Rosenberger

AEB Success Story
Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik
Software, consultancy and ser vices for global trade and supply chain management
High-frequency technology from the Alpine
foothills – easily dispatched with AEB software
Rosenberger, a leading global
manufacturer of RF connectors,
supplies big-name global players
in the telecommunications,
industrial measurement, automotive, medical technology,
industrial electronics, and
data systems industries. The
AEB software suite monitors
shipments and ensures
smooth workflows.
“Connect the mouse and power cable
among the top innovators in the world
to the laptop, and you’re good to go.”
of high-frequency technology.
In our personal lives, the number of
Ninety percent of its European
connectors we need on a daily basis to
production is manufactured at its
work and communicate is relatively
Fridolfing headquarters, nestled in
modest. But behind the scenes, connectors
the Alpine foothills of Bavaria. Among
touch many areas of our lives by allowing
Rosenberger’s 19 manufacturing and
energy to flow and news and information
assembly plants worldwide, the plant
to spread. Connectors and adapters
in Hungary plays a central role:
transmit signals through cellular base
Jászárokszállás, 75 km east of Budapest,
stations and satellite receivers and
is where the individual parts are
make it possible for our cars to have
assembled and packaged for direct
on-board GPS and navigation systems.
supply of the eastern EU countries.
They are a critical element in the power
The rest of Europe and all non-EU
transmission of electric and hybrid
countries are supplied from Fridolfing.
vehicles, electric bicycles, and power
Rosenberger has applied for certification
scooters. They play a role in mechanical
as a “Known Consignor” and meets the
engineering, telecommunications,
criteria set by Germany’s Federal Aviation
AEB Success Story
medical technology, and the automotive
Office. One such criterion was to secure
Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik
industry. Rosenberger manufactures
the perimeter of its entire 1,000 square
over 6,000 different types of plugs and
meter shipping area, which includes
connectors. With over 730 patents, it is
three packing stations and goods issue
zone. Once a package in this controlled
Martin Motz explains: “In the old days
one declaration in one or two minutes,”
area is marked as air freight, it is “secure.”
– before 2008 – we prepared an average
says Motz.
In 2009, when the handwriting for
of 50 to 100 consignments a month for
mandatory electronic export processing
export. Today, we average 500 export
AEB software also manages the logistics
in Germany was on the wall, Rosenberger
declarations a month. We never could
in Hungary. ASSIST4 was phased in
not only began searching for a local
have handled that workload with the
gradually here in 2011. Six employees
electronic customs solution, it
specifically looked for software that
would automate logistics as well.
The global trade and logistics suite
ASSIST4 by Stuttgart-based software
developer AEB fit the bill, so Rosenberger began implementing the suite
one module at a time.
Precision from the factory
floor to the loading dock
Rosenberger products are lightweights:
the individual parts that are milled,
punched, and coated from brass,
copper, and stainless steel in the
Fridolfing factory weigh only a few
grams before they are assembled into
connectors. But the total volume of
consignments tipped the scales at
3,400 metric tons in 2012 – with some
15 tons in anywhere from 100 to 300
consignments shipped from Fridolfing
each day. “About half of that stays
within the EU, while the other half is
exported to other countries,” explains
Martin Motz, head of Customs and
Export Controls.
ASSIST4 streamlines and accelerates export processes while reducing errors.
Export declarations are completed in just one or two minutes.
In Germany, Rosenberger uses ASSIST4
same level of personnel. We did end up
work in shifts at three packing stations
at its Fridolfing headquarters. Some
hiring more personnel and shifting
and in the shipping office using ASSIST4.
40 percent of shipments go to other
some of the workload to Hungary, but
Fridolfing also has three packing
Rosenberger sites around the world
the main benefit from the introduction
stations running ASSIST4. The six
such as the plants in India and Brazil,
of ASSIST4 has been in the improved
employees working in import/export
while the other 60 percent goes directly
quality of our shipping processes.”
management also rely on ASSIST4.
The warehouse team is especially fond
to customers – network operators and
telecommunications suppliers such
Flawless delivery
as Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent, all
The entire process of packaging the goods
the big-name auto companies in
and generating the shipping papers
Germany, and automotive suppliers
has been streamlined and accelerated.
AEB Success Stor y
such as Bosch, Blaupunkt, Panasonic,
“We used to need seven or eight minutes
Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik
and Siemens. Rosenberger’s clientele
for one export declaration. Now the data
even extends to the aerospace industry.
is much better and we can complete
of the AEB software, because it lets
goods reach the status of “documents
itself for this option alone,” confirms
them perform all the various work
complete,” the data is fed from ASSIST4
Martin Motz. “It would be frustrating
steps at once. The old process involved
back to the ERP system proAlpha, and
to have to pay the tax retroactively if
tediously creating documents in
the invoice is printed.
the endorsement of exit were missing.”
Microsoft Word and Excel and printing
It’s also helpful for situations in which
the labels separately on different
“Monitoring & Alerting” also reports
a customer claims it did not receive a
systems. Now, one employee can print
the tracking number back to proAlpha.
shipment. Motz can actually recall
all the necessary labels and paperwork
Two colleagues in the shipping office
one such incident. The customer was
such as the packing list and waybill
receive proactive e-mail notifications
in South Africa and the goods were
right from the packing station and
if the carrier or parcel service reports
valued at €16,000. Rosenberger was able
immediately place them on or into
a problem and the delivery is delayed.
to prove that the goods had actually
the packages.
Rosenberger has also granted its
been confirmed as received.
branch offices in Brazil and the United
For those in the logistics and IT
States access to the online platform.
The advantage of the AEB software
departments, the primary benefit
The sales department of Rosenberger’s
over the systems of the parcel services
was to get rid of all the different
customer Huawei, a Chinese commu-
is that the delivery confirmation is
standalone solutions and migrate to
nications company based in Hungary,
permanently archived. Many parcel
one central platform, with all the
can also track its own consignments
services only make such data available
relevant rulebases stored right in
directly through the platform and see
for three to six months, says Motz.
the software. “That way, nothing is
whether an order it placed is already
“We grant some of our customers a
overlooked,” notes Martin Motz,
on the way.
relatively long payment window, so
it helps that even after twelve months,
saying that the AEB solution has
also greatly improved the quality of
There are plans to give all Rosenberger
we can still demonstrate that the
the shipping processes: “Automation
branch offices access to M&A. The
customer received the goods.”
not only accelerated our workflows,
import department in Brazil already
it also eliminated errors. Today, our
benefits from early access to the
error rate is measured in tenths of one
delivery note data, because good
Restricted party screening:
playing it safe
percent. The only case I can recall is
import management depends on
In addition to Customs Management
once when a label was affixed in the
knowing that only those goods listed
and Transport & Freight Management,
wrong place.”
on the import permit are actually
Rosenberger also uses the Risk Manage-
shipped. Employees in Caçapava,
ment solution. The Compliance Engine
Online consignment tracking
São Paulo, can use M&A to make sure
has been installed to run restricted party
The Rosenberger employees using
in advance that everything matches,
screening, so ASSIST4 automatically
ASSIST4 can also check the status of
then complete their own paperwork.
checks all the addresses in real time
a consignment at any time through the
against the official embargoes and the
sales team can run a proactive check on
Delivery scan:
an alternative proof of exit
the status of a particular consignment
The Visibility & Collaboration Platform
trigger a transaction block. The complete
or to see whether the goods have been
provides an extra benefit for Rosen-
ERP system data – some 30,000
packed or shipped yet. As soon as the
berger: The delivery scan archived
addresses – is also sent each night to
in Monitoring & Alerting is also
the Engine for screening. Rosenberger
considered a valid alternative proof
OSI GmbH in Augsburg, which
of exit in case the endorsement of exit
manufactures fiber-optic products,
AEB Success Story
for a particular export consignment
is also linked to the AEB compliance
Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik
is not yet available.
solution. Plans now call for connecting
“Monitoring & Alerting” overview. The
annexes of EU regulations 881/2002,
2580/2001, and 753/2011. Any matches
the US production sites as soon as a
“Implementing M&A quickly paid for
single ERP system is in place.
Some 100 to 300 consignments are shipped each day from the headquarters in the Upper Bavarian town of Fridolfing.
“Monitoring & Alerting” makes it possible to track their status anytime, anywhere.
Better workflow thanks to
centralized control
which was less than optimal. Today
studying mobile control of the loading
I can define a rulebase and note the
processes. Preparations are also
ASSIST4 also lends a hand in the
customers’ special requests, which
underway to automate our freight
shipping office operations. The customs
are then automatically applied when
cost calculations. The underlying
director and his colleagues set up
the shipment is processed.”
basis – integrating our quotes into
pending tasks on the ToDos sheet,
Martin Motz sums it up this way:
the system – is already in place.”
which the employees then take care
“Never before had I used software
of on their own. Rosenberger feels it
so intensely before we began using
is important to accommodate the
ASSIST4. Information technology has
specific wishes of its customers, so it
helped us streamline our processes
appreciates the convenient option in
and take our quality to an entirely new
AEB Success Stor y
ASSIST4 for saving customer-specific
level. We are constantly evaluating
Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik
requirements. “We used to list such
which other functionalities we might
requirements on the delivery note,
use in the future. Currently, we are
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AEB Success Stor y
Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik
At a glance
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w w w.aeb-solutions.com
Name: Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG
Industry: High-frequency technology
Employees: 5,000
Revenues in 2012: €480 million
Documents and labels printed in
various systems
Increased export volume
Solution needed for electronic
customs clearance
Automation of entire logistical
processes sought
Introduce ASSIST4 Customs
Management and Transport &
Freight Management at German
headquarters and in Hungary
Introduce Visibility &
Collaboration Platform
Install Compliance Engine for
automated restricted party
screening
Various standalone solutions
phased out, single logistics
platform introduced
Quality of shipping processes
increased
Shipping processes streamlined
All tasks managed centrally
through AEB software
Consignment status accessible
at any time
Delivery scan in Visibility &
Collaboration Platform valid
as proof of exit