This is the first time in the company’s history that a centralised fleet management system has been used. Integrated into the existing IT infrastructure, this cloud solution is in use at the main plants in Zuffenhausen, where it serves as a functional core for automating the logistics process. Further roll-outs are intended in the near future for manufacturing the Taycan, for example. Plans include numerous projects in which a total of several hundred vehicles will be deployed in various AGV fleets with over 300 functions. The Porsche AG subsidiary MHP is responsible for consulting, implementation, product development, service and support.
MHP FleetExecuter coordinates lifts, gates and systems at Porsche
There are currently 27 Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) carrying out up to 1600 material transports per day – including loading runs – over a distance of 750 metres. The MHP FleetExecuter coordinates various new and older assets, such as lifts, high-speed doors and existing systems. The AGVs also negotiate four automatic gates, a double lift system and four intersecting third-party systems en route between the various high-bay racks.
Henning Hiebsch, Partner and Business Owner FleetExecuter at MHP says: “We are dealing with a completely new type of architecture here. In order to meet the individual requirements at Porsche, we have configured and enhanced the solution to fully guarantee process-critical production supply to 100 percent. Despite its technical complexity, its use remains intuitive for the operator.” To this end, the application was digitally modelled and simulated completely in advance and then physically tested in the MHPLab, an MHP test area in Ludwigsburg, as well as in a customer-friendly cloud infrastructure. As a result, the software could be put into operation just a few months after the project was started.
Marc Lösken, Head of Porsche Brand Logistics adds: “I am pleasantly surprised that the project got off to such a successful start despite the short realisation time of just 9 months.” Four parties with 100 participants were involved in the project and a number of connections had to be made to internal and external systems. But despite this, the FleetExecuter was able to go into automatic operation on time. Plants 2 and 3 at Porsche in Zuffenhausen went live in June 2023. Ten more projects will follow, including in “Bau 70”, the assembly hall for the Porsche Taycan, where new AGVs will be supporting production supply.
Increasing efficiency by up to 20 percent
The MHP FleetExecuter fully exploits the potential in intralogistics: the software can increase efficiency by up to 20 percent. It offers more transparency and resilience on Porsche’s shop floor, providing the basis for improved processes. It can also be used to achieve reliable system availability: the MHP FleetExecuter is equipped with a variety of special and emergency functions that guarantee a high level of fault tolerance. Costs can also be reduced through process-optimised energy management, for example, leading to a rapid return on investment.
Albrecht Reimold, Member of the Executive Board for Production and Logistics at Porsche AG: “By using the MHP FleetExecuter, we are much more efficient and flexible in our internal plant logistics. It allows us to control our ever-increasing number of driverless transport systems precisely. At the same time, the software-controlled transport systems allow us to cut out some trips previously made by HGVs and so make a contribution to sustainability.”
A full-service provider thanks to the MHP FleetExecuter
As companies are increasingly using Automated Guided Vehicles to optimise their intralogistics, cross-manufacturer software is needed for fleet management to ensure that AGVs from different manufacturers can all be controlled. So, management and IT consultancy MHP has launched FleetExecuter, a cloud solution that does just that: Centralised and consolidated control of a company’s entire fleet regardless of the manufacturer – and equally regardless of the communication interface, data source and the individual system’s degree of automation.
The integration of FleetExecuter is a prime example of how MHP is transforming itself from a consulting company into a full-service IT and software provider. Since spring 2023, MHP has been offering software-as-a-service solutions (SaaS solutions) together with technology and industry partners. These include the MHP FleetExecuter, one of the first software products from the new Industrial Cloud Solutions (ICS) portfolio. These ICS products incorporate all the experience and comprehensive expertise of MHP and its various partners. Companies from the automotive, manufacturing and logistics sectors receive tried-and-tested, ready-to-use software products, which enable them to digitalise their processes with very little effort. The individual solutions are constantly being developed and improved, as has been the case over the past two years with MHP’s digital fleet management solution, which has made a significant leap forward since Porsche awarded the contract. Following the first proofs of concept, the go-live has now taken place at Porsche – with orders placed across the entire value chain.
You can find more detailed information on the MHP FleetExecuter here.
About MHP
As a technology and business partner, MHP has been digitizing the processes and products of its around 300 mobility and manufacturing sector customers worldwide for 27 years and providing support for their IT transformations along the entire value chain. For the management and IT consultancy, one thing is certain: digitization is one of the biggest levers on the path to a better tomorrow. This is why the Porsche AG subsidiary provides both operational and strategic consulting in areas such as customer experience and workforce transformation, supply chain and cloud solutions, platforms and ecosystems, big data and AI, as well as Industry 4.0 and intelligent products. Headquartered in Germany, the consultancy operates internationally with subsidiaries in the USA, the UK, Romania and China. More than 4,500 MHP employees are united by their pursuit of excellence and sustainable success. It is this aspiration that will continue to drive MHP – today and in the future.