The Saint-Gobain Herzogenrath plant in Germany has developed and is currently testing an application to simplify management of the large quantities of raw materials used in flat glass production. Approximately 500 to 800tons of various raw materials are delivered every day, stored in silos and then processed. Each delivery of raw materials is entered manually, which is labour-intensive and does not eliminate the possibility of human error when it comes to invoicing.

At the Herzogenrath site, the industrial and digitization teams have worked with the purchasing department to come up with a solution. Their goal was to simplify the process, from data entry through to invoicing, and improve data quality. The solution includes the application of a standardized QR code on delivery notes and the development of a management system interface (SAP) for accounting purposes.

The large number of suppliers involved was a major challenge for the project. But now, the whole process takes just a few seconds. In addition, delivery note data can be viewed on an easily accessible platform and can be consulted by all concerned.

Still under trial at Herzogenrath, the application will be made available to all German glazing plants in early 2024. With this solution, employees will have more time to focus on higher added value tasks and the number of incorrect invoices will be significantly reduced.

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