How Auria Solutions Achieved 10% Cost Savings with Control Tower

An interview with: Markus Werra, Senior Manager Logistics Procurement, Auria Solutions

How to connect the dots

As supply chains become more complex, the number of parties involved
continues to grow. At the same time, events such as Covid-19, the war in
Ukraine, oil supply disruption and other market developments have only
increased the need for stronger control, better visibility and more proactive
risk management. For Auria Solutions, this posed a clear challenge: how to
connect its extensive network while maintaining efficient, reliable operations.

The company needed a partner that could do more than provide transport
capacity. It needed support to simplify operations, improve transparency, and
strengthen collaboration across the supply chain. That included helping busy
production sites work more efficiently, while also giving the business better
insight into performance, costs and potential improvements.

Key challenges

better visibility across plants, suppliers and customers to reduce disruption risks;
more control over a complex international supply chain network;
simpler operational processes for sites already overloaded with daily tasks;
clearer insight into where costs could be reduced and efficiency improved.

“Ewals Cargo Care absolutely understands our automotive industry. If
the supplier is not part of the complete process, everything can collapse.
ECC learned about our business, way of working, and all the sites of the
supply chain to provide the best support. It provided not only what Auria
wished to have implemented, but also searched for other beneficial
opportunities and tailored the solutions to our needs.” - Markus Werra

About Auria

Auria Solutions is the world’s second-largest supplier of automotive acoustic and other fibre-based products. With
around 5,000 employees, 24 manufacturing facilities and 10 commercial, engineering, testing and tooling locations, the company operates a broad and complex international
supply chain. In a business where production continuity depends on reliable logistics, it is essential to have visibility and coordination across sites For Auria Solutions, logistics is not just about moving goods. It is about keeping plants, suppliers, and customers connected through a supply chain that is efficient, responsive, and robust enough to adapt to ongoing market changes.

A collaborative Control Tower approach

Auria Solutions and Ewals Cargo Care were already familiar with each other through previous transport cooperation. Building on that experience, both companies took the next step in 2019 by expanding the relationship from transport execution into a broader supply chain optimisation partnership through the ECC Control Tower service.

From the start, the emphasis was on collaboration, proactivity and understanding the customer’s business in detail. Rather than applying a standard set-up, the Control Tower team focused on learning how Auria Solutions worked, how its sites were connected and where support could create the most value. This helped create a solution tailored to Auria’s supply chain realities.

“We have chosen Ewals Cargo Care because we know their transport quality from past experiences. One major distinction of the Control Towers team of Ewals is proactivity and support during the implementation process.” - Markus Werra

The Control Tower approach brought together multiple logistics activities into a coordinated process and system. By connecting IT systems, simplifying communication, and creating a single point of coordination, the implementation helped Auria Solutions reduce complexity in daily operations and improve productivity at the plant level.

The solution was supported by Ewals Cargo Care’s wider operational network, including more than 1,000 carriers and its own fleet of over 3,400 trailers. This provided the flexibility and capacity needed to support Auria Solutions in a market where transport constraints remain a constant concern.

“As you know, there are capacity constraints on the market. I’m very delighted to have a good partner like Ewals Cargo Care, who knows the business and all the different carriers European-wide. With this knowledge in the background, I believe we are well prepared.” - Markus Werra

A key part of the solution was the focus on continuous improvement. Each quarter, Kaizen sessions are held to analyse supply chain data, review performance and identify new opportunities to improve efficiency. These sessions include insight into:

market developments and ongoing business updates;
costs by plant and by lane, including both expected and unexpected cost drivers;
key performance indicators by plant and carrier;
operational topics, invoicing statistics and claims;
practical improvement opportunities such as carrier adjustments, loading methods and delivery frequency changes.

This way of working helped both teams move beyond standard transportexecution and collaborate on practical, data-driven improvements that could create measurable value over time.

“I’m absolutely impressed and delighted to see continuous improvement. Ewals Cargo Care has its own team of experts who always conduct thorough analyses, including cost-saving triggers. For any lane from A to B, we have complete insight, and we understand both where we’re losing money and where we can save money. On top of this, it has some ideas about potential lane improvements, which we can discuss with our plant teams.” - Markus Werra

Measurable results and Continuous Improvement

10% cost savings since the start of the cooperation in 2019 Since implementing the ECC Control Tower service, Auria Solutions has achieved an outstanding 10% cost saving. The result reflects not a one-off change, but a long-term partnership built on visibility, operational support and continuous optimisation.

Key results:

10% cost savings through ongoing optimisation and closer supply chain coordination;
improved visibility across plants, lanes and carriers, supporting better decision-making;
simplified operations through one coordinated system and connected IT processes;
greater resilience and flexibility through access to a large European carrier network and fleet capacity;
continuous efficiency gains through quarterly analysis, reporting and practical improvement plans;
stronger collaboration across the supply chain, with a shared focus on finding the best solutions together.

“What’s important is to have a good partner in place. Then the business is running smoothly. When that is in place, it is all about continuous improvement. Ewals ensures exactly that.” - Markus Werra