Beumer Group supports start-up Codept in developing a productive logistic platform

Beumer Group has declared digitization a top priority in order to maximize customer satisfaction, while remaining competitive. How can this be achieved? The system supplier relies on the support of start-up companies to bring digital projects into the group. Felix Ostwald and Jonas Grunwald with their company Codept GmbH belong to the so-called ‘Young and Wild’. Their newly developed logistic platform simplifies the data interchange between retailers and fulfillment service providers. This saves time and money for both parties, provides more flexibility, and allows warehouse logistics operators to better use their capabilities. The idea was born out of an acute experience.

“The logistics sector clearly lacks what has long been the standard in payment transactions or online advertising: an integrative platform which offers simple access to a wide variety of different service providers and develops optimization services that are too complex for retailers and logistics providers individually,” Ostwald describes their solution that will considerably simplify the connection between fulfillment providers and e-commerce retailers. The 31-year-old co-founder and managing director (pictured left) and his partner Jonas Grunwald (right), 34 years old, have founded the company Codept. But not alone. They are supported by the company builder Beam, a spin-off of Beumer Group based in Berlin. “We try to solve big problems in logistics together with the start-up teams,” says managing director Robert Bach. “My job is to find young companies with business ideas that are relevant for us and to support them in their establishment. We want to create three start-ups per year and transform them each into a separate company under the umbrella of Beam – like the Codept GmbH.” The aim is to open new business areas in logistics together with these companies.

The simplification of application programming interfaces

“What made us come up with the idea?” Jonas Grunwald repeats the question. “It started out of an acute experience. Fulfillment providers often lose potential customers because they lack the resources for an IT connection or because the initial costs are too high. We simplify the application programming interface of our customers’ systems considerably so that they can concentrate on their core business.” This becomes more and more important especially considering growing internationalization. E-commerce retailers increasingly must be able to dispatch goods to France, Italy or the Netherlands. Big online sellers like Amazon or Zalando manage it within 24 to 48 hours. If a mid-sized company is not able to achieve this, it quickly loses potential customers. In order to meet this standard, the company not only needs warehouse locations in Germany but throughout Europe.

“Integrating operators into your own system landscape has so far been extremely time-consuming,” says Ostwald from his own experience. If a retailer for example needs five logistic service providers for storage, packaging, dispatching or also for processing returns, they must set up five interfaces. A programmer is on duty for at least one month both on the dealer’s side and on the service provider’s side, which is both time and cost intensive. “Our new logistic platform offers homogenous interface management as well as reliable data management,” promises Grunwald. “We take care of this connection for the customer. Our platform allows a quick and simple integration of a new partner into the customer’s system without additional efforts.”

Logistics platform

The new logistics platform enables the retailer to expand their business comfortably and respond to the growing internationalization. Codept will also enable them to access a wide range of logistics providers in the future. “If a company for example needs a warehouse in the North of Spain, we will be able to recommend a suitable partner thanks to our continuously growing experience and data,” promises Ostwald.

The platform offers another important advantage to warehouse logistics operators. As it is possible to connect more than one retailer, the service provider will be able to better manage its warehouse and to react to seasonal fluctuations. Why? Particularly at Christmas and Easter e-commerce business is very strong. On the contrary, in summer consumers shop less online. Therefore the storage areas are rather full in winter and empty in summer. “So, if the operator integrates several different retailers, they can better use the space. The cycles are not always identical, bikes for example sell less in the pre-Christmas season while game consoles are sold more – in summer it’s the other way around.”

The suitable partner

“We offer young companies comprehensive intralogistics know-how and access to Beumer experts, suppliers and customers. We open doors and show them opportunities and challenges,” describes Beam managing director Bach. “This way new founders and talents can solve a concrete problem with us in their own limited liability company.” Beumer Group also provides start-up financing.