Case History


Via delle Azalee, 19 - Buccinasco (MI)

Telephone: +39 02 335051

www.coimgroup.com

COIM

Chemical, Pharmaceutical & Medical


Since 1962, COIM has specialized in the production of polyesters, polyols, polyurethanes and special resins for the manufacture of composite materials and coatings. A rapidly expanding multinational corporation and a leader in the chemical industry worldwide, with plants in Europe, Asia and America.

Products:

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YMS

EasYard

YARD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

It manages and monitors vehicles and containers standing in the yard.

Logistics Experience - C.O.I.M.

Interview with Massimo Tonani and Paolo D'Adda

The numbers of COIM

Global leader of the chemical industry

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PLANTS IN 3 CONTINENTS

TOTAL FACILITIES

AND MORE PEOPLE

LOGISTICS CENTRE

A key element of the COIM Group's growth is its constant drive toward progress and innovation. 

The company chose to rely on Replica Sistemi - Zucchetti for a yard management efficiency project at its Offanengo (CR) site.


The Offanengo production center has special characteristics: 

  • under Seveso III law for the management of hazardous substances
  • surface area: over 28,000 square meters
  • loading/unloading areas: 43
  • flow in the yard: approx. 110 vehicles/day


NEEDS

YARD MANAGEMENT BEFORE EASYARD

Prior to the implementation of EasYard, the management of incoming vehicles for loading/unloading activities was completely manual and there was no scheduling of arrivals.  

The driver would wait in the outside parking lot to register with the concierge by filling out a paper document. 
The concierge communicated with the warehouse by telephone and with the driver by microphone with loudspeaker. 
The weigh-in was recorded manually, and the assigned gate was indicated by a paper map. 

Waiting times were long and queues were often created at the gatehouse. Drivers arriving during nighttime hours had to wait in the parking lot until staff arrived.

It was also difficult to monitor the presence and status of vehicles inside the plant.



THE CRISIS OF TRUCK DRIVERS IN EUROPE

Driver shortage is a growing problem in the trucking market: 600,000 vacancies today, 2 million expected by 2026. 

Chemical industry associations are promoting investments to streamline logistics operations and increase driver comfort. The EasYard project is part of COIM's contribution.

GOALS

The development of the project was focused mainly in two areas:


  • yard management;
  • management of loading/unloading operations.

The goals of the project were:

  • improvement of working conditions of company staff and drivers;
  • immediate and differentiated communication to all internal and external stakeholders;
  • real time tracking & tracing of physical flows of goods and people in the yard;
  • loading/unloading process efficiency and consequent cost reduction;
  • increased safety and security of the yard.

ANALYSIS

Analysis operations included: 

  • mapping of the 43 loading/unloading areas;
  • definition of the internal road system
  • definition of the process of assigning vehicles to destination units.

The loading/unloading procedures were designed step by step together with the business departments involved in the workflow.

Two sequences were differentiated for handling loading (outbound) and unloading (inbound) vehicles. 

Differentiations were then introduced by type of vehicle (truck, container, courier, or tanker) and material (hazardous/nonhazardous).

VEHICLE TRACKING

Today EasYard provides real-time tracking and visibility of the number and status of vehicles while they are in the plant. 

The phases provided are: 

1. "arriving" - pre-registered vehicle, expected at a specific time slot;

2. "parked" - vehicle arrived in the outdoor parking lot, not yet registered;

3. "presented" - accredited vehicle, waiting to be called for access to the plant;

4. "on call" - bay call occurred, vehicle waited at the entrance;

5. "entered" - vehicle present within the plant, engaged in the activity of loading or unloading;

6. "left" - the vehicle has left the plant.


The camera at the entrance is equipped with an optical license plate reader, which activates the raising of the bar for pre-registered vehicles and updates their status from "arriving" to "parked."

EasYard has also been integrated with the weighing system, the warehouse that checks the suitability of incoming and outgoing vehicles, and the quality control software for incoming goods RM LAB.

"Beyond the technical support part, Replica Sistemi's approach was interesting because of the availability of the technicians for tailoring, customizing the system, and the step-by-step management of issues, which we managed and solved together."

-Paolo D’Adda, Supply Chain Manager COIM

THE REGISTRATION TERMINAL

An interactive totem with EasYard access for driver registration has been placed in the outdoor plaza.

Vehicles pre-registered by the carrier via booking on the EasYard portal go to the physical totem, scan the booking QR code, and in seconds complete the accreditation. 

Thanks to this automation, check-in is much faster and, most importantly, available 24 hours a day. Waiting times for drivers and queues at the concierge are greatly reduced. 


To avoid queues, EasYard also allows virtual registration from a mobile device, accessible via COIM's Wi-Fi network. This allows the driver to be able to remain in the vehicle cab for booking activity.

The totem allows the user a choice of as many as 24 different languages, thus solving communication problems with foreign drivers. 

The totem is positioned under a canopy accompanied by detailed signage in 4 languages that guides drivers through the different booking procedures.



SMART COMMUNICATION

Communication between the concierge and drivers no longer takes place via microphones connected to loudspeakers, but rather via SMS on their smartphones. 

The information is available on all kinds of mobile devices and on monitors placed at strategic points in the plant, allowing real-time visualization of the status of the vehicles to all actors involved (concierge, raw materials analysis laboratory, warehouse and administrative offices).


SAFETY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

The smart mode has also been applied to the safety course that drivers are required by law to take for their first access to the plant. 

The online course can be accessed either from the physical terminal or through a link automatically sent upon registration and contains informative slides and a short final quiz. Upon passing the quiz, a certificate is automatically issued that is valid for 12 months. 

The SMS alerting the driver of the bay call also contains a link to the plant map with the route to follow.


OUTBOUND SHIPPING

The loading activities of products to be shipped to customers are planned through integration with Microsoft Dynamics management software. 

The first step in the procedure is booking delivery. Previously, the transport request was sent via a .pdf file, but today the transporter receives an access link to the EasYard platform, where he can view the transport request, book a time slot, and allow the driver to pre-register and receive the QR code to be scanned at the totem. 

A text message calls the driver to the concierge desk for document delivery and verification. Subsequent messages contain gate assignment and "call in bay," along with a link to the digital map with directions to follow.

The entry barrier is opened manually by the gatehouse, the vehicle enters and positions itself on the weighbridge, which is connected to EasYard. An operator performs the weighing and confirms the data in the system, which records it and makes it available to the entities involved.

At the end of the loading activity, the vehicle heads for the exit; the concierge returns the documents, performs any second weighing and manually opens the bar to let it leave.


INBOUND SHIPPING

Before the unloading of incoming materials and raw materials from suppliers, an additional control process is required; therefore, a data interchange integration was added between EasYard and RM LAB, the goods receiving software of COIM's quality laboratory.

Upon arrival at the plant, drivers register at the totem, with which the purchase order is associated. When the lab is ready, it authorizes the vehicle for sampling, then via EasYard sends an SMS to the driver to place the tank in the sampling area.

RM LAB authorizes the vehicles to enter following the safety checks-laboratory analysis, sampling, and batch control. At this point, the driver receives the SMS from EasYard for access and unloading of materials with attached map. The remaining steps of the procedure take place in the same way as outbound shipments.

Since the transport of different materials on the same truck, recorded in a single DDT but unloaded at different locations in the plant, the "Goods Entry Voucher" has also been created, which allows for quick identification and recording of goods unloaded at different warehouses.

The main benefits achieved:

  • planning of loading/unloading operations;
  • real-time traceability of flows;
  • immediate and differentiated communication with internal and external stakeholders;
  • minimization of waiting and congestion;
  • comprehensive and timely data collection for KPI measurement and statistical analysis;
  • reduction of transportation costs;
  • improved working conditions; 
  • increased driver and staff engagement;
  • increased yard safety and security.


The initial goals of the project have been met and largely exceeded.

COIM staff have embraced the project with great flexibility and openness to change, recognizing it as a growth tool for the company.

The benefits achieved are far greater than mere cost reduction: this is a project that propels COIM toward greater future prosperity because it makes the work of its employees more rewarding, laying the groundwork for further business development.

"When there is the prospect of more advanced and more modern work, it is not difficult to find people's cooperation. 
This is not an efficiency project to save "man-hours." It may be an outcome as well, but this is a project that will lead people to devote their time to more value-added activities."
-Paolo D’Adda

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