Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, ferag.doWarehouse software is set to solve industry challenges.
Ferag is a Swiss-based manufacturer, specialises in conveying and processing systems for intralogistics, printing, and e-commerce industries.
In 2023, the company acquired dereOida, who created the doWarehouse software.
The doWarehouse system is a Unified Control System – UCS that combines key warehouse operations into a single solution.
It integrates Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), responsible for managing inventory and orders; Warehouse Control Systems (WCS), which oversee automated movements; and Warehouse Execution Systems – WES, which handle automation control, order processing, and workflow balancing.
This integrated solution simplifies warehouse operations, eliminating the need for multiple systems, while reducing integration time, risk,
and costs.
The system also delivers advanced data analytics that precisely track the time and cost associated with each resource.
These detailed insights enable warehouse supervisors to pinpoint inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and underutilised resources, providing actionable information to enhance productivity.
Additionally, the software automates inventory replenishment based on pre-set criteria, ensuring optimal inventory levels are maintained without the need for manual intervention.
Ever since the acquisition, dereOida’s team has worked as Ferag to continue to further develop the software.
Conception
This unique integration of a WMS, a WCS and a WES unifies operations, allowing for flexible integration of both manual and automated systems, regardless of hardware type. Meaning the software is hardware agnostic, so clients are not tied to a single equipment vendor.
Karl Friesenbichler, Head of Ferag’s Asia Pacific division, said the purpose of doWarehouse is to unify these systems into “a single source of truth”.
By consolidating WMS, WCS and WES functionalities, the need for additional solutions is eliminated.
Unlike typical automation vendors that focus on equipment sales, Ferag prioritises operational integration, ensuring clients benefit from a streamlined approach providing complete control and visibility across the entire warehouse operation.
Most warehouse equipment vendors supply warehouse control software to control and manage their hardware, creating islands of software that don’t communicate to each other.
“In contrast, our value proposition is fundamentally different,” said Karl.
“Our unique value proposition focuses on prioritising the operational framework before introducing hardware solutions.”
Karl said that the idea for the system emerged during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“I started developing this project when I was stuck at home,” he said.
“During the first lockdown, out of boredom, I recognised a problem in unifying a WMS with a WCS and a WES and decided to address it.
“I started working on it as a hobby, and two years later, I was ready to take it to market.”
With the foundational concept of doWarehouse established, the next step was expanding its reach beyond the local market, which led to the strategic acquisition by Ferag.
The Ferag acquisition
The system was conceived while Karl was CEO and founder of dereOida, a company specialising in UCS development.
However, dereOida focused mainly on the Australian market, limiting doWarehouse’s growth potential.
Since its acquisition by Ferag, the doWarehouse system has been adopted globally.
“The acquisition has transformed us from a local player to a global contender, facilitating expansion into Europe, the US, and Southeast Asia, with new offices to enhance customer service,” said Friesenchichler.
“Being part of a long-established global organisation like Ferag has allowed us to rapidly distribute our product worldwide while serving our customers locally in many countries. It’s exciting to witness this progress.”
Soon after the development of the software, Friesenchichler needed to grow his team to meet the increasing demand for both the technology and the operational processes.
Starting with 15 employees, Karl has now expanded the team to about 50, allowing him to scale capacity on a global level.
“As the company expanded its offerings, the internal team and customers needed to adapt to the evolving systems,” he said.
“The additional staff enabled them to take on more projects, increasing capacity and ensuring clients received the expertise needed to implement solutions effectively.
“This growth was essential for scaling operations and deepening understanding of the technology and business processes, especially after merging with Ferag.”
While Ferag’s customer base has enabled doWarehouse to expand globally, the company’s ethos remains focused on local needs.
“The phrase ‘think global, act local’ may sound cliché, but it effectively captures the essence of addressing customer pain points, which are often similar across industries worldwide,” said Karl.
“The key is to develop products that align with a global customer profile while ensuring they have a positive local impact.”
Karl explained that specific local regulatory requirements can be incorporated into the product roadmap when feasible.
“For highly specific requests that pertain only to a single customer, it may be more prudent to reconsider,”
he noted.
“Drawing on our extensive experience in operational processes, we can guide customers toward effective solutions that work well across various contexts.”
Cohesion of values
Karl emphasised that aligning personal and company values is essential for him, which played a major role in the merger between his company and Ferag.
“I’ve always believed that my personal values must align with the company’s values; otherwise, I can’t work there,” he said.
“It’s essential to reflect those values back to the staff and in leadership.
“ A key reason for my decision to join Ferag was the importance placed on values during our discussions about merging the two businesses.”
With a 65-year history and a large market share in warehouse automation, Ferag has consistently prioritised its customers.
This commitment to customer-centric values is echoed in the words of Karl.
“The core value at Ferag is to be there for customers – being honest and transparent, and always striving to achieve the agreed-upon goals, with profit being a result of that dedication,” he said.
“The culture here emphasises collaboration, mutual respect, and a commitment to our customers.
“This ethos, which we strive to instil in our staff, strongly resonates with my values; we don’t walk away from our customers.”
This commitment to user-friendly solutions has not gone unnoticed by those who matter.
“An essential indicator of our success is the feedback we receive from our customers,” said Karl.
“One of the best statements we’ve heard is that, not only have we implemented our system exceptionally well, but it’s also incredibly easy to use.
“Operators genuinely want to work with and engage with the system we provide.”
However, as the team grew and the product evolved, so did the challenges they faced, particularly regarding time management and the complexity of development.
Challenges
During the development of doWarehouse, the key challenge for Karl was a lack of time.
Despite that, there were challenges that Karl found to be enjoyable and educational.
For example, after a year of work, the first iteration of the software was scraped after a change in approach, leading to a decision to rebuild from the ground up.
“One obstacle involved integrating artificial intelligence effectively and designing the framework,” said Karl.
“Every decision felt like a tough choice. After 12 months of development, I had a beta version ready, but I questioned whether I would approach it the same way if starting from scratch.
“While unconventional, this decision proved to be the most effective course of action. Now, we have a flexible framework that our developers truly appreciate, making the experience quite rewarding.”
Karl soon knew that the newest iteration was a step in the right direction, once he had confirmed his first client.
“I was confident in the theory behind it, but it wasn’t until it went live with our first customer that I knew it was truly effective,” he said.
“That moment proved the concept; we could confidently expand our reach and scale up our operations.
“It was a significant milestone for us, marked by the success of our initial customer.”
The new iteration resulted in new developments within Ferag’s APAC division based in Sydney.
“I had my own business that developed this software, and we already had a team in place,” Karl explained.
“We decided to continue developing the product here in Sydney.
“This decision was very well received by the entire staff.”
The future of warehouse automation and Ferag
Karl envisions Ferag revolutionising automation and internal logistics through intelligent solutions and the integration of machine learning and AI to optimise product sales predictions.
The company is exploring machine learning and AI to analyse public datasets, predicting which products will see rapid sales in the future.
Also, in warehousing and logistics, the pace of product iteration is increasing, driven by competition in robotics and the emergence of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs).
As the industry shifts toward integrating diverse solutions rather than relying solely on proprietary hardware, traditional large system integrators may face challenges.
“Flexibility and product iteration are essential for the future of system integration,” said Karl.
“Implementing exactly what the customer needs will define the new standard in the industry.
“A robust software platform like doWarehouse is crucial for effectively managing this vision, as companies without it, risk being left behind.”
To know more about Ferag, click here