By Dipl.-Kfm. Armin Kl\u00fcttgen<\/em><\/p>\n At first glance, “flexible standards” sounds like a contradiction in terms. In reality, however, it is the intersection of the positive aspects of two strategies, just as with the contradictory-sounding “mass customization”, for example, which combines the advantages of mass production (e.g. scaling effects) with the customer individualization that is increasingly in demand today.<\/p>\n Founded in Dresden in 1923 and based in Monheim, Bavaria, since 1945, Hama GmbH & Co KG is today one of the leading accessory specialists. The range comprises around 18,000 products from the fields of consumer electronics, computers, telecommunications, photo\/video and electrical household appliances. In addition to the Hama brand, other own and partner brands are part of the product range. The international company employs 2,500 people at 20 locations worldwide, 1,500 of them at its headquarters in Monheim.<\/p>\n Every day, up to 10,000 parcels leave the Monheim logistics center with a total of 70,000 pallet spaces (see Figure 2). Digital radios, TV wall mounts, connection cables, voice-controlled Bluetooth speakers, cases for smartphones, chargers for cell phones and tablets, computer mice or photo tripods and school backpacks are just a small selection of examples from the diverse product portfolio (see Figure 1). The focus is on maximum product availability with minimum delivery times.<\/p>\nThe planning challenge<\/h2>\n