Building bridges between IT and logistics

Stefan Matheis’ exciting career has taken him from a forklift truck driver to a mediator between IT and logistics. As Global Business Process Manager Logistics, he is always on the lookout for innovative solutions.

After leaving school, Stefan Matheis took a holiday job at the Geberit logistics centre in Pfullendorf. In the order picking team, he moved goods from A to B on a forklift truck. In order to learn more about logistics, he then took part in a three-year dual study programme. From 2008, he alternated between three months at the Geberit logistics centre and then three months at college.

From key user to mediator

Thanks to his affinity for IT, Stefan Matheis was soon assigned other tasks. He took on a key role during the launch of a new warehouse management system. Thanks to his hard work, he was appointed to the new position of Global Business Process Manager Logistics – directly at the point where IT and logistics meet.

“IT and logistics are two very different worlds. For those in IT, it is often difficult to understand the needs of logistics. Conversely, ideas from IT often don’t reach those working in logistics the way they should,” comments Gerd Hailfinger, Head of Group Logistics. In his new role, Stefan Matheis should prevent conflicts and misunderstandings over the long term – and thus also high additional costs during the projects.

Help in the far north

To give an example, the IT department once decided to introduce a new forklift terminal as standard across the Group. “This would have led to problems for employees in the far north. They would have had to constantly take off their gloves to operate the terminals in winter, for example,” says Stefan Matheis. He then intervened and found devices that were a better fit for local conditions.