delivering the right product at the right time, in the right quantity

European Football Championship 2024 - The logistical challenge of major events

The countdown is on. From 14 June to 14 July 2024, it's that time again: the national football teams will be competing for the title at the 2024 European Football Championship in Germany. An event that poses major challenges not only for the teams and sports fans but also for logistics experts.

Yard management software: clockwork efficient plant logistics

Yard management software is the heart of smooth plant logistics. Just like a precise watch mechanism, this software coordinates and controls the processes from check-in to exit on the plant premises, supports the logistics managers in their day-to-day work, and ensures seamless logistics.

SUSTAINABILITY AND ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY: OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHMS ENSURE THE RIGHT BALANCE IN LOGISTICS

Early on, mankind had to learn how to economize. This is because goods are usually scarce but human wants and needs are practically unlimited.

DANGER RECOGNIZED, DANGER AVERTED?

Is it only human that knowledge alone is usually not enough to initiate change? And isn't the greatest danger always when risks are misjudged?

Why Live Events Matter

As I sit on the train from London back to Germany, I’ve got the time to reflect on this year’s first live, in-person event, the Container Terminal Automation Conference (CTAC) 2022. Since 2020, the event has been held digitally, and this past week (March 9-10) saw it return to London.

Shifts in Commerce: Three Trends to Look Out for as a Retailer in 2022

The consumer retail vertical has always been quick to adopt the “adapt, evolve, or die” mentality as it tries to stay ahead of consumer demands. We saw chaos, bankruptcies, and retailers drawing down cash in 2020 to stay afloat while the world figured out how to deal with a global pandemic.

Hybrid feets: How the control of man and machine succeeds in intralogistics

The digital transformation in intralogistics is strongly characterised by the use of autonomous vehicles. In many cases, however, these autonomous fleets are used in clearly defined areas and/or process steps.

Optimized logistics in hospitals: an example of social sustainability

What do you understand by the term sustainability? In everyday language, it is mainly about environmental protection - the ecological aspect of sustainability. Because we are confronted with news about environmental catastrophes every day: with the devastating fires in southern Europe and the recent floods in western Germany, the effects of climate change are now much closer than before.

Are Optimization Systems for In-Plant Logistics on the Advance?

The term “Industry 4.0” has already been synonymous with the digitalization of production for ten years and is a decisive driver of economic growth. Production is increasingly responding to individualized customer wishes, which requires a new organization and control of the entire value chain.

Green Logistics - How to make your transports (environmentally) efficient

As we all know, environmental protection starts in small ways with each individual. Yet we often struggle to actually implement simple routines that benefit our environment in our everyday lives. Whether it is sloppy garbage disposal, printed notes, or driving to the nearby supermarket, convenience often wins out over environmental awareness.

Digital fine-tuning for more sustainability in transport logistics

Freight transport has been growing for years and forecasts indicate that this trend will continue in the near future. Trucks continue to be the backbone of freight transport in Europe. But how is the carbon footprint of truck transport developing?

Intermodal Terminal Operations: A Tale of Two Terminals

Everything is easier with the right tools, and intermodal terminal operations are certainly no exception. The right terminal operating system makes the difference between average and industry-leading efficiency, productivity, and growth.

Covid-19: How to manage an automotive supply chain during a crisis?

In recent weeks, the companies in automotive logistics I work with have experienced drastic changes in their daily work. Due to the coronavirus crisis, automobile manufacturers, port operators and car carriers are seeing drastic changes in the industry.

Trailer Yard: Short Turnaround Times Help with Truck Driver Shortage

The idea of separating delivery and unloading is not new. It has been practiced in postal and parcel centers for years. The method is also increasingly used in the automotive industry in the form of traileryards. After delivery to the factory, the trailer is not unloaded directly but parked in an area that resembles a large parking lot – the traileryard.

Managing Artificial Peak

Having recently attended the Post&Parcel Live event in June, we weren’t surprised to find many of the parcel operator’s presentations about how they were managing their response to the COVID-19 pandemic now affecting nearly every country in the world.

A How-to Guide for Upgrading From Legacy Systems

Due to issues such as demands stemming from increasingly advanced technologies, the growing impact of increased vessel sizes and attendant container loads, a lack of physical space to store containers, and a desire to simplify complex IT landscapes, many terminals are looking to advance beyond legacy systems and streamline their processes.

Port Technology: AI and Resilience Webinar QA Explored

We recently had the pleasure of Sponsoring the Port Technology Webinar: AI and Resiliency where Dr. Eva Savelsberg, amonst others explored the impacts of AI, Operations Reserach, Machine Learning, and Data Management on the future of our industry.

Is dynamic time slot management really a useful solution for traffic jams in the factory?

Time slot booking offers forwarders and manufacturing companies a straightforward way to intelligently control their truck deliveries and pick-ups, while avoiding delays and long truck turnaround times at the plant due to delayed material or traffic jams.

Santa Claus sends you tips for a smart factory

As everyone knows, Santa Claus performs logistical masterpieces every year. He is a specialist on organization: Billions of gifts have to reach most of the 194 countries worldwide at the right time in the Christmas season.

Can Collaboration in the Container Terminal and Shipping Industry Take Off? - Part II

I was in Hamburg about a month ago at the INTTRA Tech Summit and I heard something that was music to my ears. Martin Gnass, Managing Director of IT at Hapag Lloyd commented that implementing new IT systems wasn’t the problem we face as an industry, but rather, that sharing data was the challenge we face.

Old software and new challenges in vehicle logistics - a current concern for the industry

Updates about autonomous cars can be found in headlines seemingly on a daily basis: first tests, new areas of application, successful or even failed pilot projects. Topics such as digitalization and artificial intelligence are on the agenda in the automotive industry, and often, the industry even plays a pioneering role in the introduction of new technologies.

Can Collaboration in the Container Terminal and Shipping Industry Take Off?

To drive efficiency in a business, the ability to leverage good data is important. To drive efficiency in an industry, the ability to share that data is fundamental. Most would agree that the terminal industry exists in a closed, silo driven data structure where data is hoarded.

Unorganized internal logistics costs money - and nerves

The organisation of internal transports has a very unique character. Transport orders are not reliably planned, but are usually spontaneous. In addition, a number of criteria such as distances, order priorities, deadlines or loading capacities must be taken into account when instructing vehicles.

Automation and Technological Innovation is Crucial to the Future of Ports, Part 2

Last week we explored automation, the key trend at this year’s German American Chamber of Commerce’s Business Conference, World Port Development's Port and Terminal Technology Conference, Port Technolgy International's Container Terminal Automation Conference, and TOC Asia 2017.

Automation and Technological Innovation is Crucial to the Future of Ports, Part 1

Reviewing the notes from four terminal conferences, held on three continents, all during the month of April, one cannot help but see the convergence of the industry, globally, on a single major theme: automation. But why now? Automation has been around for over two decades with very low market saturation achieved.

Container Terminals: Seeing Opportunities Instead of Obstacles

It's no secret that the world's shipping economy is slowing down and this, in turn, has a flow-on effect to terminals around the world. The difference between an obstacle, such as a market downturn, and an opportunity is one of perspective.

Transparent Internal Logistics - Why Not?

Smart glasses, autonomous robotics and other digital technologies are increasingly gaining a foothold in production and logistics. In particular, the automotive industry is speeding toward Logistics 4.0. With millions of parts making their way to the production line, it is imperative that they show up at just the right moment in order to keep the line flowing smoothly.

5 tips for vehicle yard operators

With a length of 265 metres and a height of 54 metres, the MV Parsifal is an impressive ship. Currently, the world's largest car carrier, capable of transporting around 6,000 cars, is underway near Panama, on its way to the largest car terminals in the world.

Dude, Where’s My Tesla? A look at the Amazing Automotive Supply Chain

There are many people waiting for the Tesla Model 3; over 400,000 to be exact. Though I am happy they are getting their desired car, I am a bit concerned after reading a Bloomberg article titled “What happens when you die waiting for a Tesla?.”

Logistics Buzzwords: Less talk, More action

I recently attended an Automotive Logistics conference and was disparaged to find that when it comes to Big Data, Industry 4.0, and the Internet of Things (IoT) the same conversations were being had today that were had a year ago.

No hot air: a case for digitalization in chemical logistics

Whether all-purpose adhesives, detergents or shower gels – these are products from the chemical industry that we use several times a day. It is therefore no wonder that the chemical industry is one of the most important and biggest industrial sectors worldwide.

How geo fencing can improve truck “pit stops”

When thinking of Formula 1 racing, the first thought anyone has is usually about speed. In this motorsport a tenth of a second can make all the difference. This was the case a few weeks ago when the Belgian-Dutch Formula 1 driver, Max Verstappen, had a slow pit stop during the Australian Grand Prix which ultimately led to him finish in 10th place.

Sharing is Caring – and also the Future of Logistics

Monday Feb. 25, 2019, 6:42 am – the alarm is going off. Much too early considering I planned on waking up at 7:00 am. A sleepy glance at the display turns what was first anger about the shortened sleeping time into the satisfaction of a born optimizer.

From floppy to Cloud - The growing importance of logistics in the cloud

Did you look at this picture and automatically think about “the good old days”? This may be because the first floppy disk was introduced to the market in 1971, which means it is celebrating its 45th birthday this year.

A glance into the future: goodbye to the chaos in German rest areas?

A long-standing problem on German highways is the lack of truck parking lots. Although the expansion of these spaces is already in progress, it is not fast enough to avoid the risky shortage of space. This is no surprise: The expansion of parking lots should have been started much earlier to handle the strongly increasing truck traffic in Germany.