Making digital intralogistics a reality

4flow study surveys industry to show the way forward into a digital future

4flow has published the results of its study on the digitization of intralogistics, entitled “Wearables, Sensors & Co. – Making digital intralogistics a reality”. In the context of the study, 4flow conducted in-depth interviews with 20 supply chain experts in the automotive manufacturing, automotive supply, and retail industries. These interviews revealed that while the digitization of intralogistics is progressing rapidly in the surveyed industries, complete and comprehensive digitization still has not been achieved. In order to understand why this is the case even though numerous technologies are actively being tested, the experts were asked about the goals, obstacles, real-world use cases, development and implementation considerations, and necessary change management measures involved with digitizing intralogistics in their respective fields.

In addition to creating a broad overview of current practices in these industries’ digitization initiatives – which is later used as the basis for recommendations on how to achieve full digitization – the study provides highly granular examinations of a broad spectrum of digital technologies with potential for implementation in logistics. These innovations include autonomous transportation systems, goods-to-person picking systems, wearables, identification sensors and technologies, enhanced planning tools, virtual reality applications, and intelligent warehouse management systems. “Ready-to-implement digital technologies have the capacity to set new standards in the field of intralogistics,” said Dr. Stefan Wolff, CEO of 4flow. “Companies who seize the opportunity will have a significant competitive advantage.”

The study goes on to address the most common obstacles to full implementation of these revolutionary solutions, from the challenges in finding the right service providers and implementation partners, to overcoming company-internal hesitance on the basis of capital expenditures and incomplete forecasting data.

Of the companies surveyed, those that have previously overcome such obstacles cite success factors such as agile project management, transparent communication, and a commitment to expanding successful pilot projects. Other key factors include implementing robust training programs to counteract the effects that new technologies and automation have on human employment, as well as proactively harnessing the enthusiasm that younger employees have for innovation and technology.

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