commsult Introduces Offline Sync Technology for KTM's Warehouse Management in the Desert

KTM, founded in 1934 and headquartered in Mattighofen, Austria, stands as Europe's largest and most successful motorcycle manufacturer. Over its rich history spanning more than 90 years, KTM has grown from a small repair shop into a global leader in high-performance motorcycles. KTM specializes in off-road and on-road motorcycles, including Motocross, Enduro, and Supermoto bikes, which are famous for their power, agility, and durability.

commsult implemented several SAP (ERP System) processes for KTM, including goods receipt, goods issue, stock count, stock transfer, and stock information. All these processes were integrated using the material management module within the SAP system to improve the accuracy of logistics management at KTM.

KTM organizes the dispatch of trucks to desert racing locations to ensure that spare parts are stocked on-site at the event. These trucks are not just vehicles, they also serve as mobile warehouses that manage all material logistics. These trucks carry servers that are not directly connected to KTM’s SAP. This create a major challenge for KTM, as the entire logistics process must run efficiently even without an internet connection.

The KTM racing team, particularly the Dakar Rally team, faces unique logistics challenges in the desert. Relying on manual methods for inventory tracking is time-consuming and inefficient, especially in a racing competition where speed and precision are crucial.

Therefore, KTM needed a flexible, efficient warehouse management system that could operate under all conditions. This would let the racing team dedicate their full attention to the competition, free from concerns about managing the logistics of their spare parts.

Since the Dakar Rally takes place in the desert, the truck servers often operate without a stable internet connection to KTM’s headquarters in Austria. To address this, commsult provided a leading technology solution with the “Offline Sync” feature. This feature allows truck servers to store data locally when there is no connection to the ERP system, and the truck server will attempt to connect to the central server every few minutes. Once the connection to the ERP system is available, the data on the server will be synchronized into the ERP system.

Each truck serves as a mobile warehouse equipped with a truck server and portable WiFi devices. These portable WiFi devices can connect to multiple mobile warehouse devices operated by mechanics. The connectivity between the three devices (truck server, portable WiFi, and mobile warehouse devices) allows for real-time data access. This ensures that the warehouse management system can operate optimally.

Once connected to the internet, the data stored on the trucks is automatically integrated with KTM’s SAP system via VPN. This synchronization process ensures that data is automatically updated and inventory management becomes fully accurate.

commsult implemented an additional Point of Sales feature to handle pricing and billing directly on-site. This allows racing teams that are not affiliated with KTM to purchase spare parts directly at the racing location. This is intended to ensure a seamless transaction process for KTM customers, even without the internet.

The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for commsult in supporting KTM, where physical signatures were avoided. To address this, commsult implemented a new feature allowing KTM’s spare parts managers to take photos instead of signatures when dealing with their spare parts buyers.

The application developed by commsult has brought significant changes to KTM, especially in challenging environments like the desert.

“The staff handling goods on the truck always knows exactly where the items are stored. He doesn’t need to search around and knows exactly how much inventory is in the warehouse.” said KTM’s Warehouse Management Specialist, Thomas Klein.

KTM's collaboration with commsult has transformed the warehouse management of their racing team. Through the implementation of commsult's innovative solutions, KTM can fully focus on competition while the logistics are handled without worry.

This project reflects KTM's commitment to excellence and sets a new standard for efficient warehouse management even under extreme conditions.