The materialfluss ROUND TABLE was attended by: Michael Baumgartner, Managing Director Cargometer, Christian Erlach, Chief Sales Officer Jungheinrich AG, Michael G. Field, CEO The Raymond Company, Thomas A. Fischer, Managing Director Sales, Marketing and Services Still, Daniel Matas, Managing Director UniCarriers Germany and Axel Schmidt, Senior Communications Manager workaround (ProGlove).

materialfluss: In 2017, all the winners of the IFOY strangely agreed that they only found out about their win when they received the prize. Is this still the case?

Axel Schmidt: We really didn't know. We had high hopes of winning, but this was more due to the fact that we had already been able to convince many industries of our product. In other words, we arrived with a healthy dose of self-confidence (smiles).

Michael Field: No. There was no indication that we were going to win until the moment it was announced.

Daniel Matas: We were very surprised, we couldn't predict a favorite in advance.

Christian Erlach: The people at IFOY are really keeping it tight. We had three nominations and therefore hoped to win at least one award. That worked out and there was also a Hermes Prize for our zoneCONTROL assistance system.

Michael Baumgartner: Of all the nominees, we certainly have the smallest ears and haven't heard anything either. Two global companies were nominated alongside us, Still and Jungheinrich, so we are thrilled to have snatched the prize away from them (laughs).

Axel Schmidt: It's great for the smaller companies to be mentioned in the same breath as Still and Jungheinrich, it makes us very proud.

mfl: Mr. Fischer, Still is one of the "serial winners" and has now won a total of eight IFOYs. You were last our guest in 2017. You're practically an IFOY pro...

Thomas A. Fischer: Yes, but it never becomes routine (smiles). The jury was really very tight-lipped and nothing could be seen in advance. The joy was great!

mfl: Let's talk about the winning products. Mr. Matas, UniCarriers was successful with the TX3, what makes the TX3 special?

Daniel Matas: The focus of this product is on people, or rather the driver, and the efficiency with which the warehouse can be operated. The shortage of skilled workers is an issue everywhere and we want to help ensure that drivers can work ergonomically and comfortably and have as few sick days as possible. Despite all the technology, there will still be drivers who have to operate the equipment.

mfl: Mr. Fischer, do you ever look over at the competing products during the IFOY Test Days?

Fischer: Not just at the test days, but there too. We'll certainly pick up one or two of our colleagues' products and test them. But I haven't ridden the TX3 yet (smiles).

mfl: Let's move on to the category in which the ETV 216i from Jungheinrich won. How often can an innovative company like Jungheinrich jump so far in development?

Erlach: The ETV 216i was a big leap, that's right. We recognized the lithium-ion battery as a game-changing technology and drew far-reaching consequences for the vehicle design. Previously, with lead-acid technology, the vehicle was basically built around the battery block. With lithium-ion, you can now distribute the batteries in the way that makes the most sense for the specific vehicle. This is a paradigm shift and enables completely new vehicle concepts. In the case of the ETV 216i, this results in better ergonomics, more residual capacity and greater agility. Our customers also notice this. The vehicle runs very well.

mfl: Were there any concerns during development about jumping too far?

Erlach: No, there was a high level of enthusiasm for the idea at all levels of the Group right from the start. In the meantime, there is already a second vehicle type, the ERC 216zi, which follows the same concept. Others will follow. For us, the IFOY is proof that our "New Concept" is the right one.

mfl: Mr. Fischer, the winner in the AGV & Intralogistic Robots category was the LX50 tugger train in combination with LiftRunner frames with automatic loading and unloading function from Still. Simple automation - a future guiding principle?

Fischer: There is a trend towards automation and autonomous driving. The shortage of skilled workers is making our customers think about this. The tugger train is a good example. It's not just about the automated tractor, but about the connection with the frames that can control and operate their transfer stations. The interconnection solution is patented and was realized by a special unit of Still, the LiftRunner team.

mfl: How long did it take to develop the solution?

Fischer: It took about two years until everything was ready and ripe for the IFOY.

mfl: How do you calculate this solution for the customer?

Fischer: If you have a two- or three-shift operation, you are generally talking about a return on investment of less than two years. This makes it interesting for all customers.

mfl: What is the situation with the ETV216i, when do the additional costs pay off?

Erlach: I wouldn't talk about additional costs in this case. Yes, lithium-ion batteries are even more expensive to buy than conventional lead-acid batteries. But the total cost of ownership quickly puts the picture into perspective. Shorter charging times, maintenance-free, our customers no longer need extra charging rooms. With more intensive forms of use, lithium-ion pays for itself very quickly. And then there is the long service life of lithium-ion batteries.

mfl: Raymond won in the "Special of the Year" category. What is so special about your product and how can it increase efficiency in a modern material handling or intralogistics sector?

Field: Material handling customers face significant challenges in workforce availability and effectiveness. The biggest challenge we have identified is operator empowerment and efficiency, and getting operators into the field quickly to increase their productivity. The Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator offers a unique blend of hands-on tactile training in a real vehicle. With our patent-pending sPort (Simulation Port) approach, operators can use the vehicle and its actual controls in a simulated VR environment. Together with our complete e-learning platform, we can help customers train their operators more effectively than ever before using the simulator.

mfl: What can we expect from your virtual reality simulator in the future? What further developments are planned?

Field: We are fascinated by the opportunities that virtual reality offers customers to develop empirically. At Raymond, we are looking at different ways to further integrate VR technology into our customer value stream. We are adding more training modules for more Raymond vehicle models to the virtual reality simulator training tool. We also recently launched the latest series of training modules at ProMat 2019 and now cover almost all models manufactured by Raymond.

mfl: The Intralogistics Software category was highly praised at the awards; we all heard that software is the key function of intralogistics. Mr. Baumgartner, your company Cargometer was the winner here. What happens now?

Baumgartner: We don't see ourselves as a step in automation, but as a step in digitalization. Data and software naturally play the main role here. We mainly operate in the general cargo sector, which is still very manual. Freight measurement in motion, or "on-the-fly" as we say, is the first step towards Logistics 4.0. First of all, we want to know how big a load really is. This helps with correct invoicing and the question of how full a truck really is. This answers the question: can I optimize my network? That is the topic of Cargometer.

mfl: Do you want to leave the answer to the customer or deliver it yourself at some point?

Baumgartner: The data sovereignty here lies with our customers. Our job is to equip the networks with our technology in order to provide a view of the networks from above.

mfl: Do you also see other areas of optimization for freight measurement?

Baumgartner: Freight measurement can also be useful for warehouse optimization, i.e. the optimal use of the space available there. Knowing how big and heavy something really is helps to save unused space.

mfl: How do you come up with an idea like that? Do you like playing Tetris?

Baumgartner (laughs): Tetris is not what we want to do. Loading the truck is something that humans can do faster and better. How did the idea come about? I am primarily a climate scientist and wrote my dissertation at the Max Planck Institute on how to optimize heavy goods traffic, how to save resources and increase truck capacity utilization. At the time, there was no data on truck utilization, which led me to think about a project on how to measure truck utilization in the transshipment hall without delay. At that time, there were already freight measurement systems that measured centrally in the hall. Unfortunately, these systems create an artificial bottleneck through which the goods have to pass. This made me realize that the measurement had to take place directly at the gate and in motion. When a sensor appeared that could be used to equip several gates at low cost, it was time to set up the company. I had to do it, otherwise I would have reproached myself at some point (smiles).

mfl: What happens now?

Baumgartner: The first Europe-wide roll-out is underway, some pilot projects and test systems are running very successfully, so you will be hearing from us soon.

mfl: Mr. Fischer, what do you think about Cargometer?

Fischer: I think we would do well to also think about what is happening in the warehouse environment around our industrial trucks. We have to be interested in that. Standing still is not an option.

Erlach: Definitely, networking solutions and assistance systems are becoming increasingly important. The old "stronger, higher, more efficient" will continue to exist, but there will be additional requirements.

mfl: Which makes your job more complex, doesn't it?

Erlach: Yes, but it's fun when new elements are added and new solutions are found. It can certainly be time-consuming, but we see it as our job to find the best solution for our customers. Being able to do this is what separates the wheat from the chaff.

mfl: Do you agree, Mr. Matas?

Matas: Yes! A lot will definitely change. Of course, like all companies, we want to collect data, but people will continue to exist.

mfl: Mr. Schmidt, let's talk about another IFOY winner, ProGlove. You have the data glove on again today, do you ever take it off?

Schmidt: I really don't like taking it off. But there's still no game in the company to see who can keep it on the longest. Seriously, the glove is very light and after a while you don't even notice that you're wearing it. The scan unit is very robust and can sometimes fall off. Try that with a pistol scanner...

Fischer: How easy is it for other companies to copy the idea? Where are ProGlove's patents?

Schmidt: It won't be that easy. The patents are mainly in the textile component. That's the trick. And, of course, getting the scanning unit so compact - you have to manage that first. I'm often asked whether you can't just get a glove like this from China. You can, but you can't work in the same way as with our glove. The product is 100% developed and produced in Germany.

mfl: Some startup companies have had their struggles with having to get tested after an IFOY application. Why was it different for ProGlove? Aren't you afraid of your fellow jury members with their gross motor skills? (laughs)

Schmidt: No. One of our founders used to work at BMW, where he gave guided tours to visitors, among other things. He noticed that all the employees were wearing gloves and were constantly scanning. So what if it were possible to connect the scanner to the glove and save just one second per scan? At BMW, 1,000 cars a day roll off the production line in a plant and each car is scanned 1,000 times. That's one million seconds. We save four seconds per scan, which equates to a total of four million seconds or around 1,100 hours. BMW uses our glove at all its sites in Europe and the USA. Starting with BMW, we have gained further customers. So we weren't worried that anyone could do anything wrong with it, not even the IFOY team (smiles). And what else is conceivable for the future? How does a truck driver find his goods? There will certainly be a wearable with a display at some point. What makes our device special is a camera. This can take pictures, which opens up the area of documentation. You will also see this from us in the future. Just like in the area of software and analysis of data, where and how often it is scanned, for example.

Field: We always welcome the opportunity to present our products and solutions to a new audience. Events like this always lead to new ideas to further improve our solutions. The IFOY test days were very helpful for us because they allowed us to see what questions people have about our solutions. We had the impression that the Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator, which was demonstrated at IFOY with an order picker and a reach truck, went very well during the test days.

mfl: Is the ProGlove an open system as far as the data is concerned?

Schmidt: Yes, we have an open interface so that we can connect the system to all MES and WMS systems.

mfl: Is a competition now beginning to see who wins the data and also where this happens?

Erlach: Today's customers want a solution from A to Z from a single source. This applies to vehicles as well as system solutions.

Fischer: We have a lot of data in our systems that we offer customers, for example our web portal for effective fleet management, Still neXXt fleet. As a premium manufacturer in particular, our solution must offer added value and be innovative.

Matas: The customer wants to be more and more involved in the process and not just buy a forklift truck, but also wants to know how and where it can be optimized.

Fischer: The variety of possible solutions that you currently see at trade fairs naturally raises the question of how the solutions fit together in the overall picture. A lot has changed at our point of sale; 20 years ago, needs analysis was very simple, but today, despite "one face to the customer", a strong team is needed to provide the complex answers.

Erlach: Our customers see many solutions at LogiMAT, but whether they can be integrated is the other question.

mfl: Sometimes you get the impression, especially at trade fairs, that intralogistics can hardly keep a straight face because of all the innovations. How do you assess the boom in innovations? Is it something special?

Fischer: We now have technologies at our disposal that make things possible that were previously unthinkable. Large manufacturers like us don't have to reinvent everything, but can also cooperate and integrate. Not to mention the 5G wonder weapon, which will bring a quantum leap. Being able to process data streams so quickly will give rise to new applications. And yet, humans will remain the decisive factor; for years to come, people will be able to carry out order picking by hand faster and more accurately in chaotic environments.

mfl: Finally, a question for the round: which buzzword, new or old, is still worth talking about? I offer: Artificial intelligence, sustainability, flexibility, IoT, Industry 4.0. On a perspective level, what are you concerned about for the coming years?

Erlach: Without wanting to sound patronizing: These buzzwords are old hat for logistics. They have been a topic for quite some time and are also being practiced. All of these words are interlinked in order to work efficiently in the future. We cover all of these fields and words, and we have to.

Fischer: We work in one of the most heterogeneous sectors of all, we offer solutions for all industries. From contract logistics to car manufacturers to the beverage producer around the corner. So it would be wrong to focus on one trend alone. Of course, logistics has megatrends and I count automation and autonomous driving among them. But these will by no means be the only topics.

Schmidt: I agree, it's about finding a balance. Letting yourself be driven by buzzwords leads nowhere.

Field: We are now looking at continuing to provide solutions to customer and industry challenges with our IoT Industry 4.0 platform to help with operator training and the overall management and efficiency of warehouses and distribution centers. In the spirit of continued innovation, we have added IoT technology to Raymond's iWarehouse solution portfolio. This suite of intralogistics solutions, which includes integrated offerings for automated vehicles, workforce management, equipment tracking, VR training and energy solutions, is designed to increase warehouse throughput and enable the workforce to be more productive.

Baumgartner: We see digitalization and, from our perspective of course, the "birth" of the digital package right at the forefront. Digitalization creates the basis for many useful developments.

Matas: In the future, we must pay particular attention to what the new energy sources must look like for the next generation so that our planet is not destroyed. That should never be forgotten.

mfl: Thank you very much for the interview, gentlemen!