materialfluss: Does the topic of green logistics still "pull" in discussions with customers? What should logistics managers and those responsible for logistics pay particular attention to in this area?

Mathias Thomas: Sustainability and the system optimizations it motivates continue to attract great interest in intralogistics. Despite geopolitical challenges, the zeitgeist is unmistakable. Green ideas and increased efficiency are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Solutions that improve both ecological and economic aspects are always in demand - it's not for nothing that people talk about 'win-win'.

In addition to the classic energy-efficient building technology, areas such as the use of conveyors, storage space allocation and picking strategies, ergonomic workstations and sustainable packaging also play a role in intralogistics. The right measures increase the productivity of the distribution center and reduce the physical strain on order pickers, which can even reduce personnel costs. Software solutions are an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to operating efficiently and as sustainably as possible: Less time, distance, energy, resources. More savings.

mfl: Which of your company's products or services is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of green logistics?

Thomas: With warehouse management systems defined down to the last project detail, TUP fully maps the starting points for possible cost and resource reductions. Around 50% of energy consumption in distribution centers is caused by materials handling, which is why route optimization is one of the most important factors. Our TUP.MFC material flow computer takes the respective warehouse topology into account and routes goods through the infrastructure in real time. The software solution also combines efficient routing with minimal conveying effort in the area of order picking. According to a scientific thesis, batch picking has enabled us to save between 70-92% of the distance traveled. This not only saves a significant amount of time, it also reduces the workload of the pickers.