In 2007 we saw the launch of the iPhone, heralding a new digitalera. Since then, our personal lives have undergone dramatic change. We are always connected, and able to communicate with the rest of the world anytime and anywhere, generating huge volumes of data.
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Ines and Max are sitting in the warehouse control center monitoring the operating states of the material flow systems on the screens that surround them. The visualisation does not show any incidents, everything appears to be running smoothly. In fact, it looks like today is going to be a pretty boring day...
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The starting point: A sudden increase of orders and a broken pallet led to major delays in the warehouse. In the example of Ines and Max, there are a number of ways in which the system can take action.
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Computers can be used to quickly process and analyse large volumes of data in complex settings. Self-learning machines can recognise and remember patterns, and then react as we would when new situations with similar patterns arise, provided that we have defined the ideal result.
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Warehouse management systems find routes that will minimise the distance covered between storage and picking points. Parameters can be adjusted to apply various strategies that will boost efficiency levels while still ensuring that goods are handled correctly.
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Advances in materials-handling technology have led to the automation of storage and retrieval of goods in taller, vertical facilities. By using the height for storage, automation has delivered savings by reducing the land required, along with improved productivity. The automated systems can work with much greater speed, safety, and accuracy than manual systems.
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The SAP logistics suite already goes back a long way. Logistics processes were first covered in the R/2 ERP software up to the early 1990s, before being developed in the R/3 software when Warehouse Management (WM) and Transport Management (TRM) were introduced in their own modules as part of the ERP. This marked the launch of the first-ever embedded warehouse management and control system. WM is still maintained as an embedded module in the era of S4/HANA, although SAP will stop providing official support by the end of 2025. However, there is a delimited workaround available in the meantime with “Stock Room Management” that can be used beyond 2025.
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Social media, streaming services, and search engines – more and more services and systems are benefiting from the advantages of cloud computing. With the increasing complexity of IT and software infrastructures within and between companies, professional cloud solutions can help with the development of efficient and flexible company processes.
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Since the start of 2020, the logistics world as we know it has been turned upside down. The challenges of 2020 have changed the world of logistics.
The old normal will no longer be the new normal. Handling online orders will now become more important than ever. Is online fulfilment an option for your warehouse?
2020 has tested and challenged every business. Were your warehouse and logistics operations ready? Have your fulfilment systems struggled to keep up and fulfil your online orders? Has your logistics operation adapted?
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This week, our ANZ Managing Director, Brad Welsman, spoke to the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce about the impacts being felt in supply chain and the logistics industry with the COVID crisis, and specifically the impacts on both online and traditional retail in Australia.
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Digitalisation is on the rise also finding its way into warehousing. Unlike most Industry 4.0 images suggest, this (r)evolution is not always achieved via automation. Digitalisation also involves illustrating and controlling intralogistical processes in a software while executing processes manually. This task can be easily assumed by WAMAS, the warehouse management system by SSI SCHAEFER.
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In the following interview, Elie Zita provides an overview of how digitalization has revolutionized customer service, guaranteeing maximized system availability and sustainability as a result of customized, predictive maintenance.
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Everybody is talking about climate protection. Discussed in-depth in society and linked to global campaigns, the topic of sustainability is also increasingly becoming a decisive criterion in logistics to ensure whether the offered solutions are viable. This is nothing new for SSI SCHAEFER as the topic corresponds to the long-term view on Green Logistics that was firmly engrained at an early stage. This is part of our Think Tomorrow. philosophy according to which we plan logistics solutions that are tailored to our customers’ needs and continually optimised with a view towards long-term criteria - this is the basis of our success.
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A new compact “C” assembly group is now available, completing the range of proven SSI Exyz storage-retrieval machines from SSI SCHAEFER. SSI Exyz C automates the pallet rack processes in existing buildings in heights of up to 13.5 m. Without any need to upgrade floor slabs or perform extensive modifications - implementation during ongoing operation is also possible. Learn more about the energy-efficient solution.
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In the area of Integrator Business Automation, SSI SCHAEFER applies a product-based approach to supplying the market. Our day-to-day business involves delivering intralogistics components to a general contractor. How this business sector works and the role that SSI SCHAEFER plays is explained by Arnold Lanz, Vice President of Hub Development & Integrator Business Automation.
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How volume reduction helps to reduce CO₂ emissions and what returnable container options SSI SCHAEFER provides.
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Interview with Dr. Armin Vogel: how sustainable plastic containers are produced and used in logistics over the long term.
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Intralogistics systems are becoming larger and larger and increasingly complex. Today’s computing power of a modern warehouse IT infrastructure is breaking new ground in terms of size and complexity, thus reaching dimensions that would have been unimaginable just a couple of years ago. In the following article Markus Klug, Team Leader Data Analysis & Simulation, explains how SSI SCHAEFER enables sustainable logistics with and through IT.
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An activity is carried out efficiently and effectively when it comes easy and follows clear processes. In order to meet these requirements, as part of the ergonomics@work!® program, we implement special picking stations designed to motivate employees, promote peak performance and significantly improve ergonomics at the work station. Movements such as lifting and carrying are assisted with ergonomic pulling and pushing. This means optimization of workflows and work heights. The goal is to create “feel-good work stations” that feature intuitive operator guidance using intelligent communication and display systems. The solutions are specifically tailored to the customer’s needs.
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Learn more about how SSI SCHAEFER increases efficiency in manual or semi-automated processes with our AGV portfolio.
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The ‘Internet of Things’ or commonly known as IoT is becoming more deeply embedded in our day-to-day lives at work and beyond. Especially in the logistics industry the term has become a household word, as logistics constantly face new challenges due to globalisation and the increasing competitive pressure.
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New and increasingly demanding market requirements mean that companies are facing increasing pressure to improve their performance. This pressure also causes extra challenges for intralogistics, such as constantly growing quantities of goods that need to be handled during warehouse operations or additional tasks that need to be carried out in the warehouse, as well as short delivery times.
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The name "Leonardo" is most commonly associated with the multi-talented Leonardo da Vinci, who 600 years ago used his wide range of skills to develop pioneering inventions and make groundbreaking discoveries[i].
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Everything has a limited lifespan, including intralogistics systems. While steel and iron are less susceptible to the ravages of time, control and IT systems are rather more exposed to the effects of advancing years. Even processes themselves grow long in the tooth and require an overhaul to bring them back to cutting-edge relevance. We call this "retrofitting" – in other words, turning old into new.
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Artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, big data – just some of the buzzwords we hear every day in relation to intelligent, digitally networked systems. As well as the availability of the overall installations, the issue of security is becoming ever more prominent when it comes to the IT components. Protecting the integrity and confidentiality of the data stored on the IT systems is of particular importance.
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The initial situation for Robert and "Freizeit Handels GmbH" was extremely tricky, when they reached the joint decision to make changes to stock handling and therefore also to warehouse management: Due to the rising demands and constantly increasing throughput, the same work required comparatively greater effort than before. The increasing costs of storage began to eat into additional profits. However, this is now water under the bridge and the customer – with Robert at the helm – appears thoroughly delighted with the results of this decision.
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Java programmer for complex warehouse logistics software and proud mother of twins. Does not work? Sure, it does! I am telling you about my everyday experiences, not only in my professional, but also in my family life. These small insights illustrate the compatibility of family and work. It shows how both worlds cross over and co-exist and reveal points in your life, where you feel like you are hitting a wall.
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Nowadays, timely service for customers with intralogistics solutions goes far beyond the provision of spare parts and the maintenance of systems. Every day, customers are confronted with new challenges in their business environment which need to be dealt with as quickly as possible; this is made all the more essential due to e-commerce and the rapid shortening of delivery times.
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Supply networks are unique in that they are incredibly complex and are made up of a large number of interdependent partners. When attempting to design supply networks that are as efficient as possible, the aim is to create a solution that keeps little to no materials in stock during the intermediate stages.
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Valid Material Master Data as a Basis for More Efficient Material Flow Processes
When it comes to innovative warehouses and logistics centres, SSI SCHAEFER is a strong partner who delivers and realises solutions from a single source on demand. Its extensive and at the same time high-end products lay the foundations for complete customised solutions. A complete solution by SSI SCHAEFER generally also covers the migration of a considerable amount of data to the IT systems, which are installed with the new warehouse. SSI SCHAEFER has the required expertise to migrate data into a new system in coordination with the customer and advises the warehouse operator regarding the significance of valid data and its benefits for a sustainable and efficient warehouse operation.
Deriving Recommended Courses of Action from Valid Material Master Data
‘Data is the new oil’. This now widely used quote was coined by Meglena Kunevas back in 2009. With regard to oil, certain developments such as combustion engines or specialty chemicals were required in order to make full use of this precious resource. Similar considerations apply to the warehouse, where data runs all ongoing processes. But it takes more than just data. Only if the quote is extended with ‘...but information is the new gold’, can the circle be successfully closed. Ultimately, the goal is to derive actions from data on the basis of information.
No matter whether it is due to rapid growth, supply bottlenecks or absence of employees – the importance of flexibility in small parts storage becomes apparent in cases of unforeseen events. How do you ensure delivery capacity, even in dynamic times? If automation is the solution, what measures can be implemented in a small parts warehouse with only minor investment? How flexible and scalable are these systems?
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Fully automatic concepts that are integrated seamlessly into intralogistics processes, provide the ideal basis for tailor-made, gentle and reliable product handling. For this purpose, SSI SCHAEFER offers tailor-made, modular solutions for robot-supported palletising and picking as well as high-performance robotics applications for single-piece picking in the warehouse.
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In times of e-commerce, digitalization and automation, continuously increasing requirements towards performance and efficiency in warehouses are on the daily agenda. In order to achieve top performance rates despite increased requirements, SSI SCHAEFER applies their in-house warehouse management system WAMAS® for the administration of automated warehouses.
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Freshness, timeliness, and service quality are the challenges of the food retailing industry in the classic, stationary retail trade. Due to the changing consumption patterns and the online boom in the food retail industry, new logistics challenges arise, which can only be met with state-of-the-art software.
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Frozen food and fresh produce require uninterrupted cooling in order to preserve their maximum shelf life. It goes without saying that this also involves adherence to all legal provisions regarding the cold food chain. The food industry is making increasingly challenging demands of intralogistics specialists.
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In intralogistics, the term "retrofit" refers to the modernisation of machines, equipment, and software systems. It is a cost-effective alternative to buying new, ensures sustainable operation, and goes hand in hand with increased system efficiency. But what exactly does it mean when a software system in a warehouse is modernised? What impacts on ongoing operation can be expected?
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Successful fulfillment has become a multidimensional and complex service within the supply chain. Automated, highly dynamic warehouses in particular require sophisticated order fulfillment software solutions: such as those offered by the WAMAS Warehouse Control System (WCS). Modern WCS systems are the first choice in automated warehouses across all industries. They connect both people and performance modules and help align order fulfillment efficiently.
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Growing FMCG businesses will inevitably reach the point where their existing logistics operations will no longer be able to handle increasing buyer demand.
At some stage, limitations in space, a growing number of SKUs or other bottlenecks, will stretch the capacity of existing picking and distribution systems until a solution needs to be found.
The pandemic-driven acceleration in e-commerce has brought both unprecedented opportunities and enormous challenges to global FMCG businesses. If there’s anything that the phenomenon has taught the logistics industry, it’s that the “just in time” approach simply doesn’t work anymore in this new environment.
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The e-commerce sector continues to grow exponentially and promises rapidly increasing sales. However, at the same time, the number of returns is constantly rising, which puts a strain on margins. The fashion industry suffers from this development, as it wants its products to be available for the customer as quickly as possible to prevent loss of value in the seasonal business. Automation is an effective solution of meeting this ideal.
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