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Allocation strategies for warehouse and picking systems/warehouse operation strategies

In a company, it is vital to set goals before developing strategies and to monitor their consistency and achievability continually. In logistics, there are strategies for planning new systems, implementing them and optimising existing systems during…

Adaptive IT in intralogistics as a tool for digital transformation

Adaptive IT describes a modular system for modelling software. Individual software components can be added or removed as required without affecting the existing system. This concept allows for a very high degree of flexibility in the planning of a…

Storage techniques in intralogistics

Depending on the nature of the stored goods and the frequency of use, different storage techniques are suitable. Different techniques can also be used in one building. Overview – dynamic and static storage systems in intralogistics Storage…

Swarm intelligence – What we logisticians can learn from ants – Part II

You may think estimating the weight of an ox, as described in Part 1 of this article, is hardly a complex task. But these mechanisms can be used to solve much more complex logistical problems. These are three categories of problems we typically face…

When risk minimization becomes a risk in logistics

Logistical decisions are ultimately economic decisions. This applies, for example, to major investments in warehouse and conveyor technology. Once all possible technical, informational and organizational questions have been clarified, managers in…

Cloud computing: IT infrastructures and logistics

Cloud computing describes the provision of IT infrastructure. These can consist of servers, storage, software, databases, network components and artificial functionalities (AI). The IT infrastructures mentioned are not installed on the respective…

The Internet of Things (IoT) and intralogistics

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes the networking of physical objects (fitness bracelets, smart home, connected cars, industry 4.0) and the virtual world (software/Internet). Physical objects, in particular, are equipped with appropriate…

Point of sale / stationary trade – definition

Point of sale / stationary trade - a definition: The point of sale (PoS) is the place where the goods are offered, where the customer and the goods are brought together commercially and thus the sale or purchase or exchange can take place. The PoS…

SAIL – the system architecture for intralogistics from VDI / VDMA

"Innovation and Standardization" is the title of a working group of the Intralogistics Forum of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), which brings together renowned machine and facility manufacturers, IT companies, warehouse logistics…

Production, dispatch and intralogistics: the rush order

A rush order is an order - in production, shipping or in intralogistics - which for various reasons has to be fulfilled faster or at shorter notice than its usual throughput time (see also order throughput time). Urgent orders can be placed by the…

AutoStore: Storage technology from Norway

AutoStore is a Norwegian storage technology and, according to the company of the same name, is especially suitable for use as an automated small parts storage. The respective storage system dispenses with classic racks; instead, modular containers…

Enterprise Resource Planning – the five most important questions when choosing an ERP system

An Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP for short) is used in many different sized companies. It helps both start-ups and medium-sized companies as well as large corporations to make business processes more efficient. This is achieved through…

The packaging logistics

Packaging logistics is a sub-area of logistics; it is a link between production and distribution. In addition to packaging materials, packaging logistics also deals with the corresponding processes and structures of packing and packaging; as a…

Two-dimensional codes: stacked codes, matrix codes, QR code, DataMatrix code

The one-dimensional bar code is commonly used to label goods and services. However, since the data density of such codes is low, applications intended for this purpose use two-dimensional codes (2D codes or 2D barcodes) whose data capacity exceeds…

Advantages and disadvantages: centralized and decentralized warehouse

In distribution logistics, the determination of warehouse locations represents a strategic decision. A basic distinction is made between centralized and decentralized locations, which can have different effects on logistics costs (see also…

Artificial intelligence (AI) and logistics

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be defined as intelligence that originates exclusively from machines, robots and cyber-physical systems. The research area AI tries to understand, emulate and mimic human perception and action. According to the field…

Artificial intelligence (AI) and logistics

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be defined as intelligence that emanates exclusively from machines or robots and cyber-physical systems. The research area AI tries to understand and emulate human perception and human action. According to research,…

Out-of-Stock – the gap in the shelf

Out-of-stock typically refers to a shelf space in the stationary retail trade which no longer contains the intended article. The delimitation to the concept of shortage is that out-of-stocks (OOS) is exclusively the direct relationship between the…

The production cycle

In a broader sense, a production cycle is the production process that begins with the raw materials and ends with the finished product. In a narrower and above all in a business context, the cycle describes the length of time a product remains or is…

Inventory in companies and in logistics

In the inventory, the assets of a company are determined on a key date; in this way, assets and liabilities are specifically documented. Such an inventory is a prerequisite for correct bookkeeping and accounting.

Insulated packaging: Maintaining the cold chain in the supply chain

Insulated packaging is used for products that are sensitive to temperature or environmental influences (see Temperature-controlled logistics). As a rule, they primarily ensure continuous compliance with the requirements of the cold chain within the…

Uses of Blockchain technology in logistics / intralogistics

Blockchain is an enabling technology. Just like the Internet, it harbors technological properties that can be used in a variety of ways and whose future uses and applications are not yet definite. At its core, a blockchain is a list of data records…

Storage maintenance costs – warehousing costs or storage costs

Trading companies and manufacturing companies usually have a warehouse or distribution centre. Raw materials and supplies, intermediate products, semi-finished products, finished products and spare parts are stored there. The storage of these goods…

The Jidoka principle in production and logistics

The Jidoka principle describes the ability of a machine, a plant or an entire system to switch itself off in case of errors, quality and production problems. Jidoka forms the second supporting pillar in the Toyota Production System (TPS) alongside…

Point of sale systems, warehouse management and branch logistics

A cash register system, also known as a POS system, is software that documents a specific financial transaction of an inventory or a good. In general, the POS system describes the entirety of all clients (hardware) and associated software used that…

Set-up time in production and intralogistics

If a machine or a production site, i.e. individual facilities or entire production lines, is set up for a special processing operation and equipped with the necessary tools, the duration of this changeover is referred to as set-up time. Usually, the…

The range of storage

The range of storage is a key figure which expresses the internal security of supply by own stocks of a certain article within a particular article within a certain time. The range of storage indicates how long a stock will last to fulfil existing…

Cyber-physical systems and logistics

Cyber-physical systems, or CPS for short, are system units or components that are linked together by means of software, electronics and mechanics, the so-called cyber-physical infrastructure. The technologies from the 'Internet of Things' (IoT) and…

Logistics management and the supply chain

The integrated planning, organization, management, processing and control of the entire flow of materials and goods and the corresponding information flow is called logistics management. This is not a tangible work step, but rather countless process…

Vogel’s approximation method

The approximation method according to Vogel is a heuristic procedure that is mainly used in distribution logistics, for example to solve a transport problem. It belongs to the field of mathematically oriented statistics, also called operations…

Definition and overview of goods issue in intralogistics

Just as with goods receipt, goods issue is an interface between internal and external materials…

Goods Receipt in intralogistics – definition and overview

The design and scope of the goods receipt are relevant for the performance of a warehouse. If the…

Movement strategies within warehouse operations

The aim of utilising movement strategies is to adhere to specified guidelines in warehouse…

Putaway processes in logistics

In the putaway business process, articles are picked up, transported and stored in the warehouse.…

Allocation strategies for warehouse and picking systems/warehouse operation strategies

In a company, it is vital to set goals before developing strategies and to monitor their…

Adaptive IT in intralogistics as a tool for digital transformation

Adaptive IT describes a modular system for modelling software. Individual software components can…

Storage techniques in intralogistics

Depending on the nature of the stored goods and the frequency of use, different storage techniques…

Swarm intelligence – What we logisticians can learn from ants – Part II

You may think estimating the weight of an ox, as described in Part 1 of this article, is hardly a…

When risk minimization becomes a risk in logistics

Logistical decisions are ultimately economic decisions. This applies, for example, to major…

Cloud computing: IT infrastructures and logistics

Cloud computing describes the provision of IT infrastructure. These can consist of servers,…

The Internet of Things (IoT) and intralogistics

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes the networking of physical objects (fitness bracelets, smart…

Point of sale / stationary trade – definition

Point of sale / stationary trade - a definition: The point of sale (PoS) is the place where the…

Production, dispatch and intralogistics: the rush order

A rush order is an order - in production, shipping or in intralogistics - which for various reasons…

AutoStore: Storage technology from Norway

AutoStore is a Norwegian storage technology and, according to the company of the same name, is…

The packaging logistics

Packaging logistics is a sub-area of logistics; it is a link between production and distribution.…

Two-dimensional codes: stacked codes, matrix codes, QR code, DataMatrix code

The one-dimensional bar code is commonly used to label goods and services. However, since the data…

Artificial intelligence (AI) and logistics

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be defined as intelligence that originates exclusively from…

Artificial intelligence (AI) and logistics

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be defined as intelligence that emanates exclusively from machines…

Out-of-Stock – the gap in the shelf

Out-of-stock typically refers to a shelf space in the stationary retail trade which no longer…

The production cycle

In a broader sense, a production cycle is the production process that begins with the raw materials…

Inventory in companies and in logistics

In the inventory, the assets of a company are determined on a key date; in this way, assets and…

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