Efficiency Unlocked: How Markant’s Digital Solution Streamlines Supply Chains

What sounds complicated turns out to be a real efficiency driver in the supply chain: Markant Services International GmbH's ‘digital transaction file’ (DTA) is designed to automate delivery and complaint processes in the consumer goods and DIY sectors – from goods dispatch at the manufacturer to goods receipt at the retailer. ‘Not a great name,’ as Reiner Sailer, Lead Service Owner Supply Chain Services at Markant, notes right at the start of his presentation at transport logistic. ‘But the working title has become the programme.’

The Markant Group acts as a link between industry and trade – with over 15,000 suppliers and around 200 retail companies spread across 12 locations in 16 countries. Around 68 billion euros in regulated goods volume is processed annually via the Markant system. The focus is on how analogue breaks, media breaks and time losses can be eliminated from the supply chain. ‘We chased stamps – from goods dispatch at the supplier to goods receipt at the retailer,’ says Sailer, describing the initial situation. ‘In doing so, we discovered that many processes in this last mile between industry and trade are still unnecessarily complex.’

The delivery and complaints process in particular involves a lot of manual work that could be automated. This is exactly where the digital transaction file comes in: ‘We wanted to create a solution where structured data, images, receipts, temperature reports and other documents are available in real time – in a central location that can be viewed by everyone involved.’ The DVA essentially consists of two components: a digital goods receipt solution on the retailer side and a digital claim handling module for industry partners.

Photo documentation and digital signatures

Both systems are fully networked with each other. Complaints can be recorded, documented and acknowledged directly in the goods receipt system – including photo documentation and digital signatures. This information is then automatically made available to the industry. ‘Our goal was a no-touch process,’ says Sailer. ‘A system that enables processes without manual intervention.’

This requires an open and interoperable system that can handle a wide range of IT maturity levels on the part of the partners. After all, ‘Only 40 percent of our suppliers are currently able to send or receive structured data formats such as EDI,’ says Sailer. ‘We bring another 20 percent up to speed via portals – but 40 percent continue to work analogously.’ The DVA can therefore also process data from PDFs, scans or other non-EDI-compatible formats. ‘Our aim is to provide the right connection for everyone involved in a delivery network, regardless of their technical equipment.’

The standards used are based on proven EDI protocols such as DESADV (Dispatch Advice) for delivery notifications and RECADV (Receiving Advice) for confirmation of receipt of goods. What is new, however, is the combination with supplementary data, images and acknowledgements, which are consolidated in the DVA. ‘This creates complete, digital documentation of every single delivery process – from the order to the delivery note to the complaint.’

The product has long since outgrown the pilot phase. Nineteen retailers in Germany are already using DVA productively, including the Schwarz Group with Lidl and Kaufland. In 2024, over 415,000 deliveries were processed digitally – representing growth of 72 per cent compared to the previous year. By the end of 2025, Markant expects to have over one million digitally recorded deliveries. The number of complaints processed digitally is also rising: 7,200 cases in 2024, from more than 700 suppliers.

From paperwork to real-time

The advantages are obvious to Sailer: ‘It used to take days or weeks to process receipts and complaints – now it happens in real time.’ Waiting times at the ramp are also reduced: ‘When delivery notes are available in fully digital form, the goods can be booked in more quickly and the truck can be dispatched faster.’ In total, around 40,000 hours of manual work will have been eliminated from the delivery process by 2024 – through automation, clear data structures and real-time communication. ‘These are hours that we can use for more value-adding tasks than chasing complaints.’

Markant is currently preparing to roll out DVA in Poland, Austria and Switzerland. At the same time, smaller trading partners from the Markant network are also to be connected. ‘A complaint is a complaint – whether it comes from a large corporation or a small market,’ says Sailer. ‘We are now bringing the less prominent partners into the digital world.’ Because the goal remains clear: ‘Less paper, fewer misunderstandings, more speed – for everyone in the supply chain.’ (rok)