Lamprecht | TMS and customs system integration

Key takeaways.

Lobster connects Lamprecht's systems for high efficiency and data control.

5 x

faster implementation of new interfaces and changes.

20 x

faster response times when fixing errors.

33 %

of platform costs saved by consolidating third-party systems.

Challenges.

Rolling out the new TMS called for a modern integration layer that could connect heterogeneous systems as well as numerous customers and partners.

Replacing rigid legacy architectures.

The previous transport management system had reached end of life, rendering its built-in EDI interfaces unusable. Recoding those interfaces directly in the new TMS had proved too inflexible, too time-consuming and too expensive. Lamprecht was therefore seeking an agile middleware to efficiently connect two independent TMS solutions and an integrated Swiss customs tool.

Freeing up internal resources and building know-how.

At the start of the project, the in-house team had neither the capacity nor the specialist skills to carry out a complex migration by themselves. What they needed was a dependable partner to take the operational lead through the critical initial phase, while the team picked up the necessary know-how. The handover would then leave Lamprecht with long-term independence and agility in IT operations.

A highly diverse partner and customer landscape.

As a long-established Swiss freight forwarder, Lamprecht serves a broad range of partners and demanding customers, each with their own data formats and requirements. The challenge was to exchange highly complex logistics data – in pharmaceutical logistics or road freight, for example – fully automatically, in sync and with robust error handling between all parties, and to monitor it transparently.

“Without Lobster, the undisputed gold standard for logistics, the entire project would never have got off the ground. The platform's sheer flexibility and transparency have given us back full control over our data. We now solve most issues within a day instead of waiting weeks, as we used to. That makes us far more responsive and levels the playing field with competitors.”

Benjamin Kohler

Lamprecht

Head of Business Process Management

Outcome.

With Lobster in place, Lamprecht AG now enjoys significantly faster processes and much lower operating costs.

Notable reduction in response and implementation times.

With direct access to transparent error logs and system messages, the team is now generally able to turn interface issues around in a day. Customer setups are implemented and adapted three to five times faster than before. The dependence on time-consuming external service providers has all but disappeared, which makes a notable difference in terms of day-to-day agility and customer satisfaction.

Tangible cost savings and a rapid return on investment.

By replacing expensive, hard-coded point-to-point interfaces and consolidating unnecessary third-party applications, Lamprecht saves around a third of its platform costs outright. Automation also removes part of the need for additional developer resources. The investment effectively pays for itself and lays a solid, scalable foundation for future requirements at the same time.

Full data consistency and a stronger competitive position.

More than 120 active integration processes keep freight and status updates such as PoDs in sync across every department. Lamprecht now meets complex customer requirements flexibly, which puts the company on a level footing with far larger market players. Thanks to the exceptional data quality, employees no longer deal with manual data entry and follow-up queries, which boosts long-term process quality.

Approach.

Lobster provides a central integration layer that acts as a reliable link between customers, partners and internal systems.

Step 1

Starting with managed services and migrating in stages.

To meet the tight 13-month schedule for the complete system changeover, Lamprecht began with managed services. Lobster acted as a dependable enabler, taking on the entire build of the underlying data structures. This made for a smooth transition from the old TMS to the new core systems – Scope and Fast Logistics – without the slightest disruption to day-to-day forwarding operations or to existing customer and partner connections.

Step 2

Independent administration and in-house know-how.

After a successful go-live, Lamprecht’s in-house business process management team gradually took over the administration of all profiles. Supported by Freonit, a qualified Lobster partner, the team now handles adjustments, error analyses and profile creation on its own. This newly won independence has dramatically increased its ability to act, allowing it to implement short-notice customer requests and interface changes with extreme flexibility and at its own pace.

Step 3

A future-proof cloud architecture and optimized profiles

The state-of-the-art Lobster Cloud forms the reliable backbone for highly stable, fail-safe operation around the clock. A lean architecture of standardized import and export profiles for each interface enables clean data processing. Processes are gradually consolidated further to reduce the complexity of data mappings and to ensure maximum performance as data volumes grow.

Technical Setup.

Lamprecht runs Lobster in the high-availability Lobster Cloud. More than 120 active integration processes connect two core TMS platforms (Scope from Riege for ocean and air freight, Fast Logistics from Daco Systems for road transport), an integrated customs system and around 40 partners and customers. Data is transferred securely via SFTP, API and VPN. Direct monitoring enables immediate error analysis and restarts in day-to-day operations, with no external help.

Lower Costs.
Faster Processes.
Enhanced Efficiency.

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What's next.

Lamprecht is now looking at what else the platform can do.

Customer portal.

A customer portal to simplify order entry and status updates for stakeholders who have no way of connecting via EDI is already in the pipeline.

Optimized track-and-trace services.

Direct database access through VPN tunnels will enrich TMS data with additional documents, for example, to optimize automated track-and-trace services.

AI roadmap.

AI-supported document capture and intelligent mapping are also on the strategic roadmap.

About Lamprecht.

Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Basel, Lamprecht AG is one of Switzerland’s leading independent logistics companies. With around 300 employees at fifteen locations in Switzerland and the USA, the long-established company offers tailor-made solutions in road transport, ocean and air freight, pharmaceutical logistics and trade fair logistics. As a well-connected partner, Lamprecht combines regional roots with global expertise. Thanks to a modern IT infrastructure and exacting quality standards, it guarantees individualized, reliable, transparent and efficient supply chains for international customers.