July 29, 2009
BTS optimized supply chain
Japanese Eco-Award for BMS
Image: Eco Rail Mark Sumika Bayer Urethane (SBU), a subsidiary of Bayer MaterialScience in Japan, has been awarded the “Eco Rail Mark” environmental seal of approval by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Supply chain optimizations suggested by Bayer Technology Services for the transport of isocyanate products played a significant role in this. SBU switched more than 30 % of its shipments to rail, sustainably reducing CO2 emissions and costs for transport and storage. SBU is the first company in the industry to be awarded the “Eco Rail Mark,” giving SBU an effective competitive advantage in the automotive supplier sector. SBU has also used the network optimization model developed by BTS to make improvements in other logistics areas. This project is one of the first within the green logistics initiative to be honored by well known environmental labels.
The logistics optimization project headed by Dr. Georg Mogk, PMT-SCL-SCO, converted SBU’s entire supply network into a mathematical model, which initially represented the current situation. Significant savings potential both in costs and CO2 emissions were identified and appropriate suggestions for improvements were developed with the help of supply chain simulation computations. The primary service requirements of SBU’s customers were delivery speed and delivery capability while maintaining the high Japanese quality standards. The measures required to sustainably enhance operational excellence were then successfully implemented by the staff on site.
The “Eco Rail Mark” was introduced by the Japanese government in 2005 to honor products or companies that make a significant contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions through a modal shift to rail transport.