,4
0
10/11
10/11 09/10 11/12
11/12 10/11 12/13
12/13 11/12 13/14
13/14 12/13
1
13/14
0
09/10
10/11
0
09/10
11/12
10/11
12/13
11/12
13/14
12/13
13/14
0
09/10
10/11
11/12
12/13
13/14
Mitarbeiter
2500
2500
13/14
09/10
0
10/11
09/10
11/12
10/11
12/13
11/12
13/14
12/13
13/14
2000
1500
1500
1000
1000
500
500
0
0
Open spaces
Mitarbeiter
2000
4
09/10
Annual Report and Sustainability 2013|14
10
5
0
10/11 09/10 11/12 10/11 12/13 11/12 13/14 12/13
10
5
Mitarbeiter
EBIT
10
11,3
5
20
15,4
EBIT-MargeEBIT-Marge
%
%
2,9
1000
09/10
11,9
15
5
1500
4,6
14,7
10
0
13/14
09/10
20
EBIT-Marge %
09/10
10/11
11/12
12/13
13/14
0
09/10
10/11
11/12
12/13
13/14
Open spaces
Contents
08 Project: future
10 Innovation and progress
14 Recipe for success
18 A strong supplier network
19 Service with enthusiasm
26 Company
27 Supervisory board report
28 Room for creativity – interview
39 Controlling bodies
40 KNAPP in motion
46 Company profile
48 The history of KNAPP AG
54 Activities and projects
56 Apologistics
60 Grene
64 Basiq Dental
68 Migros
72 Brax
76 MSG
80 LAS Solutions
84 In retrospect
90 Generations and growth
92 Shouldering responsibility
96 Apprenticeships with future prospects
100 The Second Chance
102 People in intralogistics
108 Elements for success
113 Generations under one roof
120 Generation management for systems
124 Facts and figures
126 Economic environment
131 Consolidated financial statement
6 | KNAPP AG
KNAPP AG | 7
Open spaces
Project: future
Project: future
The dynamics of progress lies in
research and development. It does,
however, only count as progress,
if the customer also accepts the
innovation. This year, we managed
to achieve this once again.
Franz Mathi, COO KNAPP AG
KNAPP AG | 9
Open spaces
Project: future
Innovation
and progress
“A new challenge waits
for me each day, which
is what really fascinates me
about my work in prototype
construction. Experience and
knowledge are naturally important
for realizing new requests, but above
all, one needs good intuition.”
Not only in tune with the latest developments, but always a
step ahead. Research, development and innovation have
always ranked high in the tradition of KNAPP. In more than
60 years of company history, KNAPP has been making a
significant impact on intralogistics. These ground-breaking
innovations include the SDA autopicker, the OSR Shuttle™
automatic storage system or the first UNIX-based software
applied in industry. KNAPP’s newest developments, such
as the KiSoft Vision technologies, the KNAPP-Store or the
Pick-it-Easy Robot for robotic picking, address the current
trends such as the zero-error strategy or same-day/next-day
delivery, and forge the way into the new era of intralogistics.
The start of a new era
The industry is poised at the
beginning of a new era – Industry
4.0. After the past three industrial
revolutions – first steam power,
on to assembly line production
and then the digital revolution –
the era of cyber-physical systems
and the Internet of Things now
begins. The networking between
man and machine is at the centre
of the Industry 4.0. The goal is the
intelligent, networked factory. Or
in KNAPP’s case – the intelligent,
networked intralogistics system.
One aspect is the use of
industrial robots. Robotics is still a
recent topic in intralogistics, with
tremendous potential for growth but
also posing significant challenges.
For years, it was thought that the
reliable process of bin picking could
not be automated. The demands
on the robots and sensors are very
high. Object recognition and the
pick process are highly complex
and many components must
Anton Kienreich
Prototype Constructions
KNAPP AG | 11
Open spaces
Open spaces
Project: future coordinate harmoniously for this process to be
successfully implemented.
Why rely on robots at all? The potential
these technologies tap into is tremendous.
Where the human reaches the limit of his
capacity, the robot can take over. A robot can,
for example, perform very monotonous and
strenuous actions over a long period with
unchanging quality and performance. Because
of this characteristic, robots are particularly
applicable for use in shift operations with high
throughput and low error tolerance. Especially
current and future legal requirements, quality
assurance and the tracking of articles along
the supply chain can be realized with the help
of robots.
In 2010, a core interdepartmental team of
about 15 KNAPP employees was formed for
the development of a picking robot, especially
for the use in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
The development of the first generation picking
robot was completed in 2012.
12 | KNAPP AG
Project: future
Leaving familiar territory
It is not always apparent right from the start
that a path is leading in the wrong direction but
we can learn from the experience, turn around
and take the right path. Such a realization
requires courage but is also the basis that
makes success possible. KNAPP, therefore,
subjected the first version of the picking robot
to a new validation and a redesign shortly
before it was ready for production, which had
effects on the components used as well as
on the robot processes. Next, development
expertise for the gripper components was
acquired – this led to two patent registrations
for the articulated arm robot and robot gripper.
Furthermore, several grippers were developed
that are automatically changed to handle a
wide variety of articles. Integration competence
was established in-house as well. In order
to realize the customized image processing
technologies and applications as envisioned,
KNAPP brought two highly-specialized
suppliers on board.
The processes were optimized from the
logistical point of view, which provided the
system with more flexibility. The new generation
now makes it possible to pick several items
per line and to pick from a container until it is
completely empty. KNAPP was, thus, able to
find a solution for a task that the industry had
been coping with for many years. The Pickit-Easy Robot was ready for production and
presented at the CeMAT 2014. The first Pick-itEasy Robot also started operation in 2014 for
the KNAPP customer Basiq Dental.
Future-oriented technologies
The Pick-it-Easy Robot is an important step
towards a new era of intralogistics – the picking
robot unites high performance with maximum
flexibility and error-free picking in one system.
The robot has become a co-worker of man
– better distribution of the work load and
up to a fourfold increase in productivity are
possible thanks to the Pick-it-Easy Robot.
One of the robot’s great advantages is that it
can be retroactively integrated into existing
intralogistic systems. With the development of
Pick-it-Easy Robot, KNAPP has not only hit an
important milestone in intralogistics, but has
also added a valuable solution component to
the zero defect warehouse - the warehouse of
the future, where errors are a thing of the past.
“I openly face new challenges with
the idea that I can overcome them. In
my 37 years at KNAPP I have certainly
faced quite a few difficult undertakings.
Knowledge, experience and a fine touch,
combined with the courage to move in
new directions and to think in new ways
have allowed me to find a solution for
every task I have faced so far. ”
Anton Kienreich
Prototype Construction,
at KNAPP since 1977
KNAPP AG | 13
Open spaces
Open spaces
Project: future Recipe for
success
For 75 years, the pharmacy cooperative NOWEDA eG has been
making an important contribution to the supply of medicines.
NOWEDA is involved with 16 locations in Germany, a location in
Luxembourg as well as a share in Switzerland for the provision
of owner-operated pharmacies. NOWEDA is very successful
in their sector and has been relying on their partnership with
KNAPP for more than 20 years.
Kajo Paulweber, head of the department Organization,
Technology, IT and Quality Management at NOWEDA talks
about the advantages of a long-term partnership and the
future challenges.
14 | KNAPP AG
Project: future
NOWEDA and KNAPP are connected by a
partnership of more than 2 decades: What are
the advantages of cooperating with the same
partner for so many years? What were the special
moments or the highlights from your perspective?
Kajo Paulweber: Commercial enterprises
generally discriminate between customers.
It is easy to understand that a 100 percent
customer and long-term partner is treated
differently than a C or D customer. For
NOWEDA, the availability of a technology plays
a very important role. The goal is customer
satisfaction and technical failures simply do
not help us reach this goal. Since we are a 100
percent customer and a long-term partner, we
benefit from the high degree of attention that
we unquestionably receive from KNAPP.
In a long-term partnership, it’s not about
selling something, but about generating
added value and not endangering a valuable
partnership. In a tender procedure, the
tenderer must reckon with the fact that despite
performance up front, he may eventually not
get the contract. The details of the contract
must be worked out, checked and agreed
upon in advance. Tender specifications and
cost calculations must be generated and
communicated. For all these efforts the
tenderer must include a markup (risk) in his
offers.
With a 100 percent customer, the risk
associated with doing the preliminary work for
an order and then not getting it is almost zero.
Accordingly, the offers can be more favourably
figured. Moreover, there are cost degressions
effected in projecting, service and maintenance
if similar or, even better, identical systems are
being used.
Success is made by people. In
communication, the meaning does not really
lie in what is actually said but rather in what
the other person understands. If you want to
be heard, you simply must have the attention
of your partner. And here we have come full
circle because a 100 percent customer will
always enjoy a different level of attention than
a so-called smart shopper.
KNAPP AG | 15
Open spaces
Open spaces
Project: future 75 years
co-operative of
pharmacies
NOWEDA
Today:
Co-operative of
8,600
pharmacists
16 | KNAPP AG
Founded:
1939
by 7 pharmacists
19
subsidiaries in
Germany, Luxembourg
and Switzerland
Project: future
Special moments from the partnership with
KNAPP cannot be listed so easily. There have
simply been too many. There is, however, one
experience that we particularly remember:
One of KNAPP's competitors asked for
the chance to place a competitive offer. He
promised that the price would be considerably
different from KNAPP's. His prediction turned
out to be true. The price was in fact clearly
different, but it was clearly much more
expensive. We were speechless because he
hadn’t even allowed himself a margin.
Gerald Hofer, today CEO but at the time
responsible for sales, made a pithy comment
about the whole situation: “Mr. Paulweber,
you should by all means ask for an offer from
the competitor every five years. Then you will
always know what KNAPP does for NOWEDA
in terms of pricing.” Even more remarkable
was the comment that would not seem to fit
the cheapest price: “NOWEDA is our most
profitable customer!”
Naturally, we also remember crises
caused by technical problems. But that’s
mainly because in these situations the KNAPP
employees were especially dedicated and
did an outstanding job. We could name many
names, but we won’t because we don’t want
to risk forgetting any of the top people. In
Graz there are “NOWEDAners” employed at
KNAPP!
“We value the people at KNAPP and their
commitment and dedication. We appreciate the good performance, the mutual
trust and the freedom to speak openly.”
Kajo Paulweber,
Head of Organization, Technology, IT and
Quality Management, NOWEDA Essen
How was KNAPP able to support NOWEDA on its
course of success?
What challenges does the future hold that
can be taken on together?
Kajo Paulweber: KNAPP was thoroughly
attuned
to
NOWEDA’s
needs.
Our
requirements were very high because of the
demands we made of the technical installation
for availability. For the 100 percent customer
NOWEDA, KNAPP was and is still ready
to go far beyond the beaten organizational
paths. Communication beyond all hierarchical
boundaries is possible. This brings speed into
the picture and switches off filters.
K. P.: The cost pressure in our
sector will continue and is more likely
to increase rather than decrease.
Therefore, we
need long-term
economic solutions. With this in mind,
common parts management for parts
and an enterprise release of software
solutions take on a special meaning.
A technical solution is good if one
can easily understand it, meaning that it
is simple. Standard solutions should be
used where they raise the availability of
the technology. They should be avoided
in situations where the solutions must
be above and beyond the competition.
The fact of past success is no
guarantee of future success. With
every single order, we must prove
ourselves to be the right partner for
our customers. NOWEDA will not be
able to achieve this without technical
support. This is why our partnership
with KNAPP is so important to us.
How does such a long, successful cooperation
come about? What do you particularly appreciate
regarding your cooperation with KNAPP?
K. P.: partnership and long-term economic
success must be more important than shortterm pecuniary advantages. It must be a winwin situation. We value the people at KNAPP
and their commitment and dedication. We
appreciate the good performance, the mutual
trust and the freedom to speak openly.
KNAPP AG | 17
Open spaces
Open spaces
Project: future Project: future
“What I find especially exciting is
working with people from different
cultures in a global supplier market.”
A strong
supplier network
Procurement on a global scale whilst delivering the highest level of
quality and a top-class service requires a strong supplier network and
a procurement team geared towards the international market. For many
years, KNAPP has focussed on developing a global network of strong
suppliers and on maintaining ongoing partnerships. One of these longstanding and successful partnerships has been with the Dutch company
Nedcon BV, a supplier of the rack systems used in the OSR Shuttle™
which is being installed all over the world.
Think global – buy local
The traditional role of our procurement
team has evolved over time. Whereas
previously their main job was to
supply production with raw materials
and products at low prices, today's
procurement department takes on a wide
range of important tasks. At present, a
project is underway to modernize our
procurement department in order to give
it an integrated, strategy-driven focus and
allow it to make a greater contribution to
18 | KNAPP AG
value creation. Our procurement team
forms the bridge that links our customers
and suppliers. Negotiating skills and
value orientation along the entire supply
chain are necessary in order to fulfil
the customers' various requirements
perfectly and to help realize faster
reaction times. True to the motto think
global – buy local, KNAPP is committed
to relying on a network of branches with
local procurement teams that aim to buy
Bernhard Halbwirth:
Head of Global Procurement Project &
Invest, bei KNAPP seit 1996
What is the recipe for a successful, long-term
business partnership?
Mutual trust and a shared goal are the
foundation of any long-term partnership.
KNAPP and Nedcon decided to break the
rules of what a business partnership usually
means in order to establish a business
relationship based on open communication
and an exchange of knowledge, which
is geared towards long-term, sustained
success for everyone involved.
What do you find particularly interesting about
your job?
What I find especially exciting is working
with people from different cultures in a global
supplier market. We in Global Procurement
consider us as internal business partners: we
are in charge of a global partnership network
in which we organize a complex supply chain
with a high focus on value.
What is it that motivates you?
What motivates me is realizing complex
objectives in a perfectly coordinated team
based on partnership, so that, at the end of
the day we have customers who are satisfied
with our innovative solutions.
KNAPP AG | 19
Open spaces
Open spaces
Project: future Project: future
„We drive development!
In our mission to find the
perfect solution, we have
worked together with KNAPP to
continuously push the boundaries
of technical possibilities,
redefining them along the way.“
Highlights of the cooperation:
56
projects
implemented together
worldwide
Cooperation with
KNAPP since 2000
Nedcon
delivers intelligent rack
solutions for the
OSR Shuttle™
40 years
of experience and expertise in
storage system construction
Development of
rack systems for
the OSR Shuttle™
together since 2010
Michiel Nijhout
General Director, Nedcon
1+1 is better than 2
Nedcon
Sector
Intelligent warehouse solutions
Headquarters
Doetinchem, The Netherlands
Main area of
expertise
Intelligent, fully-integrated rack solutions
Cooperation with
KNAPP since
2000
Employees
400
Turnover
150 million euros
20 | KNAPP AG
goods in the regions where they are needed.
This benefits not only customers, who can, for
example, take advantage of shorter delivery
times for replacement parts, but also the
environment, as reduced transport times mean
lower CO2 emissions.
When selecting suppliers, KNAPP demands
the highest standards in terms of price, quality
and service, and strives to establish partnerships
and long-term collaborations. The intralogistics
solutions implemented together with partners
are technically very complex. A well-established
team consisting of KNAPP employees and
suppliers ensures that projects are realized
successfully and that optimal service is
delivered, thus guaranteeing long-term success
and customer satisfaction. When exploring
potential solutions, suppliers are involved in the
process early on so that workflows and costs
can be optimized during the innovation stage.
KNAPP and the Dutch company Nedcon
BV have been working together for over 15
years. During this time many joint projects
involving automated rack systems have been
implemented. In 2010 KNAPP started looking
for a partner to assist the company in the
development of a new, high-performance
rack system for the OSR Shuttle™. Nedcon
submitted the best bid in terms of technical
experience and flexibility, but what really made
a difference was their desire to work together
with us to develop a new product that would
meet the dynamic requirements of the market.
Nedcon specializes in intelligent solutions
for high-performance storage systems and,
with over 40 years of experience, it's hard to
find another company with as much expertise
in the field of rack construction. That is why,
when it came to developing a new generation
of racks for the OSR Shuttle™ with the required
high standards, Nedcon was an ideal partner
for KNAPP.
The cooperation resulted in an innovative,
well thought-out and extremely economic
modular-construction rack system for the
storage of containers and cartons which
featured rails for the shuttles and a load
capacity of up to 50 kilos. The modular
construction and standardized components cut
planning, production and construction times
and improved cost efficiency. The development
teams of both companies cooperated closely
to find new and innovative ways to optimize the
entire shuttle system.
In recent years, this partnership has
seen 56 projects successfully implemented
worldwide. However, KNAPP and Nedcon did
not stop there. Today they continue to work
on developing new solutions in response to
the changing market demands and customer
requirements. Together they have developed
a new rack solution for the brand new OSR
Shuttle™ Eco along with a calculation tool
that KNAPP uses during sales, thus enabling
the project cycle duration to be sustainably
improved. Innovation, a solution-based
approach, process monitoring, commitment
and reliability are and will continue to be the
cornerstones of the partnership between
KNAPP and Nedcon. A sound basis from
which to take on future challenges.
KNAPP AG | 21
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Project: future Service with
enthusiasm
Our service for your success – always keeping this motto
in mind, KNAPP has created a wide spectrum of services
with the service portfolio System Support 360°+ that can be
flexibly adjusted to the needs and goals of each customer.
Maximum performance capacity and availability for the life
of the system stand in the forefront as well as comprehensive
support and training for employees working with the
technologies and in the processes. 360°stands for all round
care of the system, while the + stands for the individual
connections and complementary products that are necessary
in between the services to provide a holistic service. With
this approach, KNAPP pursues its goal to not only provide
service, but to wow customers with its service, the + being
that certain something that distinguishes good service from
outstanding service.
22 | KNAPP AG
Project: future
The best solution is always individual
...because each customer has his own
specific requirements and needs, which are
based on ideally fulfilling the expectations
of the end customer. Therefore, services
must always be attuned to the individual
requirements, business models and
components, and must naturally offer
sufficient flexibility to allow the desired
synergies to arise and to support operation.
With the System Support 360°+ KNAPP
offers its customers a comprehensive
portfolio of services, tailored to meet
individual needs and flexible enough to
be adjusted to new demands at any time.
With the new service concept, KNAPP is
not only solution provider, but also service
provider.
Innovative and always at your side
Communication,
transparency
and customer proximity stand in the
forefront of customer care at KNAPP. The
internationally-oriented customer service
comprising 33 subsidiaries and service
partners as well as a 24/7 hotline ensure
that customers have a contact person
available around the clock guaranteeing
prompt response. Additionally, the most
modern support systems, such as KiSoft
Web Eye, complement the communication
with the customer. KiSoft Web Eye is a
revolution in customer service which offsets
spacial and temporal distances. Through a
head-mounted display worn by the service
employee of the customer on site, the
KNAPP service technician basically sees
through the eyes of the employee on site and
can give specific instructions, for example,
for the replacement of a component. With
KiSoft Web Eye, KNAPP opens up a new
dimension of communication in customer
support.
The service portfolio is rounded out
by consulting services and services for
the ongoing process optimization, such
as the Operation & Logistics Support
(O&LS). Here, processes are analyzed and
potentials for optimization explored to reach
the maximum performance and availability
of the system and to accomplish long-term
investment security.
KNAPP AG | 23
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Project: future
What is your daily routine?
Carolína García Tornero: Every
work day demands flexibility
and creativity: The optimal
performance of the logistical
system and consequently the
satisfaction of the customer are
the goal and define my entire
agenda.
What do you find particularly
fascinating about your work?
Carolína García Tornero
Service Key Account Manager,
at KNAPP since 2001
Carolína García Tornero has been working at KNAPP
since 2001. As a Service Key Account Manager, she
focuses on the service concerns of some of KNAPP’s
key customers. She is a personal, direct contact
partner and is, therefore, the interface between the
companies. Two of her main responsibilities are the
development of tailored service strategies and the
further development of the partnership with these
strategically important customers.
24 | KNAPP AG
C.G.T.: I approach our customers
with respect and interest. It
is always a new journey that
connects me to foreign cultures
and continents. I try to seek an
appreciative understanding of
the individual requirements in
the cultural context with every
customer, and try to understand
how they perceive the world. For
this I need involvement, flexibility
and a lot of humour. Since the
overall result and the overall
impression we make on the
customer does not depend just
on my person, but depends on
various people and departments in
our company, cooperation across
the participating departments is
extremely important. These daily
contacts and interactions are an
important part of the success
of my work and are also very
enriching for me personally.
“My personal recipe for
success: Openness, honesty
and trust. It is essential
for me that our customers
know that their requests are
important to me and that
they can trust me. As soon
as a customer replaces
supplier with partner in his
vocabulary, I know that I am
on the right path to customer
satisfaction.”
Carolína García Tornero
What is the significance of strong
customer service?
C.G.T.: It is not just keeping your
customers, but keeping them
enthusiastic over the long run
that is what I call a one-of-a-kind
service. I see all the employees
in Customer Service as KNAPP
ambassadors: Our attitudes,
responses
and
behaviour
significantly influence KNAPP’s
image. We, therefore, play an
important role for our company
as far as customer loyalty is
concerned in the long run.
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Company
Company
Supervisory
board report
26 | KNAPP AG
In the past fiscal year, the Supervisory Board carried out its duties as
set forth by law and by the Articles of
Association, advised the Managing
Board on a regular basis regarding the
affairs of the company management
and monitored its activities. The Managing Board provided recurrent, prompt
and comprehensive information to the
Supervisory Board on the economic
position and development of the company as well as on important business
cases.
The Supervisory Board conducted
four sessions in the fiscal year 2013/14,
in which the members of the Managing
Board reported on the developments in
their business areas as well as on the
other companies in the Group, and the
Supervisory Board passed resolutions
pertaining to current topics. Particularly
important events in 2013/14 included
the foundation of the YLOG Industry
Solutions GmbH, the foundation of a
subsidiary in Australia, the construction
of an assembling hall on the Hart bei
Graz property obtained in the previous
fiscal year, and the opening of the company restaurant in Leoben.
The Annual Report and the Group
Financial Statements of the KNAPP AG
for the period ending March 31, 2014
were provided with the unqualified audit opinion by PriceWaterhouseCoopers Steiermark Wirtschaftsprüfung
und Steuerberatung GmbH. It was furthermore determined that the Management Report of the Managing Board is
compatible with the Group Financial
Statements.
The Supervisory Board has discussed and checked in detail all the documents for the annual financial statements with the auditor and approved
them in their present form. Regarding
the use of the profits, the Supervisory
Board endorsed the proposal made by
the Managing Board.
The Supervisory Board wants to
thank all the business partners for their
trust and all the employees for their
hard work in the challenges of the fiscal
year 2013/14. The chairperson strongly
emphasizes the stability of the company, the family-dominated owner structure as well as the preservation and
expansion of the existing locations.
Hart bei Graz, June 2014
Herbert Knapp,
Chairman
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Company
Room
for
creativity
Successful with a strong team
2013/14 was an eventful fiscal year for the KNAPP Group. It was a year
marked by new projects with new and repeat customers, numerous
product innovations and new members joining the company group.
This success was primarily achieved thanks to the around 2,500
employees, who, as a strong team, strive for customer satisfaction
across the globe. The Managing Board trio comprising Gerald Hofer,
Franz Mathi and Christian Grabner talk about the past fiscal year and
the challenges of the future.
How was the fiscal year 2013/14?
Christian Grabner: The fiscal year
2013/14 was very challenging, but also
very successful for us. We were able
to reach our planned turnover and also
to further increase the results. We are
at a level of results that allows us to
make investments for the future and to
remain a long-term and reliable partner
for our customers. Our customers
place a great deal of trust in us. We are
28 | KNAPP AG
pleased with the record level of orders
– in the past fiscal year we received
orders totalling more than 454 million
euros. Particularly positive was that
we were able to convince both existing
and new customers of the advantages
of the KNAPP solutions. We welcomed
200 new employees into the company
in order to offer our customers the best
possible service.
“This year we were able to
win strategically important
projects. This demonstrates
that we are on the right track.”
Franz Mathi, COO
What were the highlights of the year?
Franz Mathi: The year included
numerous highlights for us. We
were able to win strategically
important
projects
–
and
especially good news is that many
of our existing customers plan
their future with us in the long
term. This creates stability and
demonstrates that we are on the
right track. We also successfully
put some lighthouse projects
with new system solutions into
operation in Europe as well as
North and South America.
About 80 percent of all
investments
are
used
to
strengthen the company locations.
This year, for example, the Styrian
locations were in the focus with
the construction of new production
halls in Leoben and Graz, but
also with the construction of a
daycare facility. We have made
a clear commitment to the
Austrian locations, even though
the prevailing circumstances are
difficult.
One highlight worth mentioning
is that we have expanded our
shuttle portfolio with the YLOGShuttle and are now positioned
to serve the production logistics
branch. This was accomplished
by acquiring technology and
by establishing YLOG Industry
Solutions (YIS). Also noteworthy
are the new technologies and
system solutions that we brought
on the market in the past year.
With the Vision technology, Pickit-Easy Robot, KNAPP-Store and
many other innovations, we have
once again brought technologies
to the starting line that will have a
lasting influence on the sector.
at KNAPP since 1999
Franz Mathi began his
career at KNAPP as project
manager. From 2002 to 2007
he was responsible for the
area Product Management
and Innovation. Starting in
2007 he took over company
management for the KNAPP
Logistik Automation GmbH
(from July 1, 2009 KNAPP
AG) and was named Chief
Operating Officer on the
Managing Board in 2012.
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Company
“With the zero defect
warehouse we generate
precision and create a
self-learning organization.”
Gerald Hofer, CEO
at KNAPP since 1994
After joining the company, Gerald Hofer
headed sales for Italy and in 1996 became
head of the area Marketing & Sales.
In 2001 he made the move as Managing
Director to the KNAPP subsidiary
KNAPP Systemintegration GmbH in
Leoben. 6 years later he returned to the
management team in Hart bei Graz. In 2010
he joined the Managing Board of KNAPP
AG and took on the role of Chief Executive
Officer in 2012.
30 | KNAPP AG
How have the core sectors and markets developed?
Gerald Hofer: We can mostly
say that all the sectors in
our focus have developed
very
well,
beginning
with
the
pharmaceutical
sector. We serve the entire
pharmaceutical supply chain
from producers to wholesalers
and to the point of sale – the
pharmacy. We were also able
to introduce solutions with
important new developments
for the direct-to-patient model.
We were very successful
in the fashion and lifestyle
sectors and were able to win
over very large international
brands – we are well beyond
the plan in this segment. We
are also pleased to have new
customers and new solutions
in the foods sector. In general
retail we won some of the
really big names in Europe
and we scored in internet
wholesale as well.
With our YLOG Industry
Solutions we reach a new
customer group in the mid-size
range where the trend is for
smaller but smart investments.
With less than a year behind
us we can already point to
success in form of several
projects.
All in all, we are very proud
of the developments of the past
fiscal year. As far as sector
solutions as well as system
solutions are concerned we
have completely reached or
exceeded our strategic goals.
KNAPP has always been closely connected with the pharmaceutical sector. What are
the new challenges for the pharmaceutical supply chain posed by legal changes,
such as the GDP guidelines (Good Distribution Practice), and what role do troublefree and efficient intralogistics play in the fulfilment of these new tasks?
Gerald Hofer: The pharmaceutical
sector has always had to deal with
more than just getting the right
goods ready for sale at the right
time. Here, we have to consider
patient safety, quality, continuous
traceability and documentation.
Among other things, the GDP
guidelines mean that starting
in 2017 the serial numbers of
pharmaceuticals have to be tracked
end-to-end to the greatest possible
extent. In addition, further quality
assurance measures must now be
realized affecting things such as the
labelling on the packaging. Thus,
GDP poses a challenge for the
entire pharmaceutical supply chain.
Our advantage – where we
can provide a clear competitive
advantage for our customers – is
our experience, and the fact that our
system solutions cover the entire
supply chain. We gained experience
in the USA in the demanding field
of Direct2Patient, the direct supply
from the distribution centre to the
end customer. These experiences
mean that we have a basis from
which we can meet the new
challenges which our customers
are facing.
Our approach can be summed up
with the term zero defect warehouse.
In a zero defect warehouse we
can monitor all the manual and
automated processes across the
entire supply chain. This means
we capture data for quality features
such as the article serial number
in all relevant steps using image
recognition and image processing
technologies. In the Direct2Patient
process we automatically label
pharmaceutical articles, provide
them with important information for
the patients and check whether the
packaging has been opened and
must be removed from circulation.
With these processes we
generate not only the required
patient safety but also create a
self-learning organization at the
same time. Any errors are detected
in the respective process step and
handled there, providing not only
continuous documentation but also
a targeted learning behaviour.
We are well-prepared for the
concept of GDP as well as for
other guidelines outside Europe,
some of which are even stricter. I
think we are in the position of being
THE partner of the pharmaceutical
supply chain – our goal was to have
the answers for our customers even
before they had finished formulating
the questions. We can be proud of
the fact that we have achieved this
goal.
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“Our solutions offer our
customers investment
security and the necessary
flexibility to respond to the
changing conditions.”
Christian Grabner, CFO
Growth sector intralogistics: What developments are foreseeable?
What advantages do the KNAPP solutions offer?
Christian Grabner: Developments in the
logistics sector are very rapid and diverse.
We have identified new requirements in
areas such as labour law, ergonomics
and energy efficiency as important
influencing factors and incorporate them
in the design of our solutions.
Investment security is naturally very
important to our customers. Our low
complexity warehouse concept puts our
customers in a position to respond quickly
and flexibly to changing conditions and to
fulfil new demands easily.
One persistent trend is e-commerce
– everything that has to do with online
shopping. Consumer expectation in
this segment is especially high. Every
article must be available at all times and,
naturally, at the best price. Our highly
32 | KNAPP AG
specialized solutions for this demanding
business allow us to support our
customers in fulfilling these requirements
perfectly.
The food retail sector is also
experiencing
the
trend
towards
automation.
Great
quantities
of
goods must be stored, picked and
distributed efficiently. We also have a
comprehensive portfolio of solutions for
these requirements.
Extraordinary quality will more and
more become the decisive factor: With
the zero defect approach we make
error-free delivery and a self-learning
organization possible. This is how we
raise both customer and employee
satisfaction and give our customers a
decisive competitive advantage.
Research and development have been very important at KNAPP.
What innovations were brought to the market in the past fiscal year?
Franz Mathi: Our comprehensive system
competence and process know-how are
united in the KNAPP Group as one of
our biggest strengths. Every year we also
invest about 7 percent of the turnover in
research and development and were,
therefore, able to develop many of our
ideas to be ready for the market in the past
years. Above all, our focus is not only on
the classic development of applications,
but also we have a strong focus on basic
technologies. For example, based on our
Vision technology, we were able to build
up a comprehensive portfolio for various
applications. The process of placing new
technologies on the market reveals the key
factors, some of them unforeseeable, that
we are dealing with in this sector. Looking
at the development of the OSR Shuttle™
in the past 10 to 15 years, the shuttle
technology has developed in dimensions
that we ourselves hardly thought possible. I
think that, even regarding the trend-setting
Vision technologies, application areas will
develop that are not yet foreseeable today.
We have, of course, also further
advanced our developments in the shuttle
area. Most notable are the free-moving
Open Shuttle and the YLOG-Shuttle,
which now make a 3D matrix in a rack
system possible.
New developments often arise from
new market demands. Our Pack2Patient
is a successful new solution for direct
delivery to the end customer in the
pharmaceutical sector but is also a
response to the new legal framework. We
are particularly glad that we were able to
develop the Pack2Patient solution further
in order to create stand-alone products.
Our efforts regarding software have
been tremendous – thanks to this we were
able to achieve great success in the area
of warehouse management of complex
systems. Through our subsidiary KNAPP
IT Solutions (KIS) we were able to roll out
our own ERP system in some projects for
the first time. Our software competence in
the past years has been heavily reinforced
and we have outstanding and motivated
employees.
We also set another milestone in
intralogistics: Our robot solution in
connection with Vision technology can now
pick different articles from one container
and pick all articles from a container until
it is completely empty. The industry has
actually been working on this concept for
more than 10 years. Up to now no one had
found a satisfactory solution. However,
within the past year, we came up with a
good solution – this really sets us apart as
a company and clearly demonstrates our
innovative power and expertise.
KNAPP AG | 33
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The KNAPP Group is growing steadily and is now represented in 33 locations
worldwide. What steps are planned for the future to strengthen the global KNAPP
network?
KNAPP is increasingly positioned as partner to the industry: How does this translate into
advantages for KNAPP customers?
Christian Grabner: For us,
being an industry partner means
responding to our customers’
requirements for both now and the
future, understanding them and
offering solutions in tune with the
requirements. Being an industry
partner also means that we are
continually and extensively engaged
with our core sectors and customers,
even when there is no particular
project on hand. As can be currently
seen from the developments in
the pharmaceutical supply chain,
these efforts are an important factor
in having the system solutions
ready at the right time and in best
34 | KNAPP AG
supporting our customers on their
way into the future.
An industry partner also
provides optimal care not only
during the installation and startup
phases, but also supports and
accompanies the customer in the
long-term. This is why our scope
of services includes the service
package System Support 360°+.
This package enables us to offer
customized services based on
the customer’s needs, therefore,
securing the optimal performance
throughout the life of the system and
creating success and competitive
advantage for our customers.
Franz Mathi: We encounter
various
situations
in
the
international
environment
in which we move. Different
demands are coming from the
saturated European economy
in comparison to South America
or China, for example. This is
naturally very exciting for us, and
the North and South American
regions are also displaying a
tremendous growth potential.
Wherever we see potential like
this, it naturally makes sense to
strengthen our value creation
and forces. Strengthening our
South American location is an
important part of our strategy;
for example, we want to further
build up our competencies in
installation and assembly, and
to enrich the market with new
products. We have similar plans
for North America, whereas here
we also want to strengthen the
development competencies. The
Asian market is developing very
positively. By now this market
seems to be ready for the type
of solutions we offer. The next
logical growth step is to invest
in production and assembly
competency in these countries.
This year we want to promote this
to the extent that by the end of the
year we are ready to assemble
simple conveyor systems and
components on site.
It is very important to note
here that the decentralization
of value creation across the
globe naturally strengthens the
locations in Austria and Europe,
and ensures competitiveness
and growth over the long run.
Development and production are
initially done here and then rolled
out to the subsidiaries worldwide,
meaning that all the locations
benefit.
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Work-life balance has become a very important issue: What type of support
does KNAPP provide employees to balance work life and private life?
Gerald Hofer: In principle, this is
about corporate culture and the
question is: “How can we create
an environment in which our
employees feel comfortable and
enjoy working?”
At KNAPP we have set out
to create a corporate culture of
openness to experience and
open communication. We want
to promote the specific strengths
of our employees. We think that
work should be enjoyable. Our
employees perform exceptionally,
and therefore, we want to create
a
correspondingly
positive
environment in which they can
develop their strengths. This may
be done by creating new space –
currently in the Bielefeld, Leoben
and Graz locations – or with stateof-the-art workspace design and
new communication tools. We also
promote social contact between
employees whether at the
company cafeteria, the daycare
centre KNAPP-Kinderwelt or
through the sport and exercise
programs of KNAPPvital and
many other activities.
Today its all about the seethrough company, and so it is
logical for us to communicate
36 | KNAPP AG
openly and transparently with
our employees, to inform them
of problems and to celebrate
success together. It is important to
us to live and promote this open
and appreciative company culture
at all levels of the organization.
This positive energy, motivation,
enjoyment of the work and of
our common success keeps us
moving forward. Teamwork and
the contribution of each individual
is very important. Dismantling
barriers within the organization is
important to us, so that our team
spirit is experienced throughout
the company, and everyone can
draw strength from it. Successes
that you achieve together have
more value than those you
celebrate alone.
A positive side of the
international nature of the
company is that our KNAPP
family becomes more and more
multicultural – we can all learn
and benefit from each other. Our
goal is that the openness and
appreciation in our company
culture can be seen by the
global public and experienced
throughout the entire KNAPP
group.
What goals do you want to set for the coming fiscal year?
Christian Grabner: We want to
use the drive, the international
nature and the positive mood in
our company and harness it to
create further growth. For the next
year, we intend to reach a growth
in turnover of 10 percent. On the
one hand, we would like to achieve
this with proven and tested
solutions, but on the other hand
we would also like to score with
new system solutions. We expect
our innovations that are on the
verge of market entry to contribute
significantly
these include the
Pick-it-Easy Robot, Open Shuttle
and the KNAPP-Store. We also
expect a positive impulse from our
newly established subsidiaries
such as KNAPP IT Solutions, as
well as from our new subsidiaries
in Australia and Russia. Providing
our customers with the best
possible care is also the reason
why we plan to increase our staff
by another 200 employees this
year.
It is critical for us as an
international company to think
locally, to recognize, understand
and realize the local requirements
of our customers in the best
possible way. Therefore, as
mentioned previously, we will
strengthen our locations in the
USA, South America, China and
England. There, we will put even
more emphasis on value creation
to realize and live up to the idea
of thinking locally. We have a lot
in store and look forward to an
exciting and successful new fiscal
year.
Christian Grabner, CFO
at KNAPP since 2006
After joining the company,
Christian Grabner worked
for 2 years in Controlling
and Cost Accounting and in
2008, headed the division. In
2011 he changed to company
management of KNAPP AG
and accepted the duties of
Chief Financial Officer in
the Managing Board of the
company in 2012.
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Company
Controlling bodies
The supervisory board
The managing board
Hofrat Dr. Herbert Knapp
Gerald Hofer, MBA
Chairman
Chief Executive Officer, CEO
Em. Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Günter Knapp
Deputy Chairman
Dipl.-Ing. Franz Mathi
Chief Operating Officer, COO
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gunter Nitsche
Mag. Helmut Grienschgl
Mag. Helga Knapp
Mag. Tanja Knapp
Mag. Friedrich Möstl
Dr. Peter Wenger
Dipl.-Ing. Eduard Wünscher1
Fumio Kobayashi1
MMag. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Christian Grabner
Chief Financial Officer, CFO
The management team
Heimo Robosch
Executive Vice President (EVP)
Works council delegates:
Ing. Wolfgang Silly
Ing. Helga Stocker
Heribert Plieschnig
Dipl.-Ing. Sandra Hofmann1
Ing. Roland Graf1
1
38 | KNAPP AG
Bernhard Rottenbücher
Executive Vice President (EVP)
bis 15.01.2014
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KNAPP in motion
Our main tasks – what we stand for
Logistics moves the world
… and this world is moving faster and faster.
We are constantly surrounded by logistics in our daily lives, and
if all cogs in the logistics chain fit together perfectly, we barely
notice it. The medication we need is available at the pharmacy.
The supermarket shelves are always full. Our favourite author’s
new novel is available online and a few clicks later a new pair of
shoes is also in our virtual basket and only 24 hours later we hold
the goods in our hands.
Without efficient, intelligently automated logistics solutions,
the vast stream of goods moving around the world daily and the
growing demands of our society in terms of product availability
could never be managed.
KNAPP drives logistics
…and responds to current requirements.
KNAPP is committed to precisely this task. As a supplier of all-in-one
intralogistics solutions, we see it as our responsibility to sustainably
shape and influence logistics worldwide through our work, making
the name KNAPP inseparable from the term intralogistics. Our
vision therefore is to make KNAPP the byword for logistics!
40 | KNAPP AG
Company
Innovation and tradition
We have a tradition of
innovation – we have more
than 60 years' experience and
expertise in the logistics industry,
which has been influenced by
our innovations time and again.
In the future we would like to
lead the way in new technologies
and offer unique solutions on
the market. We, therefore, place
great emphasis on research,
development, innovation and the
development of knowledge.
Our solutions reflect our
motto – making complexity simple.
In an increasingly demanding
logistical environment, we design
processes and systems efficiently
and optimize their sustainability
and profitability by cleverly
implementing the right mix of
technologies. Our technologies
focus on individuals and their wellbeing. We automate processes
in sectors where it is useful
and practical, and provide our
technologies to assist humans
elsewhere.
Partnership
Success through strong partnership
– we partner with customers, employees,
society, the environment and suppliers, and
regularly exchange with them all, which
enables us to create unique solutions and
facilitates sustainable growth.
Our company is oriented towards
sustainability and as a member of
society we are aware of our responsibility
and look at all of our activities from an
ecological, economical and social point
of view.
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Our principles – how we act
We build on strong foundations
The company values of reliability, courage,
openness, appreciation and creativity form
the foundation for sustainable growth and
success and span across all our activities, like
a network. The company management actively
demonstrates these values in its relations with
customers, employees and the environment.
These company values also shape the actions
and decisions of all employees.
We offer complete solutions
KNAPP sees itself as a solution provider.
We offer one-stop all-in-one logistics solutions
from design to manufacturing, installation and
comprehensive service. We concentrate on
our core industries, namely pharmaceuticals,
fashion, retail & lifestyle and food retail and
offer unique goods distribution solutions and
services to our customers in these sectors.
Reliability throughout projects and the courage
to tread unknown paths in order to find optimal
solutions distinguish our work.
42 | KNAPP AG
We encourage knowledge and progress
Building on our positive company values
and expertise, we utilise our knowledge wisely
and encourage the systematic advancement of
our industry-specific expertise. We are clearly
committed to research and development
and use our experience to remain at the
technological
forefront.
We
encourage
knowledge management and transparency
within the company – specific specialist
knowledge is managed centrally and provides
employees with a valuable source of knowledge
in their daily work.
The training and further education of our
employees is of great importance to us, and
therefore, we offer ongoing tailored training
courses and modules in-house. We also support
employees who undertake further training. In
training managers, we provide targeted support
in professional and social development. Our
employees have a high degree of personal
responsibility and motivation. The leadership
style applied in the company, management by
objectives, provides room for creativity which is
necessary for advancing innovation.
We assume responsibility
We contribute towards the
sustainable shaping of intralogistics
and
endeavour
to
create
environmentally sound, efficient and
socially beneficial logistics processes
and achieve a balance between
economic and ecological efficiency.
This is how we can create sustainable
corporate values. KNAPP has an
integrated management system and is
certified in quality management (ISO
9001), occupational health and safety
(OHSAS 18001) and environmental
management (ISO 14001). Our
environmental policy, derived from
our company values, continues to be
implemented across the company.
Our
employees
provide
extraordinary
solutions
daily,
guaranteeing the success and
satisfaction of our customers. Targeted
internal measures help us to support
our employees in enjoying a good
work-life balance.
We engage in open dialogue
Listening,
understanding,
implementing,
improving
–
constructive interaction is highly
valued in our relations with
customers and employees as
well as with society and the
environment. As an internationally
orientated company, we are open
to other cultures. We engage
in open dialogue with all our
partners and interact with mutual
respect and esteem. Mutual trust
creates the basis for bold new
solutions.
KNAPP AG | 43
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Company
Company
KNAPP the
byword in Logistics
Make
making complexity simple
unique solutions
the Vision
what we stand for
Innovation and traditiion
strong foundation
reliable, open,
appreciative,
creative, courageous
Customers
Environment
Society
Employees
Suppliers
comprehensive solutions
the
Mission
how we act
open dialouge
stakeholder
sustainable solutions
strong partner
Partnership
Solution Provider
knowledge
experience
know how
Responsibility
research + development
work life balance
Objectives
and aims
KNAPP2020
constantly getting better
Innovation and development
added value and security of investment
44 | KNAPP AG
Our aim – what we want to achieve
Constantly improving
The future holds new challenges.
A noticeable trend on the market is the
need for all-in-one service providers that
offer consulting and services in addition
to implementing intralogistics solutions.
KNAPP has developed the group-wide
KNAPP2020 program in order to support
our customers in future challenges in its
capacity as a reliable partner and to offer
our employees a stable work environment.
Looking into the future
The KNAPP2020 program has several
focal points that serve to ensure groupwide growth and long-term success. The
company has set clear goals for the year
2020 and is working towards implementing
these on an ongoing basis.
The vision make KNAPP the byword
for logistics is also the central theme of
KNAPP2020. Our aim is to further expand
our world market leadership in selected
industries and strengthen our position as
a partner to industry. A strong partner is an
economically successful partner and we,
therefore, aim to double our turnover by
2020. Innovation and development are keys
to sustainable, forward-looking automation
solutions and continue to be encouraged.
Optimum processes in project management
and transparent communication enable us
to provide a crucial competitive edge to
our customers and create added value and
investment security. The KNAPP network
spans the globe. Targeted measures serve
to bring all members of the Group closer
together in order to improve communication,
responsiveness and service and to make
use of synergies.
The path to success requires the
commitment and motivation of each
individual employee. We accept the
challenges of the future together and use
them to help us to improve and grow.
KNAPP AG | 45
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Company
Company
Company profile
The success story continues
KNAPP AG operates internationally in the
field of warehouse automation and warehouse
logistics and is a world market leader among
suppliers of all-in-one intralogistics solutions
and automated warehouse systems. As
solution provider, KNAPP provides tailored,
comprehensive intralogistics solutions. Its core
competencies include development, planning,
installation, after-sales support and ongoing
consulting.
The company received orders worth
EUR 454 million and generated a turnover of
around EUR 384 million in the 2013/14 fiscal
year. Consequently, KNAPP AG remains on
its path of continuous growth. As planned, the
previous year's result has been surpassed and
the company’s turnover has again reached a
record high. Incoming orders increased by 15
percent as compared to the previous year.
Industry focus
The core business areas of the company
include pharmaceuticals, fashion, general
retail & lifestyle, food retail and tools &
Spares. Particularly customers from the
pharmaceutical supply chain with especially
high expectations regarding quality, flexibility
and speed have trusted KNAPP AG’s
expertise in providing solutions for decades.
KNAPP was, for example, able to gain unique
experience and expertise in the challenging
environment of the pharmaceutical industry
as far as single item picking is concerned
46 | KNAPP AG
which can also be applied to other industries
and sectors such as the growing e-commerce
sector. Numerous innovations such as the
OSR Shuttle™ that were originally developed
for the use in the pharmaceutical supply chain
are now also successfully used in all other core
industries. The KNAPP subsidiaries Dürkopp
Fördertechnik in Bielefeld, Germany, and
KNAPP System Integration in Leoben, Austria,
also have specialist expertise in the fashion
and food retail industries. The startup of YLOG
Industry Solutions in Dobl, Austria allowed
KNAPP AG to expand its shuttle portfolio and
incorporate an autonomous shuttle which is
primarily suitable for the use in production
environments and small and medium-sized
companies (SMEs).
International orientation
From its headquarters in Hart bei Graz,
Austria, the KNAPP AG network spans the
globe with 19 subsidiaries and 13 representative
offices. Around 2,450 employees – around
1,800 of them in Austria – work every day
towards fulfilling the company’s vision to- make
KNAPP the byword for logistics. The year's
highlights include the foundation of two new
subsidiaries to strengthen the KNAPP network:
OOO KNAPP in Russia and KNAPP Australia
Pty. Ltd. in Australia.
KNAPP AG is present on all inhabited
continents. Europe, North and Latin America
continue to be significant markets but the
company has also been able to further
KNAPP AG
Core industries:
Pharmaceuticals,
fashion, general
retail & lifestyle,
food retail and
tools & spares
Incoming orders 2013/14:
454 EUR million
Turnover 2013/14:
strengthen its presence and gain important new
clients in Asia, Australia and Africa.
The international orientation of the company
and its focus on a few core industries has
a stabilising effect on the entire company,
compensating for economic fluctuations in
individual markets. KNAPP AG aims to stay
ahead of the competition in the existing markets
and core industries but also plans to continually
tap into new markets.
Innovation – a success factor
Not only in tune with the latest developments,
but always a step ahead KNAPP AG focuses
intensively on current and future trends in the
intralogistics industry and consumer needs
and incorporates this knowledge into product
innovations and developments. Innovation,
research and development, thus, play an
important role in the company, with around
7 percent of the turnover being invested in
research and development annually. More
than 400 employees across the company work
in research and development, playing an active
part in shaping the future of intralogistics.
Taking on responsibility
Being oriented towards sustainability,
KNAPP is aware of its responsibility towards
customers, society and the environment, and
remains in regular exchange and dialogue
with all stakeholders. KNAPP also has an
integrated management system. The company
384 EUR million
Employees worldwide:
Research and development:
2,450
7 % of total turnover Employees
in Austria:
Certifications:
ISO 9001
OHSAS 18001
ISO 14001
1,800
Headquarters: Hart bei Graz
19
Subsidiaries:
Representative offices:
13
regularly undergoes audits for certification and
is certified in quality management (ISO 9001),
occupational health and safety (OHSAS 18001)
and environmental management (ISO 14001).
Industry partner
In addition to structural measures such
as the expansion of its headquarters and the
strengthening of its subsidiary network, the
continuous expansion of its service portfolio
and dialogue with customers are paramount,
as they enable KNAPP to better address the
needs of customers and to reinforce its position
as a preferred partner of the industry.
KNAPP AG | 47
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Company
Company
The History of KNAPP AG
1952
Engineer Günther Knapp founds a
company for special machinery in
the workshop in the cellar of his
private home. The company has
two employees.
1960er
1972
KNAPP receives its first order from Germany from the
pharmaceutical wholesaler Krey & Figener.
1980
The company moves to Hart bei Graz,
Austria, where the group headquarters
is still located.
KNAPP's first customers
include Herba Chemosan,
Stiefelkönig and Kastner &
Öhler.
Günter Knapp is well ahead of his time with his idea to build an
automated picking system for the pharmaceutical wholesale
trade. The company primarily builds milk pumps, doughnut-filling
machines, lifts and small conveyor systems at the time.
48 | KNAPP AG
1983
Günter Knapp has not given up on his
idea of an automated picking system
for the pharmaceutical wholesale trade.
Now the time has come – the first automated picking system is
developed. KNAPP, thus, sets new standards in intralogistics and
distribution.
2000
1988
The first ejector of the
SDA automated picking
system is installed at OCP
Melun in France.
1990
1995
1996
1999
Automated picking systems,
such as the SDA-2000, are
state-of-the-art.
The first order from the USA with a focus on
software signals the development of international markets.
The first WMS goes into operation for a
customer in Germany.
2002
KNAPP recruits its 1,000th employee.
KNAPP starts to expand: the first international
subsidiary is founded with KNAPP Italia S.R.L.
KNAPP acquires the companies LOGIM
and SYSLOG and develops its software
competencies.
KNAPP treads new paths in the field of automated small-parts
warehouses with the development of the OSR Shuttle™. The idea
to separate horizontal transport from vertical transport by using
shuttles and lifts linked to levels brings about a paradigm shift in
intralogistics.
The first OSR Shuttle™ goes into operation at Richter Pharma in
Wels, Austria.
KNAPP AG | 49
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Company
2004
Company
2009
KiSoft Command is first put into operation.
KiSoft Command has since shaped the appearance of the KiSoft product series.
400 customers visit MOVE – the 'Month of Visitors
Event' – at the Styrian headquarters.
2011
2008
2005
KNAPP expands into Scandinavia by acquiring the logistics
company MOVING AB. The building of the new Corporate
Headquarters and Development Centre in Hart bei Graz begins. .
The 1,000,000th SDA ejector is installed at the
customer Kehr in Brunswick, Germany.
KNAPP presents a new product idea with KiSoft Vision at CeMAT
2008 in Hanover. A prototype for picking glasses with augmented
reality technology is presented the following year.
The next generation of the KiSoft WMS for the high-performance
sector is brought into use at the customer JLP in the United
Kingdom.
50 | KNAPP AG
The 4th generation of the successful SDA ejector
for automated picking systems comes onto the
market. This generation sets the technological
standard on the market and offers a wide range
of functions, alongside the innovative ACS
automated system controller.
For the first time the
company has more than
2,000 employees.
KNAPP is certified according
to the environmental norm
ISO14001.
The first customer service
networking event takes place
in Athens.
2010
KNAPP acquires the
market leader for fashion logistics systems,
Dürkopp Fördertechnik.
The Corporate Headquarters and Development Centre in Hart bei
Graz is opened.
2007
At CeMAT 2011, KNAPP
exhibits under the
motto intralogistics and
sustainability.
On July 1st, 2009 the company appears under its
new name, KNAPP AG.
The OSR Shuttle™ goes
into operation at Hermes in Haldensleben,
Germany and is, at the
time, the largest shuttle
system worldwide.
The John Lewis Partnership
multichannel solution wins the Award
of Excellence from the CILT Institute in
the Materials Handling Equipment and
Technology category.
The pilot installation of the visual
picking technology, KiSoft Vision, is
presented at the customer Magnum
Medical in Tallinn, Estonia as part of
the GIRP meeting.
KNAPP AG | 51
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Company
KNAPP showcases a range of
innovations at CeMAT Hanover,
including its comprehensive
Vision portfolio, the picking
robot Pick-it-Easy Robot, and
the KNAPP-Store.
The 10,000th
shuttle is sold
to the shoe
manufacturer
Clarks US at the
start of the year.
2012
2014
KNAPP is awarded the Grocer
Gold Award and the Supply Chain
Excellence Award for its innovative
automation solution at Boots UK.
A low complexity warehouse
is implemented at the German
full-service healthcare provider
ProServ centring on the OSR
Shuttle™.
As part of the Site2020 project
comprehensive site expansion is
undertaken at the headquarters in Hart bei
Graz and at KNAPP Systemintegration (KSI)
in Leoben, Austria.
Worldwide, 2,500 employees are now working for the company.
The annual turnover amounts to around EUR 384 million.
YLOG Industry Solutions
based in Dobl, Austria,
becomes a new
member of the Group.
52 | KNAPP AG
The KNAPP-Store goes into
KNAPP makes the 63rd place among the Top 100 Ideal Employers
2014 and receives an award for being the most family-friendly
company in Styria.
Subsidiaries are founded in Australia and Russia.
2013
The picking robot, Pick-it-Easy
Robot, goes into operation at
the customer Basiq Dental in
Oisterwijk, Holland.
The YLOG-Shuttle
expands the existing
shuttle portfolio.
KNAPP establishes the Styrian Service Cluster
together with other Styrian companies. Future
customer-orientated, innovative services are
the company's focus.
operation at Apologistics in
Markkleeberg, Germany.
2020
Who thinks of intralogistics, will think of KNAPP.
The KNAPP Group leads the way in the
intralogistics industry and achieves a total
turnover of EUR 700 million.
Projects are implemented efficiently and to the
highest customer satisfaction. KNAPP leads the
way in the field of innovation and technology.
Developed and refined to meet the requirements of the time, the
40,000 ejectors sold on average each year are testament to the
importance and scope of the idea that Günter Knapp had many
decades before.
KNAPP is the world market leader in shuttle technology with
12 years of development and expertise. More than 200 OSR
Shuttle™ systems with more than 15,000 shuttles are active
worldwide.
Numerous innovations such as the Pick-it-Easy Robot, the
KNAPP-Store and the easyUse control concept are introduced.
The easyUse control concept is the default for all KNAPP user
interfaces and facilitates simple, intuitive operation.
KNAPP AG | 53
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Activities and projects
Activities and projects
For us, being an industry partner
means understanding our customer’s
requirements for both now and the
future, and offering solutions in tune
with the requirements.
Christian Grabner, CFO KNAPP AG
KNAPP AG | 55
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Activities and projects
“Flexibility and solution-oriented
thinking are important requirements
when working in Field Engineering.
Even so, the installation of the
KNAPP-Store at Apologistics was
a particularly exciting challenge.
We had nothing to compare it with
and no empirical values from other
projects and a few special functions
also had to be realized in order to
tailor the system to the customer’s
wishes. Meeting challenges like these
successfully is very motivating, and I
am really proud of our work.”
Oliver Nemejc,
Software Field Engineer, at KNAPP since 2006
4
5
1
Apologistics
Successful with a
pioneering spirit
Pioneering spirit and innovation are part of
Apologistics' everyday business. As an online
pharmacy, Apologistics works within a new, fastgrowing area of the pharmaceutical supply chain –
e-commerce. One glance at Apologistics' track
record will offer proof of just how fast this segment
is growing. While some 50 orders were delivered
every day in the founding year 2004, the number of
deliveries has sky-rocketed to 8,000 deliveries per
day in 2013 – successful growth that went handin-hand with a process of gradual automation.
Apologistics has trusted in KNAPP automation
technology since 2006. As a future-oriented
company, Apologistics relies on innovative ideas
and opted for the new KNAPP-Store in 2013.
3
1
1 Flexible: Scalable rack line
system
2 Durable and versatile: 2-arm
gripper system can process a
wide range of articles
3 Accurate: Buffer box places
articles on central belt
4 Intuitive and precise: Goods-in
work station; optionally with
future technology KiSoft Vision
5 Efficient: Reliable registration
of articles and automated goodsin process
6 Safe and low-maintenance:
Access plan and maintenance
walkways
2
4
6
5
2
KNAPP AG | 57 3
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Activities and projects
Sector:
Pharmaceutical
wholesale,
E-Commerce
Location:
Markkleeberg,
Leipzig, Germany
Key data
Apologistics
Sector
Location
Warehouse size
Deliveries per day
Technologies
58 | KNAPP AG
Pharmaceutical wholesale,
E-Commerce
Markkleeberg, Leipzig, Germany
6,000 m2
Approx. 8,000
KNAPP-Store,
central belt system with SDA and
UPD ejectors,
manual picking stations,
automatic carton erector and
carton closer, automatic invoice
insertion, weighing station,
automatic advert insertion,
photo station, KiSoft WCS
Advantages:
low storage costs
high storage density
low space requirements
greater quality and efficiency
intuitive operation
simple maintenance
ROI within less than three years
Storage capacity: Storage:
32,000
Cooperation and trust as the key to
success
In order to use the available resources
and cost margins efficiently in the current
economic climate, which is characterized by
increasing order volumes, a growing article
range and high demands in terms of quality
and delivery time, it was important to further
expand the company’s automation processes
by implementing a KNAPP-Store. This proved
to be a key step in Apologistics’ success
story. Within three months the project, which
comprised not only the KNAPP-Store itself
but a number of mechanical and software
upgrades, had been integrated into the existing
warehouse operations. The cooperation
between Apologistics and KNAPP was very
positive. The project proceeded harmoniously
and was marked by mutual understanding and
the shared goal of getting the first KNAPP-Store
up and running. KNAPP and Apologistics’ close
collaboration and open dialogue culminated in
the successful integration of the KNAPP-Store
into real-time operation on February 2, 2014
as scheduled.
Investing in the future
The KNAPP-Store provides Apologistics
with a flexible solution for the automation of
a wide range of articles on an individual item
basis, and also offers the highest storage
density at low rack position costs. One
particular area which could be optimized was
the costly and time-consuming processing of
slow-moving articles, which previously had to
be registered and picked manually. Returns
handling could also be processed more
efficiently. The KNAPP-Store also made it
possible to automatically process articles that
usually present challenges, such as cream jars,
articles wrapped in cellophane, or articles with
different expiry dates and lot numbers. Before
being placed in the KNAPP-Store, all articles
are consistently registered, giving users an
accurate overview and maximum transparency
with regard to current stock levels and expiry
dates, for example. The two-arm gripper
system, which controls the automatic placing
and removal of articles from the Store, delivers
the highest level of availability, flexibility and
picking quality.
articles per
KNAPP-Store
Consequently,
the
KNAPP-Store fulfils all of
Apologistics’
requirements
in terms of performance
and storage density, and
significantly increases the
degree of automation and
efficiency of the warehouse
in addition to lowering the
costs. In e-commerce, a
sector characterized by high
volumes of small-quantity
orders, the advantages of the
KNAPP-Store are especially
prominent when compared to
manual picking; orders can
be processed more quickly,
with less effort and virtually
error-free, which has a positive
effect on the end customer’s
satisfaction.
Multiple-deep
with glass
shelves
17m length
2.5m width
height
2.5m
incl. cental belt
Article range:
Rectangular-shaped,
cylindrical,
cellophane-wrapped,
pack units
KNAPP AG | 59
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Grene
Partnership for success
Sector
Tools, Retail,
E-Commerce
Location
Skjern, Denmark
60 | KNAPP AG
Grene, headquartered in Denmark, is the leading supplier of
spare parts for the agricultural and industrial sectors. Grene
merged in 2013 with Kramp – together they are represented
in 22 countries worldwide and seen as the market leader.
Partnership and mutual respect are very important to Grene.
Partnership with customers, employees, suppliers and with
society is a central pillar in the company philosophy and an
important building block for success. Grene selected KNAPP
as partner for modernizing the Skjern distribution centre.
Deliveries per day:
© Grene
2,000 parcels
250 pallets
Articles in stock:
100,000
+700,000
special articles
Warehouse size:
25,000 m²
© Grene
CEO Grene
Grene delivers to about 4,000 customers –
about 2,000 parcels and 250 pallets leave the
central warehouse in Skjern every day and are
delivered to Scandinavian customers. Online
mail order already plays an important role for
distributors of agricultural and industrial spare
parts. Reflecting this, about 90 percent of the
orders for agricultural spare parts are online
orders at Grene. Grene opted for an automation
solution by KNAPP in order to achieve the
highly-efficient warehouse processes needed to
handle the stock of about 100,000 articles and
700,000 special articles, and to optimize the
level of service and quality for their customers.
Implementing a comprehensive software
solution was a central requirement for the
solution. KiSoft WMS completely replaces the
existing warehouse management system. For
the control, monitoring and optimization of all
the warehouse processes, KiSoft WCS is on the
job. The project was realized in several phases
to ensure undisturbed warehouse operations. A
particular challenge was transferring data from
the existing system to the KiSoft WMS and the
KiSoft WCS during on-going operations. In
addition, the startup phase of the distribution
centre was staged in the peak time of the
season. Therefore, the DC had to be available
immediately at a 100 percent.
© Grene
Sean Ammentorp,
Wanted: A flexible solution
© Grene
“Partnership and mutual respect, open
communication and the courage to strike new
paths are highly valued within our company.
In KNAPP we have found a partner who shares
and lives by these values. By realizing the
automation solution, we succeeded in creating
a platform for future growth and success, which
enables us to offer our customers even better
services and an increased service quality.”
Activities and projects
© Grene
Activities and projects
Technologies:
OSR Shuttle™
Open Shuttle
KiSoft WMS
KiSoft WCS
Sort & Pack
KNAPP AG | 61
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Activities and projects
Open Shuttle
Facts
Open Shuttle
Integrable
Easy integration without
structural modifications.
Scalable
Low startup costs and
easily expanded shuttle
fleet.
62 | KNAPP AG
Free-moving
Fast response
“With this project we were able to give customers in
Scandinavia a perspective on the continuous further
development in logistics infrastructure and, thus, on their
competitive edge. In this sense, Grene is striking a new path
together with KNAPP. A special challenge was the integration
during on-going operation. Every day, Grene covered 100%
of its deliveries, despite the substantial expansion. The
cooperation with Grene was extremely open and cooperative,
making it possible to solve difficult phases in the project
quickly and satisfactorily.“
Detects humans and
The Open Shuttles ensure structural or moving
intra-company transport objects, vehicles navigate
based on contour;
and supply of the work
intelligent route adaption.
stations.
Flexible and
reliable
Error-free handling
of complex transport
orders; trays, containers,
cartons, pallets.
Wolfgang Ferk
Head of Sales System Development & Consulting,
at KNAPP since 2001
Innovation meets proven technology
Making the storage process simpler
and more efficient was a challenge.
Using KiSoft WMS, the goods are
integrated into the system with only
a few clicks and are then pushed
over to the take-away conveyor at
the work stations which are now
all located directly by the conveyor
system. Thanks to this measure, the
work process became much easier, far
more efficient and ergonomic for the
staff members, saving valuable time
and greatly reducing the travel paths in
the warehouse.
An OSR Shuttle™ with connected
ergonomic Pick-it-Easy work stations
is available for picking the most popular
articles. The OSR Shuttle™ stands out
with its modular and scalable structure
and can be expanded by further
rack lines as necessary. The system
features energy-efficient operation
– a rack line of the system requires
hardly more energy per hour than two
fully-automatic coffee machines. For
Grene, the OSR Shuttle™ guarantees
maximum performance and flexibility
and using the shuttle system
significantly enhanced throughput and
service quality.
A mini-load system with 7 stacker
cranes, an existing system, ensures
picking for the range of slow-moving
articles and for the OSR Shuttle™
Grene
overstock area. This system and further
existing systems were integrated fully and
seamlessly into the new automation solution
in the course of the retrofitting process.
E-commerce orders typically have a high
variety of articles and low quantities with
fast delivery as the key to success. For this
reason, special sort and pack stations are
available for processing the e-commerce
orders efficiently. The articles for several
customer orders are picked together and
then distributed according to the individual
orders at the sort & pack stations where they
are packed and shipped.
The innovative Open Shuttles are the
absolute highlight of this solution. The
intelligent, autonomous transport systems
create a flexible transport network at Grene,
transporting individual parts for further
assembly (kitting) or transporting sample
models for staff members. In addition, they
deliver the ordered goods to customers, who
want to pick up their order directly at the
warehouse.
The automation solution combines a
technological mix of proven technologies
and new, innovative solutions, allowing
Grene to expand their export areas, to
make their internal warehouse processes
more efficient and environment-friendly and
to minimize the strain on staff as well as to
offer their customers even better services
and reduce delivery times.
KNAPP AG | 63
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“Being involved and contributing
your own ideas to the development
and realization of such an
innovative solution as the Pickit-Easy Robot is very motivating.
It was particularly challenging
to bring the complex individual
components together into a
finished product. As member of a
very motivated team, I worked with
the Pick-it-Easy Robot from the
prototype phase until it was finally
ready to go into production. This
was quite a special experience.
Basiq Dental was, for us, the ideal
partner with whom we could realize
the first Pick-it-Easy Robot. Basiq
Dental is itself a very innovative
company and wants to convey this
to its customers. This was optimally
achieved with the Pick-it-Easy
Robot. The cooperation functioned
very well and by continuously
consulting with one another, it was
both flexible and transparent.”
Bernhard Gütl,
Head of Mechatronics Development,
at KNAPP since 1997
64 | KNAPP AG
Activities and projects
Basiq Dental
Innovation with bite
Basiq Dental, based in the Netherlands, supplies dentists
throughout Europe with its comprehensive range of highquality dental equipment. As a customer-orientated company,
Basiq Dental always strives to provide even better for its
customers through innovative services, and is always one
step ahead of the competition. This is why outstanding
customer service and superior quality are a priority for Basiq
Dental. In KNAPP, Basiq Dental has found a partner to support
the company on its path to success with innovative and highperformance automation technology. In 2014, KNAPP equipped
the Oisterwijk distribution centre with a combination of the
tried-and-tested shuttle technology and the brand-new robot
technology.
“We decided on KNAPP
because for us, this was
the most modern and
practical solution, which still
involved an attractive level of
investment. The collaboration
with KNAPP far exceeded
our expectations and the
automation solution offers us
a host of advantages both in
day-to-day business and in
the long term. The workload
is better distributed and this
has helped to significantly
reduce the time pressure. We
were able to decrease staff
working hours while at the
same time improving quality.
All in all, the new automation
solution has increased our
efficiency and strengthened
our professional image.”
Bart van Eijndhoven,
Owner, Basiq Dental
KNAPP AG | 65
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Activities and projects
Pick-it-Easy Robot
Flexibility as the key to success
Sector:
Pharmaceutical
wholesale, dental supplies
Location:
Oisterwijk
Deliveries per day:
up to 13,000
order lines and
und 2,400
cartons
Technologies:
OSR Shuttle™
Pick-it-Easy Health
Pick-it-Easy Robot
KiSoft SRC
66 | KNAPP AG
Warehouse size:
1,485m²
3,130m²
Picking and packaging ares
pallet storage ares
Growth is a clear objective for Basiq
Dental. In order to be adequately equipped
for future growth, scalability and flexibility
were two of the main requirements for
the new storage and picking system.
Furthermore, the comprehensive and
constantly growing product range needed to
be stored safely in a space-saving manner.
Another requirement was to reduce staff
costs and increase quality and efficiency. The
modular OSR Shuttle™, which is scalable
in size and function, offers Basiq Dental
the desired flexibility and storage density.
As the inventor of shuttle technology, and
with more than 10 years of experience and
expertise, KNAPP offers the best of both
worlds with the OSR Shuttle™ efficiency
and flexibility combined with quality and
safety. Thanks to the innovative picking
robot Pick-it-Easy Robot, Basiq Dental is
breaking new ground in intralogistics and
is investing in a reliable, high-performance
and economic picking system.
Flexible
Efficient
Reliable
Economic
Serves one or several work stations
Consistently high performance
Low error rate, high delivery quality
Short ROI
Keeping a finger on the pulse of time
In the Oisterwijk distribution centre, manual
and automatic processes blend together
seamlessly: the dispatch cartons, available
in two sizes, are channelled through the
warehouse on the shortest path, depending
on the content of the order. For picking,
three manual workspaces are available with
paperless RF picking, as well as the ergonomic
Pick-it-Easy work station for the OSR Shuttle™
and the picking robot Pick-it-Easy Robot. Once
the order is processed, the cartons are closed
and sealed using a semi-automatic carton
sealer, and loaded directly onto the transport
vehicles via two dispatch ramps.
A key element of the Basiq Dental automation
solution is the combination of the OSR
Shuttle™, Pick-it-Easy Health and the Pick-itEasy Robot. The shuttle system is composed
of four aisles and due to the use of subdivided
containers it offers the greatest possible storage
density, with around 12,800 storage locations,
thus meeting the requirement to make the best
possible use of the available space. The special
design of the Pick-it-Easy Health goods-toperson work station enables efficient, error-free
Scope of application:
high
quality and Performance over
a long period of time. Use in multi-shift
operations, delicate items.
Ideal for areas with a demand for consistently
Advantages:
performance
reliability
quality
zero defect warehouse
and ergonomic manual working processes, thus
contributing to improved quality and efficient
use of resources. Around 1,200 order lines
are processed per hour during peak periods.
One particular highlight of the solution is the
newly-developed Pick-it-Easy Robot picking
robot, which is used for the first time at Basiq
Dental. The picking robot is able to work over
a long period of time while still maintaining a
consistently high throughput rate and a high
level of quality and, therefore, helps to reduce
the staff costs despite growing order numbers
and to improve delivery quality.
The collaboration between Basiq Dental and
KNAPP was friendly and highly professional
throughout the entire course of the project. The
use of state-of-the art automation technology,
like the Pick-it-Easy Robot, immediately
convinced Basiq Dental that, in KNAPP, they
had found the innovative and reliable partner
the company had been looking for in order to
attain its objective. Further automation of the
distribution centre in Oisterwijk is currently
being planned in collaboration with KNAPP.
Basiq Dental
KNAPP AG | 67
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Activities and projects
“The project proceeded from start to finish with
the same contact people at KNAPP. The challenges
were approached and mastered jointly on a
partnership basis as the project proceeded.
Thanks go to all the project participants for this
tremendous success.“
Beat Erb,
Facility Services, Herdern area,
Cooperative Migros Zürich
“At the beginning, there were two
companies, Migros the customer
and KNAPP the contractor. As the
project proceeded we became a
team: Team Migros Taleg. The realization was marked by open, fair
dialogue. In this way we were able
to fulfil the technical and economical demands to the satisfaction
of our customer. I hope to realize
more successful projects together
with this fantastic team. ”
Alfred Vtic,
Project Management,
at KNAPP since 2011
68 | KNAPP AG
Migros
Irresistibly fresh
The Migros Cooperative is the largest Swiss retail
company and about 60 percent of the yearly
turnover comes from grocery wholesale. The Migros
Cooperative Zurich operates a total of 98 points of sale,
32 specialty markets and 47 food service locations in
the Cantons Zurich, Glarus, St. Gallen and Schwyz, and
is one of the most important employers in the region
with 8,600 employees. Since Migros and KNAPP are
connected by a long, successful partnership, Migros
naturally trusted the KNAPP solution providers with
the modernization of the Zurich DC.
KNAPP AG | 69
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Sector:
Automated palletizing/
depalletizing and stacking/
unstacking
Requirements and solutions
Food Retail;
fresh foods
Location:
Zurich
Warehouse size:
2,000 m²
30,000
daily performance about
trading units
Articles in stock:
400 98
47
around
different types
of fresh fruits
and vegetables
Technologies:
Daily delivery to:
points of
sale
food service
operations
Every day, the Zurich location handles
30,000 trading units such as the internal Migros
pool crates, folding containers or cartons with
about 400 types of fruits and vegetables.
Central to the requirements was the economical
design of all processes from goods-in to goodsout and the improvement of the delivery quality
to the stores, for example by means of volumeoptimized and store-friendly pallet building.
Other important aspects to be considered were
ergonomics, in order to prevent strenuous
manual work, as well as the hygienic and gentle
handling of the fresh articles.
The innovative FAST Picking solution (Fully
Automated Standard Tray Picking) unites
economy and quality with ergonomics and
space effectiveness and precisely correspond
to the Migros requirements. The project was
realized without affecting the ongoing operation
of the warehouse and the final acceptance took
place in September 2013, one month ahead of
time. In the traditionally strong pre-Christmas
and Easter business periods, the FAST Picking
solution has already impressively proved its
strengths. In the future, Migros would like to
offer their stores a 24 hour order rhythm by
using FAST Picking.
KiSoft software solution
FAST Picking*:
4 aisles OSR Shuttle
special machines for
fully automatic stacking
™
and destacking of crates
* FAST Picking (Fully Automated Standard Tray Picking)
70 | KNAPP AG
Activities and projects
KiSoft WCS
KiSoft Command
KiSoft Transport
KiSoft SRC
Im Fokus
Activities and projects
The key element of the solution is the fullyautomatic depalletizing/unstacking of the crates
in the goods-in area and the fully-automatic,
shop-friendly stacking/palletizing at goods-out.
Strenuous manual tasks in these areas are reduced,
and efficiency, quality and economic efficiency are
sustainably increased.
Quality improvement by building stacks
like Rubic’s Cubes
The fresh goods are delivered in various
crates on pallets and are automatically
depalletized and unstacked in the goods-in
area. The automation of goods-in processes
eliminates strenuous and unergonomic manual
tasks – also reducing costs for the goods-in
processes. Once automatically unstacked, the
crates are stored on special trays in the OSR
Shuttle™. The shuttle system serves as a
storage buffer and allows fast access to all the
goods. As soon as shop orders are on hand,
a special software tool calculates the stack
formation, like the solving of the Rubic’s Cube
puzzle: Depending on the different criteria such
as stability, packing density or shop layout, the
ideal arrangement of the crates on the pallets
is calculated to ensure consistent high delivery
quality. The crates are retrieved automatically by
the OSR Shuttle™ in the correct sequence and
conveyed to four stacking machines. The newly
developed stacking machines are redundantly
designed ensuring maximum availability and
performance. They stack the crates on pallets in
a calculated, shop-friendly pattern. This ensures
that the more than 400 different types of fruits
and vegetables that Migros delivers daily to
their point of sales and food service operations
always arrive crisp and fresh for sale or for the
soup pot.
Goods-in:
Pallets are separated from the crates, the
crates are unstacked layer by layer and
placed on special trays for storage in the
OSR Shuttle™.
Goods-out:
The goods are retrieved in the correct
sequence. Criteria could be stability,
packing density and shop-friendly
organization of the goods.
Building stacks:
Four newly developed stacking machines
form stacks on the pallets that look like
Rubic’s Cubes. Different crates can be
reliably and securely combined.
Performance
• Depalletizing: 80 pallets/hour
• Palletizing: 60 pallets/hour
• Crate unstacking: 2,000 trading units/hour
• Crate stacking 1,800 trading units/hour
KNAPP AG | 71
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Activities and projects
BRAX
The right pocket for every outfit
With 104 stores and around 1,500 shop-in-shops, Leineweber
GmbH & Co. KG is one of the market leaders in premium casual
clothing with its labels BRAX, BRAX Golf, Raphaela by BRAX
and Eurex by BRAX. Based in the German town of Herford,
this company has long placed its trust in the experience of
one of KNAPP's subsidiaries, Dürkopp Fördertechnik, for the
storage and distribution of its premium materials. The existing
warehouse has recently been upgraded with the installation
of an innovative pocket sorting system.
72 | KNAPP AG
Activities and projects
Setting trends for 125 years
Founded in 1888, Leineweber GmbH & Co. KG celebrated
its 125th anniversary last year. This company has long been
synonymous with the highest quality products – and their efforts
have not gone unnoticed. In the course of a study of the textile
industry this year, BRAX ladies' trousers were awarded first place
by purchasers from German retailers for women's outerwear.
BRAX has evolved rapidly since the 1990s. True to its slogan Feel
good, BRAX now provides its customers with the perfect outfit from
head to toe. Since 1998 Dürkopp Fördertechnik, which develops
overhead conveyor technology for the textile industry, and
Leineweber GmbH & Co. KG have been working together closely.
Keeping up with the latest trends, being able to react quickly
to changing market requirements, being able to process everincreasing goods flows whilst using resources efficiently and still
delivering a top service - the demands of the textile sector are
growing. In order to be able to respond to them in the best way
possible, Leineweber GmbH & Co. KG decided to modernize their
distribution centre in Herford with a pocket sorting system.
“Our product-related core
competence lies in the quality
of our products, the perfect fit
and also in our reliability, which
includes reliable delivery. Our
customers receive their goods
the following day or within 48
hours of placing their order. The
pocket sorting system provided
by our long-term and trusted
supplier Dürkopp is perfectly
suited to our logistical needs.
The system allows us to achieve
high product turnover rates
whilst ensuring high process
reliability and enabling us to
offer fast delivery times to our
customers.”
Thomas Dalsaß
Managing Director, BRAX
KNAPP AG | 73
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Activities and projects
Open spaces
Activities and projects
BRAX
Right on track with the pocket sorter
Pick-it-Easy
Pocket
Pick-it-Easy
Pack
Scope of application:
Ergonomic
loading and pack stations
perfect
goods
for flat-packed
e-Commerce and
shop modells
Advantages:
Advantages:
High picking performance and merging of hanging and
picking quality
flat good flows
at the pack stations
durable sorter pocket
efficient
picking process
ergonomic
high
von
74 | KNAPP AG
employee
handling
acceptance
gentle and
space-saving Artikelhandling
In the picking area for flat-packed goods,
items were previously processed in accordance
with the person-to-goods principle. This meant
that employees had to cover great distances
every day in order to retrieve the required
stock from a total of 2,700 deep shelves. As
the company's stock volume grew to around 2
million items and their article range expanded,
the need for extra space became pressing.
During the modernization process, the aim
was not only to increase storage capacity
but at the same time to ensure that the
warehouse could be used in the most efficient
way possible. The optimization of the picking
process presented another challenge because
the picking performance was to be increased
with the same resources whilst still delivering
the same high delivery quality.
The flexible pocket sorting system from
Dürkopp is now in place. Conveyors supply
packaged flat-packed goods in cartons, such as
shirts or sweaters, from a high-bay warehouse
directly to the ergonomic Pick-it-Easy Pocket
work stations. Employees then remove the
goods from the cartons and place them oneby-one into the sorter pockets – the goods are
automatically scanned during transfer. The
durable sorter pocket is permanently fixed to
Sector:
Fashion
Location:
Herford, Germany
floor space:
6,000m²
Maximum Performance:
the overhead conveyor and fitted with
RFID technology. This means every
item of clothing can be continuously
tracked and located at any time. Flatpacked goods are carefully placed
inside the sorter pockets, thus saving
space, until they are dispatched to
fulfil a customer order. For picking,
the sorter pockets are called up from
storage and directed towards the Pickit-Easy Pack work stations where they
are packed according to the order. By
operating work stations in accordance
with the 'goods-to-person' principle,
the picking process is made more
ergonomic, efficient and optimized with
respect to errors. At BRAX the loading
and pack stations that form part of the
Pick-it-Easy line are located directly
alongside each other on the same
level. This layout allows employees
to change their position quickly and
easily as and when needed, making
sure that resources are used flexibly.
The integration of the pocket sorting
system has enabled BRAX to respond
to the constant growth in volume of
goods and order peaks with the same
personnel numbers whilst providing
customers with the same high-quality
and reliable service.
approx. 20,000
items/day in single
shift operation
Technologies:
Pocket Sorter System
type 500/502
“Brax and Dürkopp have worked together for a number
of years, so when it came to the pocket sorter project,
we were able to complete the installation as a wellintegrated team. This is partially due to the fact that the
contact persons on both sides have remained the same
– we know each other, we understand one another and
we work together to reach our goals. I look forward to
continuing our partnership with BRAX and to playing
our part in helping them remain one of Europe's most
successful premium casual clothing brands.“
Thomas Schnadwinkel,
Sales Manager,
Dürkopp Fördertechnik
KNAPP AG | 75
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Activities and projects
“We aim to use the YLOG-Shuttle to initiate partnerships with
small and medium-sized companies and to realize innovative,
cost-efficient solutions. The YLOG-Shuttle has enabled MSG to
optimize their use of valuable space while keeping production
areas completely accessible. As the wheels can be rotated
by 90°, the Shuttles are able to service each
work station directly.“
Wolfgang Skrabitz
Managing Director YLOG Industry Solutions
MSG
Reaching new heights
with the YLOG-Shuttle
Mechatronic Systems GmbH (MSG) develops and
produces mechatronic components and systems,
specializing in components and systems for
the automotive sector. MSG's service package
ranges from development to complete product
series and the customer's individual needs are
always the main focus. During the relocation of
their production site to Wies, it was decided that
the new location should also feature the latest
automation technology and consequently MSG
opted to use an YLOG-Shuttle system.
76 | KNAPP AG
KNAPP AG | 77
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Activities and projects
Activities and projects
Smart automation
YLOG-Shuttle:
Thinking outside the box ...
and beyond
Scope of application:
Perfect for small and medium-sized
companies in the industrial and production or distribution sector.
YLOG-Shuttle at a glance:
• Flexible: Wheels swivel up to 90
degrees; offers different lift options
• Scalable: System is easy to expand, optimal use of space
• Economical: Cost-efficient; low
energy usage
• High availability: Each shuttle can
serve each rack position
• Powerful: 30 double cycles per
hour
78 | KNAPP AG
Flexibility and quality
Ensuring flexibility and quality became
the core challenge the team faced at the
new production site. Production capacity and
production quality needed to be improved and
the automated supply of the work stations with
production material had to be ensured. Another
challenge lay in ensuring the reliable buffering
of raw materials, half-finished products and
complete products in addition to flexibly linking
up individual work stations. By using the versatile
YLOG-Shuttle, which can travel both freely and
in rack systems, the KNAPP subsidiary YLOG
Industry Solutions was able to develop a flexible
automation solution for MSG’s production site.
With wheels that can swivel up to 90
degrees, the YLOG-Shuttle is able to move
outside the traditional pathways used in aislebased article warehouses, thus paving the way
for new possibilities in terms of flexible storage
and goods transport within areas in close
proximity to production.
At MSG the YLOG-Shuttles transport various
storage containers holding raw materials along
track rails from goods-in to the rack systems
within the ultra-clean production area. The
containers are stored double-deep on six levels
– a special lift system transports the YLOGShuttles to the required level. The work stations
are connected to the shelf system – the YLOGShuttles automatically place half-finished
products in a specific order so that they are
ergonomically accessible, and place finished
products back into the shelf system until they are
required by the customer. The YLOG-Shuttle
has also made it possible to allow for a number
of different curing times within the production
process; intermediate storage on the floor and
forklift truck operation within the production area
are now no longer necessary . Flexible interim
storage of half-finished products means that
various work stations with different cycle times
can be connected efficiently. At present, two
YLOG-Shuttles are in use at MSG; the shelving
system offers up to 700 rack positions – the
system's modular set-up means that it can be
adjusted at any time to improve performance or
to create more space.
MSG
Sector:
Automotive industry;
components and systems,
actuators and sensors
Location:
Wies, Austria
Number of YLOG-Shuttles:
rack positions:
2
700
6 Levels
on
single-deep and double-deep
storage
Performance:
30
double
cycles
per hour
work stations:
6
KNAPP AG | 79
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Activities and projects
Activities and projects
Founded:
2008
Headquarters:
Athens, Greece
Cooperation with KNAPP since:
2009
Angelos Kiriakidis
Kajetan Bergles
Christos Doukas
Managing Director,
LAS Solutions
Service Development
at KNAPP since 2007
Managing Director,
LAS Solutions
LAS Solutions
Working together for success
LAS Solutions (LASS), based in Athens, has been a partner of
the KNAPP Group for more than 4 years now. The company,
which specializes in tailor-made solutions for airport logistics
and consulting, is bucking the trend of the ongoing economic
downturn in Greece, whilst impressing with its expertise,
professionalism and innovative services. Customers in
Greece benefit from the proximity and quick reaction times
— in Greece, LASS supports KNAPP AG with sales, planning
and the installation of intralogistics solutions, and also
carries out customer service. Internationally, LAS Solutions is
available to customers of the KNAPP Group as a professional
and flexible partner for all service matters.
80 | KNAPP AG
Proximity as a key factor
In the fast-paced, competitive global
economy there is increasing need for strong
partners who are close to the customer in all
geographical regions. Clear communication,
quick reaction times and a focus on individual
customer needs are other key factors for
a successful customer support. With LAS
Solutions, KNAPP has found a partner that
meets these requirements perfectly. LAS
Solutions is a sales partner for KNAPP in
Greece and a service partner for Greece,
Turkey and Israel. LASS cooperates closely
with KNAPP starting in the sales phase of
projects in order to recognize customer-specific
requirements and to find the best solution to fit
the requirements, budget and future plans.
In line with the KNAPP slogan making
complexity simple, LAS Solutions acts quickly,
professionally and reliably on site and ensures
that KNAPP customers have a decisive
advantage on the market. The philosophy
shared by KNAPP and LAS Solutions focuses
on customer satisfaction. In order to achieve
this, KNAPP offers a comprehensive range
of services with the service portfolio System
Support 360°+, which is ideally supplemented
by the innovative thinking and
experience of LAS Solutions
in the field of airport logistics,
where availability and the
ability to react quickly are
extremely important.
Listen – understand –
implement: Other ingredients
in KNAPP and LASS’s recipe
for success are openness,
communication and transparency, because only those
who really listen can actually
understand needs and find
and implement the right
solutions. With LASS as a
partner on location, customers
have a professional contact
who understands their needs,
speaks their language and is
able to react quickly.
Core competencies:
Specializes in
automated Airport logistics for
luggage and goods,
Consulting, Service
Range of services:
Sales, planning, installation and
service for customers in Greece,
customer service in Turkey and Israel,
international service and installation
work, modernizations and upgrades,
spare parts management, 24-hour
hotline, condition-based monitoring,
O&LS, training, maintenance & repair,
consulting.
KNAPP AG | 81
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Open spaces
Angelos Kiriakidis,
Managing Director,
LAS Solutions
82 | KNAPP AG
Betterway
Syfa
Customer Service Networking
Maintenance Tour & Trainings
Location
Bangkok, Thailand
Thessaloniki, Greece
Athens, Greece
throughout Europe
Sector
Retail, Lifestyle, Cosmetics
Pharma
various
various
Mission
Increase performance through teamwork
and optimum processes
Fit for the future
Talking to each other – learning from each
other
Proactive maintenance for lasting high
performance
Service
Operation & Logistics Support (O & LS)
Retrofit
Customer Service Networking
Maintenance, training
Implementation
A new customer in a new market.
Together with KNAPP, LAS Solutions
took on the task of comprehensively
training the customer's employees on
site and familiarizing them with the new
intralogistics solution.
The particular challenge in the case of the
pharmaceutical wholesaler Syfa was to
carry out a comprehensive modernisation
in a 'living' system without disrupting dayto-day business.
Communication, trust, transparency and
continuous improvement are cornerstones
that form the basis of successful customer
service.
Since 2012, LASS has been supporting
the regular maintenance of numerous
KNAPP systems in Turkey, Switzerland,
Germany, Poland, Spain and Portugal,
thus ensuring long-term availability,
investment security and consistently
high performance for KNAPP customers
throughout Europe.
Reliable partner
Within two months, a group of individual
employees became a strong and
efficient team: Betterway delivers roughly
1,000,000 items per day. Service and
employee satisfaction were sustainably
increased by using Operation & Logistics
Support and thanks to the work of LAS
Solutions.
With this mixture of customer proximity,
experience and local knowledge, LASS creates
a reliable network for customers and supports
them in dealing with their new or updated
system in order to ensure optimum system
benefits, top performance and the highest
level of customer satisfaction. LAS Solutions
is also able to transfer its expertise from the
airport logistics sector over to the intralogistics
sector – the company has special knowledge
of condition-based monitoring. In this case, a
pre-emptive action plan is produced for each
system component based on the current
system status and historical data in order to
reduce costs and maximize the useful life
Detailed planning and excellent
communication between the project
teams of Syfa, LAS Solutions and KNAPP
ultimately produced the desired result.
With cooperation, professionalism and
expertise, the distribution centre in
Thessaloniki was modernized and made
fit for the future.
With Customer Service Networking,
KNAPP launched a series of events
intended to bring customers together
to talk – the centre of this was mutual
exchange and learning successful models
from each other. The first Customer
Service Networking event was held in
2010 by KNAPP in close cooperation with
LAS Solutions in Athens..
and capacity of the intralogistics
system.
Around the world, LASS
supports KNAPP AG with
service
and
maintenance
work and carries out ongoing
customer training in order to
ensure optimum use of new
technologies and processes and,
therefore, lasting success. LAS
Solutions was chosen as KNAPP
Service Representative of the
Year during the International
Customer Service Meetings
2014 for its exceptional work in
the service sector.
LASS also carries out modernizations,
upgrades as well as targeted employee
training and further training for KNAPP
customers around the world.
Best Practice
“Every customer is unique and
has specific needs." This is why
we focus on the human factor
in our work. We support, train
and motivate our customers so
that they can come to grips with
their working environment in
the best possible way, achieve
optimum performance with their
system and, at the end of the
day, be confident that choosing
KNAPP was the right decision.
Project success is very much
dependent on successful and
appreciative communication, so
obviously cultural differences
also need to be considered.
This is why we place particular
importance on clear and open
communication in our daily
work with our customers and
with KNAPP.“
Activities and projects
LAS Solutions around the world
Activities and projects
Moving confidently into the future
KNAPP will continue to work closely with LASS
in the future. In spite of the beleaguered economic
situation in Greece, it is possible to see signs of
improvement – there are new investments being
made in the logistics sector. From a geographical
perspective, Greece has a unique position
allowing it to act as a hub for Eastern European
countries, the Balkans and also the Middle East.
LAS Solutions is established as a local partner and
has been able to position itself internationally with
a wide range of services, consulting and training.
Consequently, KNAPP is perfectly positioned for
supporting new and existing customers with a
sophisticated range of solutions in the future with
LASS as its partner of choice.
KNAPP AG | 83
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Activities and projects
Activities and projects
In retrospect
Highlights and Important Moments in the Fiscal Year 2013/14
June 2013
Austrian Day of Logistics
April 2013
KNAPP-Kinderwelt ground-breaking
Balancing family and career – the
new company daycare centre, KNAPP
Kinderwelt, is a major contribution towards
enhancing the work-life balance of the
employees at KNAPP AG.
May 2013
Customer Service Networking reloaded
The 13th edition of KNAPP's Customer Service Networking
event series is staged at Voigt, a trusted KNAPP customer of
many years, in the vicinity of Zurich (Switzerland).
84 | KNAPP AG
At the 20th Austrian Day of Logistics in the Design Center
Linz (Austria), the KNAPP AG software experts present
SAP-based integration options for logistics solutions.
KNAPP as world champion of niche markets
In recognition of its outstanding service to the Austrian
export economy, KNAPP AG receives the honour World
champion of niche markets in the course of the Export
Day on June 20th, 2013.
August 2013
ECOPROFIT certified – again
KNAPP AG has participated in the successful Ecoprofit program of
the Environmental Office in Graz for many years now and is one of 45
ECOPROFIT companies in Graz. KNAPP takes comprehensive measures
to conserve resources and reduce pollutants and again receives the
ECOPROFIT certification for 2013.
11th Logistics Summer in Leoben
Sustainability 3.0 is the theme of the 11th International Logistics
Summer held at the Montanuniversität Leoben. KNAPP addresses
the topic of enhancing quality in intralogistics, introduces future
technologies with KiSoft Vision and the zero defect warehouse
and presents new paths and possibilities for future service with
the service concept System Support 360°+.
GIRP – 54th Annual General Meeting
KNAPP participates in the Annual General Meeting
every year. In 2013, the event is staged in the Bulgarian
capital Sofia. GIRP is the European Association of
Pharmaceutical Full-line Wholesalers.
AECOC members visit Migros and LeShop
Spanish and Portuguese delegates of the AECOC association
visit two KNAPP food/retail installations in Switzerland. The
association is dedicated to enhancing sustainable value creation
based on the optimized flow of goods and information. Touring
the new Migros distribution centre in Zurich and the distribution
centre of the online supermarket LeShop.ch is on the agenda. .
July 2013
KNAPP climbs employer ranking
Innovation in food retail
In cooperation with a large supermarket chain, KNAPP
develops a new solution to enhance quality for picking
orders on pallets. The solution ensures consistently
high density and maximum article quality on the
pallet by using augmented reality technology and a
specialized software for pack arrangement calculation.
September 2013
Summer, sun, professional experience
In the course of the Students First Choice survey, university
students vote KNAPP AG on the 13th place of the most popular
Styrian employers. Students First Choice is a study on the career
concepts of university students. 7,614 individuals participated in
the survey and more than 1,000 companies were evaluated based
on criteria such as image, career opportunities, popularity or
work-life balance.
A total of 150 interns gather important work and career experience at the
Hart bei Graz and Leoben locations.
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Activities and projects
Activities and projects
November 2013
KNAPP wins major order from
wehkamp.nl
October 2013
Opening ceremony for KNAPP-Kinderwelt
Just in time, before schools start at the beginning
of September, the KNAPP Kinderwelt at the KNAPP
headquarters in Hart bei Graz begins its services,
offering care and a lot of fun and adventure for 55
children. The board of directors at KNAPP celebrate the
opening of KNAPP Kinderwelt in an official ceremony at
the beginning of October.
KNAPP AG wins a major order from
e-commerce specialist wehkamp.nl for
automating its new distribution centre in
the Netherlands. wehkamp.nl is the leading
online portal for fashion, IT equipment, mobile
phone accessories, furniture and domestic
appliances. Some 200,000 articles will leave
the distribution centre every day after it will
go-live in 2015. verlassen.
December 2013
A new member in the KNAPP Group
YLOG, specialist for smart and cost-efficient solutions, is
now a separate company within KNAPP AG. YLOG Industry
Solutions carries out its operations from the location in
Dobl (Austria) and offers scalable system solutions for
small and medium-sized businesses. The free-moving
YLOG Shuttle System is especially suited for production
applications, assembling companies or for the fullyautomatic supply of work stations and is the perfect
addition to the existing shuttle portfolio of KNAPP AG.
January2014
February2014
Award for family-friendly policies
Building success together – at the beginning of February
KNAPP receives the award for Friendliest Business
for Women and Families in Styria 2013 in the category
large-scale businesses. KNAPP offers its more than
1,500 members of staff at the Hart bei Graz headquarters
various programmes for health and well-being, for
example KNAPPvital, a comprehensive health and fitness
programme, flexible working hours and job location models
as well as the KNAPP Kinderwelt, the company daycare
centre.
Cooperation with the technical school HTL Villach
Award for innovative services
The ÖVIA (Austrian technical/scientific association for
maintenance and plant management) awards KNAPP
AG and JCL Fashion Logistics the prize for the most
innovative services 2013. The jury is truly impressed
by the service package Lifecycle Management 360°+,
tailored to JCL's requirements. With this service
package, JCL can use the warehouse to its full potential
and significantly increases warehouse availability,
performance and production.
86 | KNAPP AG
New subsidiary in Australia
The KNAPP network is still growing. KNAPP
Australia Pty. Ltd. starts operations in
November 2013. The KNAPP Group now has
more than 33 subsidiaries and representative
offices worldwide in order to provide fast,
comprehensive and personal service to its
customers.
Logistics rolls into the classrooms. In cooperation with
KNAPP, the IT/data processing department of the technical
school in Villach (Austria) is expanding its educational
program. Students of the 3rd year and higher benefit
from the 2D/3D simulation software Enterprise Dynamics
provided by KNAPP. The software allows students to develop
and fully programme algorithms for simulation models
in practical applications. This software not only helps the
staff teach complex subject matters in a very fascinating
and vivid manner but the practical teaching approach also
allows the students to gain valuable hands-on experience
for their future careers.
LogiMAT 2014
By now, practically a tradition:
KNAPP presents its exhibition stand at LogiMAT 2014,
this time together with the new corporate member YLOG
Industry Solutions. YLOG introduces its autonomous shuttle
as perfect addition to the KNAPP AG Shuttle portfolio.
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Activities and projects
Activities and projects
March 2014
3rd KNAPP Coding Contest
Record Participation: 80 pupils, university
students and professionals from various
provinces face the challenge of solving practical
programming tasks using their choice of Java or
C# script.
Ranking in the top 10
KNAPP AG hits the top ten. The company climbs up
the scale by 2 ranks going from rank 12 to rank 10 in
the Modern Materials Handling Ranking of the top 20
system suppliers. And some more good news: KNAPP
records an increase by 23 percent and lands the highest
increase in turnover of all of the top 10 companies. .
88 | KNAPP AG
Modex 2014
KNAPP is exhibitor at the US-American supply chain
trade fair Modex in Georgia, Atlanta (USA), presenting
innovations and new products from the world of
intralogistics.
Successful first year for Styrian Service Cluster
In March 2013 KNAPP founds the Styrian Service Cluster, together with
ANDRITZ, AVL List, Binder + Co and FH Campus 02, in order to exchange
know-how and experience on customer-oriented business models in
customer service. By now the Styrian Service Cluster has 10 members
and will have its first joint appearance at ServTec Austria, a forum
renowned for its innovative services and new technologies.
Bernhard Rottenbuecher,
Managing Director
Heimo Robosch,
Managing Director
After entering the company,
Bernhard Rottenbuecher headed
the materials handling area, adding
areas of production and design to his
responsibilities in 2000. Since April
2003 he has been the Managing Director
of KNAPP Systemintegration GmbH
in Leoben. In October 2012 he was
appointed Executive Vice President in the
management team of KNAPP AG.
From October 2013 Bernhard has also
been the Managing Director of the YLOG
Industry Solutions GmbH in Dobl.
At KNAPP since 2001
After entering the
company in the Europe
Northwest Sales Team,
Heimo Robosch became
the Head of Sales for
Great Britain, Ireland and
Scandinavia. In 2007 he
was appointed head of the
business area Integrated
Projects, and in 2012
Executive Vice President
Sales.
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Generations and growth
90 | KNAPP AG
As a company, we ask ourselves
the question: How can we create
an environment in which our
employees feel comfortable and
enjoy working?
Gerald Hofer, CEO KNAPP AG
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Generations and growth
e
e
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power fuel Key figures airemissions
80.414.738,70
Airemissions in CO2
electricity
long-distance heating Key figures energy
gas
2.239.732.609,00
Energy in CO2
Key figures infrastructure
Key figures waste
Key figures airemmissions
Timeframe
10/11
11/12
12/13
Co2 2,360.85t
Co2 3,211.38t
Co2 3,211.01t
236,030
Trees
1,140 employees at
Hart bei Graz location
Available surface:
24,130 m2
321,138
Trees
1.02%
0.39%
0.21%
98.38%
1.15%
0.23%
4.30%
94.31%
0.98%
0.26%
4.36%
94.40%
1.41%
0.29%
Key figures energy
Co2 3,210.61t
e plantation 10
/11
Tre
plantatio
Tree plantatio n 11/1
n 12 2
e
Tre
/1
plantation 1 3
e
e
0/1
Tr
1
321,101
Trees
321,101
Trees
1,225 employees at
Hart bei Graz location
1,346 employees at
Hart bei Graz location
Available surface:
36,189 m2
Available surface:
36,189 m2
Extentions of company site
KNAPP AG has an integrated management system and is certified
in the areas of quality management (ISO 9001), occupational health and
safety (OHSAS 18001) and environmental management (ISO 14001).
The company’s corporate environmental policy was derived from the
company values reliability, courage, openness, appreciation and
creativity, and is continually implemented in all areas of the company.
The goal of sustainable intralogistics is the creation of environmentally
sound, resource efficient and socially responsible logistics processes,
as well as establishing a balance between economic and ecological
efficiency in order to generate a sustainable going-concern value.
7.323.707,60
Wast in CO2
Extentions of company site
Certification & corporate environmental policy
recovered paper, carton,
residual waste, matured timber, Key figures wast
plastic, residual wast
3.41%
KNAPP AG is attempting to use its comprehensive understanding of sustainability to strike a balance between
the interests of all its stakeholders. The different aspects
of sustainability can be compared to the view through a
kaleidoscope – lots of small colourful pieces are reassembled
again and again to create new patterns. One of these aspects
involves handling generations and growth in a responsible
manner – a look through the KNAPP kaleidoscope reveals
a colourful spectrum when it comes to managing different
generations.
Since 2010, key figures relating to the
environmental impact have been recorded and the
ecological footprint of the company's headquarters
in Hart bei Graz has been calculated. The analysis
includes the categories energy, air emissions and
waste as well as infrastructure and environmental
management, and is carried out twice a year. For
illustration purposes, the total amount of CO2
emitted has been converted into the number of
trees required to neutralize this amount of CO2
(see diagram). The key figures in this analysis
show that the major factor in the CO2 emission is
energy, whereas air emissions and waste make up
a lower proportion.
33.374.476,00
Infrastructure in CO2
94.89%
Shouldering
responsibility
Environmental controlling & key site figures
kilometres vehicles,
noise, paper Key figures infrastructure
1,475 employees at
Hart bei Graz location
Available surface:
40,214 m2
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CO2 emissions
- 1,6 t
virtual tree plantation:
surplus of
164 trees
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factory waste:
- 635 kg
residual waste per employee:
- 26 %
energy consumption
per employee:
-4%
company site:
+ 10.000 m²
production and office site
+ 5.000 m²
272 female
Number of employees
40–50 years
30–40 years
+ 50 years
20–30 years
> 20 years
+ 50 years
The continuous growth of the company site and the
number of employees did result in a growth of the absolute
figures from the 2011/12 fiscal year onwards. However,
it is apparent that the extensive range of measures to
conserve resources came into effect as of the 2012/13
fiscal year and, despite company growth, the figures in the
categories considered continued to decrease consistently.
For example, the amount of power consumed per employee
decreased by around 4 percent and fuel consumption per
vehicle within the KNAPP vehicle fleet by 5.5 percent. There
was a clear drop in the waste category, as every employee
produced around 1/5 less residual waste. There was even a
26 percent reduction in the proportion of hazardous waste,
which had already been low. A particularly positive result
was the reduction in factory waste from 700 kilograms to 65
kilograms. In total, the 2012/13 fiscal year, therefore, saw a
CO2 emission level of 3,121.48 metric tons, the equivalent of
312,147 trees being required to neutralize this amount. With
an increasing number of employees and increasing order
volumes, the CO2 emissions in production could be reduced
by approximately 1.6 metric tons so that there would be a
surplus of 164 trees on our virtual tree plantation.
40–50 years
Developments and trends
During the site expansion in the 2013/14
fiscal year, the total area of the company
site was increased by around 10,000 m2 to
approximately 74,500 m2. As a result of new
production areas and office spaces being
built, along with other factors, the area to
be heated increased by around 5,000 m2, to
approximately 39,000 m2. Furthermore, the
number of employees at the site increased
by 132 compared to the year before, to a
total of 1,478.
The good news is that the positive
developments from the previous fiscal
years are continuing. For example, the
consumption of power and district heating
decreased by approximately 17 percent.
The vehicle fleet was expanded and now
comprises 53 vehicles. Despite this,
the vehicles covered around 200,000
kilometres less during the past fiscal year.
This meant that the fuel consumption per
car within the vehicle fleet decreased by
approximately 22 percent. The reduction
in the number of kilometres travelled is
also a positive indicator that the measures
relating to the organisation of business
trips are being implemented successfully.
In addition, an increasing number of
employees are using public transport, car
sharing, cycling or walking, with around 40
percent of the employees already selecting
one of these options. It is apparent that over
the period under consideration, starting
from the 2010/11 fiscal year, the proportion
of car drivers has reduced by 20 percent.
There was a considerable increase of
around 15 percent in the amount of water
consumed. The main reasons for the higher
water consumption are the large number
of orders and high workload levels in the
production area.
In the waste category, most
of the values decreased further
per employee. The values worth
mentioning in this area being
waste paper (-12 percent),
residual waste (-5 percent) and
plastic waste (-6 percent).
The result for the Hart bei Graz
site for the 2013/14 fiscal year is,
therefore, a total CO2 emission
level of 3,210.61 metric tons, the
equivalent of 45 football pitches
and 321,061 trees. Despite the
considerable site expansion and
a further increase in the number
of employees, KNAPP AG was
able to slightly improve its level of
CO2 emissions compared to the
year before and achieves a small
surplus of five trees on the virtual
tree plantation. The greatest CO2
factor at 98 percent is energy,
whereas air emissions, waste
and infrastructure account for
just 2 percent. Going forward, the
company aims to further reduce
its level of CO2 emissions, with
the main focus on energy, by
introducing targeted measures
and increasing awareness.
30–40 years
Fiscal Year 2013/14
20–30 years
Generations and growth
> 20 years
Generations and growth
1.254 male
Demographics
Of the 1,478 employees at the Hart bei Graz
site, 82.2 percent are men and 17.8 percent
are women. This shows that the proportion of
men working in the technical/industrial field
is still very high. In terms of age, the largest
proportion of employees is between 30 and 50
years old. Within this age bracket, the number
of women is around 6 percent higher than the
number of men amongst the 30 to 40-yearolds, whilst it is the other way round for the 40
to 50-year-olds, as the number of men in this
age group is around 5 percent higher than the
number of women. A relatively large proportion
of the workforce is aged between 20 and 30,
with the number of women outweighing the
number of men here too, showing that an
increasing number of younger women is being
drawn towards intralogistics. By taking specific
measures such as participating in Girls’ Day,
KNAPP is attempting to get girls interested in
pursuing a career in the field of intralogistics at
a young age.
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Generations and growth
What has your experience been like training at KNAPP?
Apprenticeships with
future prospects
Well-trained specialized staff remains in short supply on the
domestic labour market. Excellent career and development
opportunities, enjoying working with their hands and
successfully completing practical tasks, as well as varied
and practice-based training are factors which influence
many young people’s decision to opt for an apprenticeship.
Since autumn 2008, young people across Austria have been
able to gain their Higher Vocational Diploma alongside their
apprenticeship qualification.
KNAPP has offered a comprehensive and high-quality apprenticeship
program for more than 20 years now, and is a federally recognized
apprentice training company. There is a constant stream of about
50 apprentices receiving training at any one time. After successful
completion of their apprenticeship, they have numerous interesting
development opportunities open to them within the company – two
thirds of the apprentices remain with KNAPP after their apprenticeship.
Oliver Micheler successfully completed both his mechatronic
engineer apprenticeship and Higher Vocational Diploma at KNAPP in
2011 and is now working as a shift manager in the shuttle production.
Christoph Zorn is in the 3rd year of his apprentice training to become
a mechatronic engineer and is currently preparing for his final
apprenticeship examination and his Higher Vocational exams. We
invited them both to come and talk about their experiences and how they
see their future prospects with the apprenticeships under their belts.
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Christoph Zorn: The training is very diverse; we
get the chance to gain professional experience
in many different departments. This means that
every apprentice gets to find out where their own
strengths and weaknesses lie. The weekly manual
training with our trainers is very informative and
interesting too; this training is always the perfect
preparation for vocational college or, as in my
case, for the final exam I am preparing for.
What aspects did you like in particular?
What was most beneficial for you?
Why did you decide to do an apprenticeship and the apprenticeship
with Higher Vocational Diploma – and why at KNAPP?
Christoph Zorn: I opted for the apprenticeship with Higher
Vocational Diploma because I felt it offered the best of both
worlds. After the apprenticeship, I’ll have a good education
and will be able to enter the world of work straight away, but
I’ll also have my Higher Vocational Diploma, which will allow
me to go on to university. Why KNAPP? KNAPP provides
outstanding apprenticeships and has very committed trainers
– they all make an effort to teach us apprentices as much
as possible. You also have superb chances of advancement
after an apprenticeship at KNAPP.
Oliver Micheler: I realized pretty early on that I wanted to
start my career with an apprenticeship. I was keen to stand
on my own feet from a young age and wanted to earn my
own money. Knowing that I would be able to acquire both
theoretical and practical knowledge was a decisive factor
which made me realize that the apprenticeship was the right
thing for me. By the time the work experience days were over
at KNAPP, I knew for sure that the company was just right
for me. It was during this time that I got a first impression of
how well structured the company is and how much support
apprentices are given. KNAPP’s market-leading position was
also a key factor for my decision – I realized that I would be
learning from the best.
Oliver Micheler: I found the three-and-a-half years
of training very interesting and varied. One major
plus for me was taking part in internal projects
and being seconded abroad, where I was given
the chance to put the knowledge I had acquired
to the test and pass on my specialist knowledge
to younger apprentices. The most beneficial thing
for me was being able to do the apprenticeship
and also complete my Higher Vocational Diploma
at the same time, which is important for my
future prospects. I also really liked how much our
training coordinator – Jörg Salicites invests in his
apprentices and how he supports them.
Apprenticeship
3 1/2 years
+ Higher Vocational
Diploma
allows access to higher education e.g.
university
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Generations and growth
Christoph Zorn
Mechatronics apprentice, 3rd year
of apprenticeship. At KNAPP since:
September 2011
What opportunities and future prospects are there with an
apprenticeship in a large company like KNAPP?
Christoph Zorn: I believe the opportunities are huge. We gain
experience in a wide range of areas during our apprenticeship,
so there is something for everyone. I can imagine it’s hard to
get that kind of opportunity in smaller companies. There are
also opportunities for professional advancement; it is down to
the individual, of course, to work hard and take the initiative.
Oliver Micheler: There are plenty of opportunities and all
doors are open after an apprenticeship at KNAPP. As I
mentioned before, it is very important to me to be able to gain
experience abroad and contribute to projects. Having earned
a management position after completing my apprenticeship
at KNAPP, I hope that I can show my younger colleagues
who are still in training what is possible.
Would you ever opt for an apprenticeship again?
What are your hopes for the future?
Christoph Zorn: I have no regrets about my decision to do an
apprenticeship. The first thing I need to do is pass the final
apprenticeship exam with distinction and pass my Higher
Vocational Diploma – I still have two subjects I need to pass.
What the future will bring remains to be seen. I do hope
that I’ll be at KNAPP for long time and be successful there.
Oliver Micheler
Shift manager of shuttle production
Training: Mechatronics engineer
apprenticeship
At KNAPP since September 2007
Oliver Micheler: If I could turn back time and had to decide
again, I would certainly still opt for an apprenticeship at
KNAPP. I hope that I’ll be able to stay at KNAPP for a good
while yet to keep on building on my positive experiences and
learn even more. I also hope that apprenticeships remain as
important within the company in the future as they are now,
and that many more extremely well-trained specialized staff
emerges from the apprentice training program at KNAPP.
What interests and requirements are needed
for an apprenticeship at KNAPP? What advice
would you give young people who are thinking
about starting an apprenticeship?
Oliver Micheler: The company values
–
reliability,
courage,
openness,
appreciation and creativity – are
indicators to any potential apprentice of
what the company is looking for. From my
perspective, these have also turned out
to be the key to success. You also need
to be aware that you have to invest a lot
of time in learning to be successful. The
work experience days are one way of
working out for yourself which profession
is best for you
Christoph Zorn: You really do need to
be interested in technical things. As
for requirements: You should be hardworking, have brains and be prepared to
learn new things all the time
Thanks for talking to us and good luck for the future!
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Generations and growth
„The Second Chance Project enabled
me to do what I've always been
interested in doing but unfortunately
never had the opportunity to do, namely
get a training in a metal-related
profession ...
Tapping the existing potential
The Second
Chance
A safe pair of hands. They've worked hard for the company
over many years and are eager to gain further training in
their field. 14 employees from manufacturing are getting
their second chance and the opportunity to prepare for and
complete a mechanical engineering apprenticeship over
Further training for professionals
… I found the training fascinating and informative: the practical days we spent in other
departments were very important; I now see
things from a different perspective. I'd like to
keep this extra perspective and openness for
my work as a group leader and act accordingly.“
Anton Radaschitz
The Second Chance Project is
KNAPP's way of encouraging the
talent and boosting the motivation of
long-term experienced employees
and helping them to tap into their full
potential. The apprenticeships will
result in a higher level of specialized
professional qualification for the
employees. In other words, KNAPP
is counteracting the shortage of
specialized staff by encouraging and
promoting the further training of its
own employees. Especially when
new products are launched, it is the
wealth of experience and specialist
knowledge of the employees that
is invaluable to the company.
Graduates from the Second Chance
usually go on to assume team leader
roles and pass on their knowledge
and experience to their team and to
new employees.
The Second Chance Project was launched in the middle of September
2013 with the aim of enabling long-term, committed employees to complete
apprenticeships. This training program was initiated and developed under
the management of Jörg Salicites, Head of Apprenticeship Training at
KNAPP, and the Economic Development Institute Styria (WIFI). Employees
do not incur any expenses through the training. The 14 co-workers who
are gaining their apprenticeships later in life have many years of practical
experience within mechanical engineering and the knowledge they have
amassed during this time makes them an important source of knowledge
for the company. With 450 theory modules, taught at the WIFI Graz
institute, these employees are enhancing their practical knowledge with
theoretical content such as plan reading, area and volume calculations,
engineering fits and material science. The practical part of their training
is conducted in-house alongside regular apprenticeships, as part of the
everyday operations.
Group Leader Assembling
At KNAPP since 1991
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People in
intralogistics
Will machines be in charge in the future?
The answer is no, of course. As KNAPP understands it, automation does not
mean that people need to be pushed out of processes. Rather, KNAPP believes
that its task is to support people with technologies and to provide attractive
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Generations and growth
man-machine communication enabling them to carry out processes
efficiently and cost-effectively. One thing is clear however. Without the clever
use of automation technology, it would now no longer be possible to master
the varied and demanding challenges of intralogistics. Surrounded by future
technology new, exciting roles and attractive workplaces are being created
for people in the modern warehouse, such as the zero defect warehouse.
This is an aspect which will also be increasingly important for companies in
the future, in order to ensure long-term employee retention.
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Generations and growth
„As an interface between user and
programmer, I have an important
intermediary role. I need to know the
user's precise needs and translate
these into an interface, which the
programmers then implement in
order to complete the software …
easyUse – Consistency creates trust
With easyUse, we have taken a large
and important step, namely designing
all interfaces of the KNAPP software
portfolio so that they are consistent
and easy to use. Being involved with
this work was a task that brought many
challenges and great responsibility, but
it also motivated me and made me proud
to be involved. “
Intuitive man-machine communication – those
hearing this term for the first time will perhaps think of
people who control and communicate with machines
through the power of thought. Even if this is not the
reality, the boundaries between man and machine are
becoming blurred thanks to the constantly advancing
technological possibilities and developments.
Designing ergonomic, intuitive user interfaces for
intralogistics is also becoming increasingly important.
On the one hand, our expectations are shaped by
the daily interaction with electronic devices such as
smartphones, and on the other hand easy operation is
an essential requirement for efficient and satisfactory
work. The task is to create an interface between man
and machine that is not only easy and pleasant to use
and, therefore, meeting the usability requirement, but
that also ensures a positive user experience when
dealing with the machine.
With easyUse, KNAPP has created a clear
operating concept ensuring a uniform appearance for
all KiSoft products. Throughout the design of easyUse
the guiding principle was making complexity simple,
with a particular focus on reduction and consistency.
The easyUse interfaces are clearly structured and
deliberately free from unnecessary design elements.
Icons, layouts, visualisation and methods of interaction
are simplified and harmonized throughout the entire
KiSoft product range. Large-scale visualisations
which show the current work step are at the heart of
easyUse. This means that users are safely guided
through complex actions step by step and always have
quick and easy access to all the information they need
for their work. An immediate sense of achievement
increases employee satisfaction and facilitates efficient
and error-optimized work.
Bernhard M. Sihler,
Usability Engineer & Interface Design,
at KNAPP since 2011
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Vision Desk – More than just a table
Nowadays, when we buy an item,
whether online or in a shop, we do no longer
think in terms of its availability. Accustomed
to having everything available at all times,
we are simply conforming to modern buying
behaviour. Today, the key factors for making
a purchase are more the services linked to
the purchased item, such as punctuality,
traceability, quality and, of course, the costs.
With the zero defect warehouse for all the
KiSoft Vision basic technology, KNAPP
has developed a new approach in order to
combine precisely these requirements. One
member of the Vision family is Vision Desk.
This completely new man-machine operating
concept makes Vision Desk unique and
offers numerous possible applications,
for example, in quality assurance or order
picking.
Vision Desk's camera system, image
recognition and image processing software
recognize various items on a glass plate.
Different colours are, for example, projected
onto the items or technically speaking,
augmented. These items might belong to
different customer orders, and in this case
one colour would correspond to one order.
Another possibility is to identify items which
do not belong to an order and to mark them
accordingly. This means that customer
orders or quality tests can be carried out
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Generations and growth
without manual intermediate steps, and the
employee only needs to pack items that
belong together or correct the order. Vision
Desk provides a lasting increase in efficiency
and quality and, therefore, also enhances the
satisfaction of the end customer and reduces
the costs for errors and returns. Thanks
to the state-of-the-art Vision technology,
the attractive workplace design helps
companies to achieve employee loyalty.
As a consequence, valuable specialist
knowledge, which forms the basis for
creativity and flexibility in processes remains
in the company.
Pioneering – zero defect warehouse
“It is fascinating and motivating
to be involved in turning
innovative ideas into new
products that make work easier
for the user and processes
more efficient – this is precisely
what my work is about. For
Vision Desk, we developed a
completely new man-machine
operating concept in a crossdepartmental development
team. In addition to planning and
coordination, my main task in
this project was to ensure that
the requirements from the user's
side were incorporated into the
development of Vision Desk.”
Christian Zink,
Application Manager,
Business Center Vision,
at KNAPP since 2013
Die
Vision-Technologie
bietet
flexible Vision technology offers flexible
applications:
throughout
the
zero
defect warehouse KNAPP uses Vision
technologies to improve quality and
efficiency in each process step from goodsin to dispatch. Quality assurance measures
built into the process mean that there is no
need for final check areas, which saves
space and energy. In the zero defect
warehouse a self-learning organisation
is established which sustainably reduces
error costs and increases customer and
employee satisfaction.
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Generations and growth
Key data
Time taken to build:
April 2013–March 2014
KNAPP AG: Headquarters in Hart bei Graz is growing
Elements for
success
The KNAPP network is growing
In order to prepare the constantly-growing KNAPP enterprise for future
challenges, to enhance the collaboration with the subsidiaries and to
provide the employees with a continuously stable work environment,
the company launched the program KNAPP2020. The project Site2020
is a key aspect of this comprehensive action program. The project
focuses on the expansion and modification of the facilities and also
on strengthening the group headquarters as well as the subsidiary
companies and branch offices. In the past fiscal year, KNAPP AG has
successfully realized numerous measures of the Site2020 project.
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The expansion of the company headquarters in Hart bei
Graz is an important factor for economic and organizational
growth and, therefore, also an important contribution for
the long-term success of KNAPP AG. Besides creating the
company daycare centre KNAPP Kinderwelt, the company
also started the building and modification activities on the
newly purchased property, which is directly adjacent to the
KNAPP site. Approximately 7,800 m² of new facility buildings
and 1,100 m² air-conditioned office space were created within
the fiscal year 2013/14. By expanding the company site,
KNAPP AG is able to significantly reduce the share of rented
facilities in the Graz area. Employees who worked in these
external locations, have now returned to the main company
site. This means that employees from various departments
moved to their new work stations after the expansion was
completed and can now enjoy an enhanced work environment.
With these modifications, the company has created
a smooth flow of goods along the entire value chain,
implementing the so-called pull production principle. Each work
area is supplied with only those materials that were requested
and that the staff can process immediately. Central picking
is the core of this process that centrally stores and retrieves
all materials, making it possible to achieve a higher level of
productivity with significantly lower error costs and minimal
transit times for orders. For the employees this change in
processing considerably improves the work environment:
work steps are structured more clearly and are also simpler,
and the work effort is minimized. This has also brought about
a significant reduction of the traffic volume on the company
location regarding internal and external transport, also lowering
the level of noise and the emissions on site and maximizing
pedestrian safety. These measures have not only changed
the site structurally, but also brought long-term improvements
along the entire supply chain.
New space:
7,800 m² facility buidling;
1,100 m² office building
Constructional measures:
KNAPP Kinderwelt,
new construction of a facility
building,
modification and modernization
of the existing facility building,
adaptation and modernization of the
existing office building, connecting
road between existing and new areas
of the KNAPP site.
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Generations and growth
Key data
time taken to build:
October 2013–June 2014
New space:
2,090 m² facility building,
700 m² company cafeteria
KNAPP System Integration – Site in Leoben further strengthened
Constructional measures:
New construction of a facility
building,
awning to protect dispatch from the
weather,
connection to the inventory facility,
construction of a two-storey
cafeteria,
86 parking places for cars, bicycle
racks, loading ramp, drainage
structures
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Cranes and building equipment
also played their part at the KNAPP
System Integration (KSI) site this
fiscal year – measures for expanding
and modifying the facilities put a
clear emphasis on strengthening the
location in Leoben and supporting
the planned course of growth. The
company plans to increase the
number of employees from 320 to 500
and also aims to achieve an increase
in turnover reaching a total of 100
million euros. Therefore, the KSI in
Leoben has a very important position
as employer and driving force for the
economy in the Upper Styrian region.
Within only eight months, the
company created additional space
with a two-tier facility building and a
company cafeteria, benefiting both
employees and customers. The KSI
invested 5.4 million euros in the site
in Leoben.
The newly created building complex with approximately 2,090 m² now
offers additional space for storage and
dispatch – and also accommodates
a test installation facility for testing
installations and special applications
for customer-specific projects.
With the modern cafeteria on
700 m², the company has created a
perfect place to relax and enhance
creativity for members of staff as
well as for customers and partners.
The management has put special
emphasis on health and sustainability
– the cafeteria offers fresh foods made
exclusively from regional ingredients.
In order to offer sufficient space for
the employees in the future, the
new building was designed to allow
further expansion. As a consequence
the company can add up to three
additional office floors to the building
whenever this might be necessary.
The new building is highly energyefficient and environment-conscious
and uses energy from ecological
resources with a water heating
pump. In addition, the building
has a modern cooling system that
uses the underground water. The
outdoor space will provide additional
86 parking spaces, bike racks, a
dispatch ramp as well as the required
percolation system to drain surface
water.
“As the purchasing agent for Indirect
Spend, I was responsible for the entire
purchasing procedure for the expansion
of the site in Leoben, from furnishing the
dispatch facility with racks to selecting
the design of the dishes for the new
restaurant. It was both an exciting and
challenging task, especially in the final
stage – I was on site every day and
witnessed the various steps first hand. Of
course it was a very stressful time, but it
was well worth the effort. The completed
building has turned out marvellous and
will definitely provide considerable
additional value for our site. I am very
happy that the company has put so much
trust in me by giving me such a highly
responsible assignment, which is also a
big motivation in my daily work.”
Claudia Hochfellner
Purchasing,
at KNAPP since 2006
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Generations and growth
KNAPP worldwide
98 %
33
export ratio
subsidiaries and
represententative offices
KNAPP in Russia:
OOO KNAPP
Prospekt Andropowa 18
building 6
115432 Moscow
Russia
KNAPP worldwide
New subsidiaries in Russia and Australia
KNAPP operates worldwide with an export rate of 98 percent – the
KNAPP Group network includes 33 subsidiaries and representative
offices on every populated continent. Their job: providing fast, personal
and comprehensive service to the customers. The newest subsidiaries
– KNAPP Australia Pty. Ltd and OOO KNAPP – were founded in Sydney
and Moscow.
In the past few years, KNAPP expanded its activities in Australia
and Russia and won important new customers. In order to provide
these customers with the best possible support on site, the foundation
of subsidiaries was the next logical step and an important milestone in
KNAPP’s growth. Moreover, it is an important statement about the trust
that KNAPP has for the future of these markets.
YLOG Industry Solutions
YIS
Location:
Dobl
Styria, Austria
Employees:
25
Dürkopp Fördertechnik
Location:
Bielefeld
Germany
New office space:
342 m²
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Kick-off for YLOG Industry Solutions in Dobl
YLOG Industry Solutions (YIS) has been part of the KNAPP Group
since 2013 and complements the KNAPP product portfolio with their
scalable shuttle solutions for small and medium-sized companies. YLOG
Industry Solutions operates from their company headquarters in Dobl,
Styria. In the course of the last year, the company has moved into a
production facility and an office building – this new company currently
has about 25 employees. The infrastructure and excellent connection to
the road network were aspects in favour of the Dobl location, just a few
kilometres away from the KNAPP Group company headquarters in Hart
bei Graz. This builds a solid platform for the future activities and success
of YLOG Industry Solutions.
Dürkopp Fördertechnik in Bielefeld is growing
With an eye on planned growth, the Bielefeld location, headquarters
to the German Dürkopp Fördertechnik who are experts for intelligent
logistics solutions for the fashion sector, was expanded during the past
fiscal year. The company moved into an additional floor in the existing
building, gaining 342 m² of office space. The new office building provides
more space for creativity and offers sufficient space to accommodate the
planned growth regarding the number of employees.
Generations
under one roof
All in the family
We meet the challenges of the demographic shift every day, whether we
realize it or not. Companies such as KNAPP AG are faced with the task of
finding a responsible way to support their employees when it comes to
balancing family and work and to respect the needs, desires and values of
the different generations. At KNAPP, people from different generations aged
between 0 and 60+ come together under one roof on a daily basis. The
numerous interfaces between the generations make for a vibrant company
culture and provide an opportunity for lifelong learning.
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Generations and growth
Balancing career and
family
"Nee naw, nee naw, here comes the
fire brigade" – the children from the
"green" group at the KNAPP-Kinderwelt
daycare centre chant and laugh as they
make their way to their own dining hall.
Today's menu is spaghetti bolognese,
provided as usual by the factory
cafeteria on the company site. Will any
of the parents be able to guess what
their children had today?
Andrea Schögler and her
daughter Johanna
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Buyer Material Management
Global Procurement,
at KNAPP since 1998
Opened at the beginning of September
2013, KNAPP-Kinderwelt provides around
50 places for employees’ children. There is
a nursery group for children from the age of
two months and two kindergarten groups
for children up to the age of six. This bright
space with a feel-good atmosphere was built
in just five months on a plot of land that is
approximately 2,000 m2 in size and situated
next to the KNAPP AG site in Hart bei Graz,
Austria. Childcare professionals from WIKI
Kinderbetreuung provide flexible all-day care.
KNAPP-Kinderwelt makes it easier for parents
to return to work and organize their child care.
Andrea Schögler is all too familiar with the
challenge of balancing the different roles in
her life at home and at work. She is both little
Johanna’s mum and well-established in her
career as a production materials buyer. She
Tanja Knapp
Psychotherapist, Supervisory
Board Member KNAPP AG
says: “I am, of course, fully dedicated
to being a mum. But my work in Global
Procurement is also important to me and
I really enjoy it – my job is varied and
requires me to take on responsibility.
Without KNAPP-Kinderwelt, it would be
virtually impossible for me to continue to
work in this way. My daughter, Johanna,
feels comfortable at nursery and looks
forward to new adventures every day. I
can rely fully on the WIKI carers, which
is a huge relief for me and allows me
to coordinate my career and private life
more efficiently.”
In recognition of their efforts to help
their employees achieve a healthy worklife balance, KNAPP AG was named
friendliest business for women and
families in the category large company
in February 2013. Creating a company
daycare centre was also an achievement
close to the Knapp family’s heart. Tanja
Knapp knows what it means to have good,
reliable childcare: “I am really pleased
that by creating KNAPP-Kinderwelt we
have been able to make life easier for
our employees – this is something we
are always trying to do. Anyone who
has children themselves will know how
difficult it can be to manage the balancing
act between work and good, flexible
childcare. Nine years ago, I wanted to
place my one-year-old son in a nursery
in our residential area. Unfortunately,
this was not possible as there were not
enough places available. We managed
to work it out in the end thanks to some
helpful family members and a lovely
childminder. But not everyone has such
a good support system to fall back on.
In my job as a psychotherapist, I often
encounter people who are under a lot
of stress and sometimes just knowing
that their child is being well looked after
close by would be a huge relief, both
emotionally and practically.”
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Generations and growth
Christoph Haidic
Apprenticeship Trainer Mechatronics; Apprenticeship Training, at
KNAPP since 2005
Learning from each other,
improving together
A change of scenery to the apprentice workshop where future
mechatronics and mechanical engineers work side by side with
colleagues and trainers. Once they have completed their training, they
will be sought-after skilled workers with excellent career opportunities.
KNAPP has been training apprentices for more than 20 years now,
mainly in the fields of mechatronics and mechanical engineering but
also in IT. There is a constant group of about 50 apprentices receiving
training at any one time. As a state-accredited training company,
KNAPP offers a varied and high-quality apprenticeship program,
which has included Higher Vocational Diploma since 2008.
“I opted for the apprenticeship with a
Higher Vocational Diploma because I felt it
offered the best of both worlds. Throughout our
training, we are given the opportunity to learn
from experienced colleagues and trainers.
If you work hard and show some initiative,
there will be plenty of opportunities for you
in a company of this size once you have
finished your training,” states Christoph Zorn,
who is in the 3rd year of his apprenticeship to
become a mechatronics engineer. Besides the
comprehensive specialist training, the program
also focuses on promoting a sense of team
spirit, creativity and problem-solving skills.
It is no surprise that places on the company
apprenticeship program are in high demand.
Christoph Haidic, who is now a trainer on the
program, was once an apprentice at KNAPP
himself. He explains what they look for when
selecting a new intake of apprentices: “An
open mind and honesty are really important,
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along with an interest in technology and
technical aptitude, of course. We are looking
for team players. After all, our apprentices work
in a range of departments and with various
colleagues. All of our prospective apprentices
complete a taster week, during which we can
assess how they would fit in.”
It is often during training that the different
generations meet, sometimes even two
generations of the same family. Christoph
Haidic started his apprenticeship at KNAPP
in 2005 and his father Alois Haidic also joined
the company in 2007. “The experiences of
the older generation are worth their weight in
gold, whilst the younger generation looks at
some challenges from a different perspective.
I think a good mix of the two is the recipe for
success. It is also really important to me that I
keep learning new things all the time and pass
on my knowledge to my apprentices to the
best of my ability,” says Christoph Haidic. His
Alois Haidic
Pre-Assembling,
KNAPP-on-Site,
at KNAPP since 2007
father, Alois, also values the mutual exchange
of knowledge and skills between colleagues:
“I have a great deal of experience and
always complete my work in a diligent and
professional way. This approach is what helps
me cope with new tasks. My colleagues often
come to me for advice, knowing that I will
always be happy to give them some pointers.”
The Second Chance is a unique project
which is all about lifelong learning and
appreciating the many years of practical
experience gained by employees. It is a
training program which allows long-term
KNAPP employees to complete training in
a metal-related profession alongside their
work and, therefore, opens up new career
opportunities to them. “I found the training
fascinating and informative: the practical
days we spent in other departments were
very important; I now see things from a
different perspective. I’d like to keep this extra
perspective and openness for my work as a
group leader and act accordingly,” says Anton
Radaschitz.
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Jusuf Buzimkic with his sons
Bruno and Adrian
Head of Systems Engineering
General Retail Solutions,
at KNAPP since 2007
Enjoy work, achieve more
Prototype construction is one of the most interesting departments on the KNAPP
site, as this is where new technologies and specialist solutions are built and tested.
Employees who work here have many years’ worth of experience and specialist
knowledge, an analytical approach, creativity, problem solving skills and a fair
amount of MacGyver in them.
Toni Kienreich’s eyes light up as he talks
about his work in prototype production: “There
is no danger of us ever being stuck in a rut
– we are always dealing with new challenges.
However, I like to tinker and I know that
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sometimes you just have to trust your gut
feeling. This requires experience and sound
instinct. My work comes easily to me and I
enjoy it. If this were not the case, I would hardly
have stayed with KNAPP for 37 years,” he
laughs. The skilled machine fitter started
off as a mechanic 37 years ago, when
KNAPP had just 15 employees. He then
moved into the production department
before being promoted to his current
position in prototype production. His
colleagues value his experience,
his extensive specialist knowledge,
his good judgement and his friendly
demeanour. KNAPP specifically focuses
on supporting specialist knowledge
and sources of such knowledge. In
addition to the wide range of options for
vocational training and further education
at the KNAPP Academy, KNAPP offers
an attractive career path for technicians
and experts with the concept of specialist careers.
Up a few stairs and in the neighbouring building,
Jusuf Buzimkic is preparing to give a presentation
to a customer. His job in project planning for the
General Retail Solutions sector is challenging and
varied but what he cannot do without is a positive
atmosphere and enjoying his work: “It is vital to
be highly creative as every project is different.
We work hard and constructively to find the best
solution, both within the company and with the
customer. However, it is not just about working
hard; it is very important to be able to have fun,
too.”
As KNAPP is an international company with
customers from all over the world and an export
rate of approximately 98 percent, flexibility and
willingness to travel are basic requirements
of many employees' job descriptions. Careful
planning of business trips and the use of stateof-the-art video and web conferencing tools
shall allow employees to provide optimum
customer service whilst relieving the strain on the
employees and the environment. It is all the more
important for people who travel a lot to take the
time to just take a deep breath and make the most
of their time spent with their family. “My two sons
go to KNAPP-Kinderwelt,” says Jusuf Buzimkic.
“It is perfect for me as it saves precious time. It
takes only a few steps to and from my office to
take the children to nursery and pick them up
again. Both my family and the company benefit
from this. I like to look out of my office window at
the nursery every now and then. Bruno and Adrian
are really excited when I tell them that I could see
them playing. On the way home, the first question
is always the same – did you have the same lunch
as us today?” Maybe today the answer will be yes
– spaghetti bolognese!
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Generation
management
for systems
Shortened transit times, significantly reduced process
costs, high process accuracy and reliability count as the
most important reasons to decide to automate. In order
to keep everything running like clockwork in the long run,
coordinated care of the system is required throughout its life.
Our service for your success is the KNAPP motto for the highperformance service package System Support 360°+, which
offers our customers a comprehensive portfolio tailored to
the specific needs of each customer.
Generations and growth
360°+
System Support 360°+. The goal is to put
our customers in a position where they are
always able to provide their services to their
own customers. Services are categorized
according to their necessity for the operations
and include: services to ensure the primary
technical operation, such as the hotline and
spare parts; services that ensure long-term
operational security and technical support,
such as IT services, modernization or
roadmaps; system service as well as operative
and technical support, such as training and
Operation & Logistics Support. Combining the
services requires a fine touch, without which
important synergies for cost reduction and
increased operational reliability cannot be
achieved. Furthermore, the service network is
constantly gaining important data that answer
key questions regarding the technical and
economic areas, and that allow conclusions
to be drawn about availability, performance,
usability and optimization potential.
360°+
+ Your advantages at a glance
Effective life cycle management
Effective customer service at KNAPP begins already in the sales
phase. Even at this early point, the requirements and goals pertaining to
service are coordinated with the customer in order to start the long-term
care of the system as soon as the system begins its operation. Personal
contact and communication stand in the foreground and every customer
has a personal contact person at Customer Service who is available and
ready to listen to all concerns.
Do-it-yourself or full service – depending on what the customer
can do individually or wants to have done, an ideal performance mix
is put together from the comprehensive pool of services available in
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Service Level Management
KNAPP Academy
Operation & Logistics Support
Add-on Services
Modernizsation & Upgrades
IT Services
Plant Services
Spare Parts Logistics
Hotline
Worldwide network integration
Listening, understanding, finding
and realizing the right solution –
all done worldwide at the same
high level of standards. Thanks to
its international customer service
KNAPP is provided with a stable
platform for offering customers from
around the world a high-quality
service. Starting with a uniform
strategy and the System Support
360°+ portfolio, the services are
adapted to the local requirements,
markets and industries to ensure
maximum usability to the customer.
Successful customer service is
measured in availability and a dense
network of subsidiaries and service
partners around the globe ensures
this availability. Subsidiaries and
service partners remain in constant
constructive dialogue with the
Austrian headquarters in order to use
synergies, to exchange know-how
and, therefore, to remain close to the
needs of the customer and to ensure
optimal care. The keys to long-term
success are motivation, team spirit
and enthusiasm for the work as well
as for interaction with the customers.
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Generations and growth
Fine tuning the processes
Even if an intralogistics system is
optimally maintained and serviced it
can only reach its full performance if
the processes are perfectly tuned and
if the operators are ideally trained in
dealing with the system. With the
innovative Operations & Logistics
Support (O&LS), KNAPP offers oneof-a-kind consulting and steps into
the role of an advisor in order to
get the maximum performance from
every system. The idea is that ideal
performance and availability are not
a question of the level of investment
but the O&LS experts are on a quest
to find hidden potentials. Logistical
realities, warehouse processes and
demands are compiled and analysed
and a tailor-made plan of measures
is created for the customer and jointly
implemented. Even small changes
can often have a great effect.
Long-term observation indicates
an average increase in productivity
of 35 percent after 6 to 12 months.
Thus, KNAPP does not only ensure
the performance and value of a
system for its entire life span but also
increases customer and employee
satisfaction.
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No future without service
KNAPP is amongst the top 10 most
innovative companies in Austria and innovation
in service naturally plays a crucial part. While
focusing on customer satisfaction, KNAPP
constantly strives to find new approaches in
customer service and to develop innovative
service solutions. With the research project
Assist 4.0, KNAPP concentrates on moulding
the technical innovations of the 4th industrial
revolution, which is centred on the network
of man and machine, into future-oriented
services. Dynamics, mobility, communication
and flexibility are the important factors which
always centre on the person. With the service
support system KiSoft Web Eye, a head
mounted display has been already realized
that can be equipped with other technologies,
such as augmented reality. Thanks to this head
mounted display our perfectly trained service
technicians are able to guide a technician on
any site around the globe and provide him
with the information to carry out the necessary
works promptly and they can also cushion
resource bottlenecks.
KNAPP strives for service excellence – with
this in mind, the Styrian Service Cluster was
founded in cooperation with other companies
from various industries. Benchmarking, the
exchange of knowledge that extends beyond
the borders of ones own branch and striving
for constant improvement are in the focus
– because if one does not strive to become
better, one has already ceased to be good.
„We are bound to our customers by a
long-term partnership. In a partnership,
it is important that both partners achieve
success. With our service, we ensure
not only the long-term success of our
parters, but also the advancement of our
own company. With a strongly networked
international customer service, we increase
the satisfaction and personal commitment to
our partners, which extends beyond cultural
and language barriers.
I view each challenge as a mountain, and
use my creativity and intuition to reach the
peak. The satisfaction of having achieved
something gives me the energy for the next
day, and for the next peak.“
Michael Lemut
Account Manager Customer Service Global Accounts,
at KNAPP since 2001
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Zahlen und Fakten
In the European markets
important for KNAPP AG:
Germany
UK
France
Facts and figures
Scandinavia
Benelux
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an increase in
gross domestic
Economic environment
 2% USA
 8% China
After two difficult years, influenced by the financial crisis and and the
corresponding negative growth rates in the eurozone, the last quarters in
2013 showed the first promising signs of recovery and a steady upward
economic trend. The economic data for the first quarter in 2014 also
confirmed that Europe is emerging from the recession.
In the European markets important for KNAPP AG, Germany, UK,
France, Benelux and Scandinavia succeeded in achieving, in part, even
considerable economic growth, while Spain and Italy still remained in
the recession, though there are reassuring signs that these countries
have left the worst of the economic downturn behind them as well.
Even most of the CEE countries that were especially affected by the
crisis are also recording an increase in economic output. And likewise,
the economy in Latin and South America, which is a very important
market area for KNAPP AG, also showed clear signs of recovery.
The economic upswing in the USA, with an increase in gross
domestic product of almost 2 percent has turned out clearly higher than
in the eurozone, though below the value in 2012 (+2.2 percent) due to a
consolidated domestic budget.
The Asian-Pacific economic region, an important future market for
the KNAPP Group, has shown a very positive development, with China
– just as in the previous years – recording a GDP record of almost 8
percent.
KNAPP AG | 125
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Zahlen und Fakten
Turnover
The KNAPP Group, as planned, was able
to consolidate its turnover, which was already
on a very high level in the past year, achieving
a turnover of 384 million euros with an increase
in turnover by 1.1 percent compared to the
previous year. The company realized this
Country
Turnover in euros
Percentage
256,975,077
15,820,054
57,382,108
42,462,827
11,111,615
67.0%
4.1%
15.0%
11.1%
2.9%
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
North America
South America
Others
Sales by geographical region
Others
2,9%
South America
11,1%
North America
15,0%
Eastern Europe
4,1%
126 | KNAPP AG
Western Europe
67,0%
turnover for the year in review solely through
organic growth.
With a share of turnover of more than 70
percent, the economic region Western Europe
was again the strongest sales region, with a
marginal decline due to the slightly lower sales
figures in Spain and Italy compared to the
previous year. The turnover rates in Germany,
UK and France remained on a very high level.
The sales figures of the CEE states slowly
recovering from the recession tripled in the
past fiscal year, turnover increased from
approx. 5 million euros to more than 15 million
euros. And the outlook for the coming year is
very promising.
The turnover in the North American region
sailed to a record high of more than 57 million
euros, due to increased turnover rates in
Canada. With a share of turnover of almost
1/6, this economic region is very important for
KNAPP AG. With an order intake of 100 million
dollars, KNAPP AG landed the highest-ever
order intake for this region since the company
was founded.
The Latin American economic region was
the driving force for growth for the KNAPP
Group, the share of turnover increased from 8
percent in the previous year to more than 10
percent. Especially improved turnover figures
in Mexico contributed significantly to this
higher turnover.
The Asian-Pacific market area is becoming
more and more important for KNAPP AG in the
future, with the turnover remaining stable on
the previous year's level of approx. 11 million
euros. The company expects an increase in
turnover for the coming year.
In the Solutions business
segment, KNAPP AG increased
its turnover by almost 14 percent
compared to the previous year, with
the segments Pharma, Tools and
Office Supply featuring an aboveaverage growth.
The Integrated Projects segment
showed a slight decline in sales,
going back to a somewhat lower
turnover in the Fashion business
sector due to a slight delay in the
placement of orders. On the other
hand, Food Retail and General
Retail as part of this business
segment, enjoyed another increase
in turnover in the past fiscal year.
The
KNAPP
Group
has
concentrated consistently on the
Customer Service business area to
increase customer satisfaction and
customer loyalty. The strategy has
again proven successful, increasing
the share of turnover to 22 percent
of the total revenue (previous year:
19 percent).
Sales by sector
Others
Tools
7%
13%
Pharma
34%
Food/Retail
16%
Cosmetics
6%
2013/14
Fashion
24%
Turnover in euros
Percentage
130,648,394
92,574,080
22,021,289
62,107,689
48,662,022
27,738,207
34%
24%
6%
16%
13%
7%
Revenue by business segments
2013/14
Turnover in euros
Percentage
Pharma
Fashion
Cosmetics
Food/Retail
Tools
Others
Solutions
Integrated Projects
Customer Service
Customer Service
22,06%
149,023,405
150,075,531
84,652,745
38.83%
39.11%
22.06%
Solution
38,83%
Integrated Projects
39,11%
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Zahlen und Fakten
Order intake
+ 15%
result
Order status
 11.1 million euros
Zahlen und Fakten
454 million euros +< 15%
past fiscal year increased
330 million euros
Auftragseingang und Auftragsstand
The order intake of the past fiscal year
increased by approx. 15 percent compared
to the prior year, reaching a record peak of
almost 454 million euro in volume. This also
involved an increase in order balance by 65
million euros to a total of 330 million euros, and
for the most part, the company has already
succeeded in assuring the budgeted turnover
for the coming fiscal year.
Result
For the KNAPP Group, the past year has
been the most successful year in the entire
history of the company.
The company enjoyed an increase in
earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) by
5.2 percent to 15.4 million euros in fiscal year
2013-14, with earnings before taxes (EBT)
increasing by approx. 1 million euros to a total
of 14.2 million euros, which corresponds to an
EBT margin of 3.7 percent (previous year: 3.5
percent).
The result after taxes has increased by
more than 15 percent to 11.1 million euros.
128 | KNAPP AG
Assets, liabilities and financial position
The balance of the KNAPP Group by
March 31, 2014 featured an unchanged solid
capital structure. The balance sheet total of
256 million euros corresponds approximately
to the balance in the previous year.
The equity grew from 53.7 million euros
to 60.3 million euros in the year in review, the
equity ratio of 23.5 percent was above the ratio
of the prior year (22.9 percent). The return on
equity at 23.6 percent remained fairly stable
compared to the previous year and the return
on assets also remained at 5.6 percent, the
same level of the previous year.
Cash flow
The investments of more than 18 million
euros, of which a large portion went into
expanding the business site, were financed
from the current cash flow: on March 31, 2014,
cash amounted to approx. 42 million euros
(previous year: 30 million euros).
“In controlling, it is very important
to have a comprehensive overview
and to be able to make the cross
connections between various
business matters. At the same time
we deal intensively with detailed
requests from all areas so that we
can best provide support for their
daily work. We work with the entire
company, continually handle new and
exciting topics and can, therefore,
make a contribution to meeting, if not
exceeding, the company goals.
I enjoy challenges, especially the
feeling of satisfaction that comes with
success! For new topics, I proceed in
an organized manner and create an
overview of content and time frame.
I can always rely on my team and my
colleagues from other departments
and together we always find a good
solution, even for difficult tasks.”
Bianca Strini
Controlling KAG, at KNAPP since 2008
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Zahlen und Fakten
Risk management
The KNAPP Group has established an
internal controlling system worldwide that
identifies potential risks at an early stage and
quickly initiates countermeasures as required
by the corresponding risk assessment.
Because of its international activities, the
Group is exposed to a number of financial
risks, especially foreign currency risks.
These risks are minimized through the use of
derivative financial instruments such as foreign
exchange transactions and swaps.
Project risks, especially for large-scale
orders, are analysed and evaluated through
corresponding risk assessment procedures.
Securing adequate liquidity is the KNAPP
Group's top priority, and in this respect, the
company is in an outstanding position and has
high liquidity reserves. Any cash flow risks are
monitored by the centrally-managed Cashflow
Reports.
130 | KNAPP AG
Research and development
KNAPP AG as solution provider is a
recognized specialist for all-in-one intralogistics
solutions.
In the past year, new, highly-integrated
system solutions were realized in a variety of
strategic target sectors – for picking various
product types for orders from different business
models. These sectors include, for example,
deliveries to wholesalers, branch stores or
deliveries directly to the end consumer.
This year KNAPP invested more than
7 percent of its turnover (previous year: 6
percent) – or 27.7 million euros – in research
and development.
Due to increasing demands on system
design as well as demands from the market,
the goal of all of the development activities was
to secure the competitive advantage, and with
this, securing long-term organic growth.
In the research and development areas of
the KNAPP Group, more than 400 people have
been working on new and further developments
in the past fiscal year.
For the year in review, the emphasis was on:
• Development of software
•
•
•
•
algorithms for the homogeneous
combination of sales channels
Development of new control
strategies for applications with
the all-in shuttle system
Expansion of the distribution
software based on the
emphasized sectors
Comprehensive expansion of
functions in shuttle technology,
especially in the rail-guided
version
Further development of
components of the new, even
higher-performance container
conveyor system Streamline
• Innovations in the Open Shuttle
technology (free-moving shuttles)
• Further development of new
•
•
•
technologies and system
solutions in manual and
automatic picking based on
imaging technology (KiSoft
Vision)
Further development of the new
ergonomically designed picking
work stations
Developments in robot picking
(Pick-it-Easy Robot)
Further development of the zerodefect technology bundle
With these developments, KNAPP continued to pursue its goal of
strengthening and further expanding its technological lead.
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Consolidated financial statements*
Consolidated income statement
Personnel
On the reporting date March 31, 2014, the
KNAPP Group had a total of 2,444 employees
worldwide (previous year 2,256), with more
than 1,800 employees in Austria. This alltime record high resulted from the growth and
the required higher level of staff to process
upcoming projects due to the high order
balance. The large number of academics and
graduates of specialized schools or colleges
among the KNAPP staff clearly shows the
high qualification of the team: approximately
45 percent of all employees have a university
or college degree or a specialized school
diploma.
Outlook
KNAPP AG expects a satisfactory level
of investment in the strategic target sectors
for fiscal year 2014/15 in order to realize the
planned growth of 12 percent to 430 million
euros turnover for the coming fiscal year.
New
demands
on
multichannel
warehouses, new work place regulations
and new quality requirements will continue to
be the key factors for new, replacement and
expansion investments.
The further systematic expansion of
the product and system solution portfolios,
above all in the shuttle technologies, image
recognition systems, autopickers, conveyor
systems and robot systems as well as existing
references from successfully installed projects,
will open new opportunities for sales with
existing and potential new customers.
In the coming year, KNAPP will also invest
substantial resources in new and further
development in order to maintain its position of
technological leadership.
In the strategic markets and the markets
especially relevant for turnover, such as Central
and Northern Europe, but also in the USA and
Latin America, forecasts predict an increase in
growth. KNAPP also expects further growth in
the Asian-Pacific economic region, including
an upward trend for the previously somewhat
sluggish markets in Spain and Italy.
2013/14
(in EUR)
2012/13
(in TEUR)
383,751,680
2,530,000
7,736,666
(160,359,326)
(150,384,905)
(7,998,135)
(59,845,986)
379,499
1,938
3,890
(171,987)
(137,120)
(7,715)
(53,425)
15,429,994
15,080
Finance income
Finance costs
735,627
(1,927,540)
576
(1,897)
Finance costs - net
(1,191,913)
(1,321)
Profit before tax
14,238,081
13,759
Income tax expense
(3,128,373)
(3,798)
Profit for the year
11,109,708
9,961
11,082,327
27,381
9,984
(23)
Revenue
Other own work capitalised
Other operating income
Cost of materials and purchased services
Staff costs
Scheduled depreciation and amortisation
Other operating expenses
Operating profit
Attributable to:
Owners of the parent
Non-controlIing interests
*) These consolidated financial statements of KNAPP AG as at 31 March 2014 are an abbreviated version.
132 | KNAPP AG
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Zahlen und Fakten
Consolidated statement of comprehensive income
Profit for the year
Items subsequently not reclassified to the income statement
Revaluation of post-employment benefit obligations
Deferred taxes from the revaluation of post-employment benefit obligations
Consolidated statement of changes in equity
(all amounts in EUR)
2013/14
2012/13
(in EUR)
(in TEUR)
11,109,708
9,961
(505,067)
(415)
159,134
(345,933)
104
(311)
Items subsequently reclassified to the income statement
Fair value measurement of available-for-sale
financial assets and derivative financial instruments (gross)
Deferred taxes from the fair value measurement of available-for-sale financial
assets and derivative financial instruments
Currency translation difference
Other comprehensive income for the year
Total comprehensive income for the year
Attributable to:
Owners of the parent
Non-controlIing interests
303,860
(457)
(75,965)
114
(472,547)
(244,652)
246
(97)
(590,585)
(408)
10,519,123
9,553
10,491,742
27,381
9,576
(23)
Attributable to
owners of the parent
Balance 1 April 2012
Revaluation
reserve
IAS 19
Fair value
reserve
Adjustment
item for
currency
translation
Noncontrolling
interests
Total
equity
5,000,000
41,791,520
(1,352,073)
0
706,749
1,874,399
48,020,595
Profit for the year
0
9,984,379
0
0
0
(23,273)
9,961,106
Other comprehensive
income for the year
0
0
(343,151)
(311,071)
246,305
0
(407.917)
Total comprehensive
income
0
9,984,379
(343,151)
(311,071)
246,305
(23,273)
9,553,189
Purchase/sale of noncontrolling interests
0
1,228,425
0
0
0
(1,064,945)
163,480
Dividends paid
0
(4,000,000)
0
0
0
0
(4,000,000)
Total contributions
by and distributions
to owners of the
parent, recognised
directly in equity
0
(2,771,575)
0
0
0
(1.064.945)
(3,836,520)
5,000,000
49,004,324
(1,695,224)
(311,071)
953,054
786,181
53,737,264
Profit for the year
0
11.082.327
0
0
0
27,381
11,109,708
Other comprehensive
income for the year
0
0
227,895
(345,933)
(472,547)
0
(590,585)
Total comprehensive
income
0
11,082,327
227,895
(345,933)
(472,547)
27,381
10,519,123
Changes in
consolidation scope
0
0
0
0
0
660
660
Dividends paid
0
(4,000,000)
0
0
0
0
(4,000,000)
Total contributions
by and distributions
to owners of the
parent, recognised
directly in equity
0
(4,000,000)
0
0
0
660
(3,999,340)
5,000,000
56,086,651
(1,467,329)
(657,004)
480,507
814,222
60,257,047
Balance 31 March 2013
Balance 31 March
2014
134 | KNAPP AG
Retained
earnings and
other reserves
Share
capital
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Zahlen und Fakten
Consolidated statement of financial position
Consolidated statement of financial position
March 31, 2014
(in EUR)
March 31, 2013
(in TEUR)
ASSETS
Non-current assets
Property, plant and equipment
Intangible assets
Available-for-sale financial assets
Deferred tax assets
Total non-current assets
Current assets
Inventories
Receivables from deliveries and services
Amount due from customers on construction contracts
Other current receivables and assets
Available-for-sale financial assets
Derivative financial instruments
Cash and cash equivalents
Total current assets
Total assets
March 31, 2014
(in EUR)
March 31, 2013
(in TEUR)
Equity
Capital and reserves attributable to owners of the parent
Share capital
Retained earnings, and other reserves
Fair value reserve
Revaluation reserve IAS 19
Adjustment item for currencv translation
Total equity before non-controlling interests
5,000,000
56,086,651
(1,467,329)
(657,004)
480,507
59.442,825
5,000
49,004
(1,695)
(311)
953
52,951
Non-controlling interests
Total equity
814,222
60,257,047
786
53,737
LIABILITIES
Non-current liabilities
Non-current financial liabilities
Profit participation rights
Post-employment benefit obligations
Other non-current liabilities
Derivative financial instruments
Deferred tax liabilities
Total non-current liabilities
17,932,254
3,188,269
6,911,500
1,400,180
2,171,703
8,600,239
40,204,145
19,700
2,488
6,289
1,200
2,593
7,981
40,251
24,292,579
859,489
2,726,936
78,570
7,846,730
73,016,567
46,624,048
155,444,919
195,649,064
25,821
2,505
3,928
1,929
8,232
58,808
39,778
141,001
181,252
255,906,111
234,989
EQUITY AND LIABILITIES
48,354,896
22,393,023
363,364
3,333,440
74,444,723
38,946
20,986
366
3,135
63,433
17,851,204
78,484,226
19,636,550
20,992,907
2,486,857
134,977
41,874,667
181,461,388
18,074
75,121
31,029
14,629
2,735
42
29,926
171,556
255,906,111
234,989
Current liabilities
Trade payables
Current tax liabilities
Current financial liabilities
Derivative financial instruments
Current provisions
Amount due to customers on construction contracts
Accrued liabilities
Total current liabilities
Total liabilities
Total equity and liabilities
136 | KNAPP AG
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Zahlen und Fakten
Zahlen und Fakten
Consolidated statement of cash flow
Cash flow from operating activities
Profit before tax
Adjustments for non-cash items
and other reconciliations
Financial result
Depreciation and amortisation
Gains/losses from the disposal of non-current assets
Increase or decrease in post-employment
benefit obligations
Change in other non-current liabilities and provisions
Adjustments for non-cash items
and other reconciliations
2013/14
(in EUR)
2012/13
(in TEUR)
14,238,081
13,759
1,191,913
7,998,135
(160,618)
1,321
7,715
(1)
117,044
200,230
333
1,200
9,346,704
10,568
Cash flow from investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment
Purchases of intangible assets
Purchases of available-for-sale financial assets
Proceeds from the sale of property, plant and
equipment and intangible assets
Proceeds from the sale of available-for-sale financial assets
Net cash used in investinq activities
Cash flow from financing activities
Dividends paid
Increase in profit participation rights issued
Decrease in profit participation rights issued
Proceeds from non-current borrowings
Repayments of non-current borrowings
Proceeds from current borrowings
Repayments of current borrowings
Proceeds from the sale of non-controlling interests
2013/14
(in EUR)
2012/13
(in TEUR)
(13,969,767)
(5,154,100)
0
(9,898)
(2,794)
(3)
268,131
243,575
35
0
(18,612,161)
(12.660)
(4,000,000)
919,324
(218,869)
6,500,000
(8,267,746)
0
(1,201,168)
0
(4,000)
886
(225)
2,400
(900)
1,576
0
14
0
(3,500)
Changes in net current assets
Increase/decrease in trade receivables and other assets
Increase/decrease in inventories
Increase/decrease in trade payables and
other current liabilities
Increase/decrease in current provisions
Changes in net current assets
(480,956)
223,159
(31,600)
(1,134)
19,526,322
(384,804)
18,883,721
18,127
2,229
(12,378)
Cash flow from operating activities
42,468,506
11,949
Net cash used in financing activities
(6,268,459)
(3,749)
Interest received
Interest paid
Income tax paid - net
735,627
(1,833,861)
(4,270,826)
(5,369,060)
576
(1,673)
(1,335)
(2,432)
Net decrease/increase in cash and cash equivalents
12,218,826
(6,892)
37,099,446
9,517
Change in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
Net decrease/increase in cash and cash equivalents
Exchange gains/losses on cash and cash equivalents
29,926,233
12,218,826
(270,392)
36,695
(6,892)
123
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year
41,874,667
29,926
Net cash generated from operating activities
138 | KNAPP AG
Consolidated statement of cash flow
Purchases of non-controlling interests
KNAPP AG | 139
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Publication Details
Responsible for contents:
KNAPP AG
Günter-Knapp-Straße 5-7
8075 Hart/Graz
Austria
Note on gender
For economy of text and ease in reading, either the male or female
grammatical versions are used. Of course these equally refer to
people of both sexes.
PEFC Certified
This product is from sustainably
managed forests, recycled and
controlled sources.
www.pefc.org
compensated
140 | KNAPP AG
Ident-Nr. A-10373
The print is according to the rules
„Druckerzeugnisse“ of the Austrian Ecolabel UZ-24,
Universitätsdruckerei Klampfer, UWZ: 900
KNAPP AG | 141
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142 | KNAPP AG