Exclusively in Material Flow: Going greener through IT

Fig. 1: Classification of the measures considered by IML - Figure: Fraunhofer IML

Some of the purely IT-based measures, such as transport optimization, double cycles or time-based ABC zoning, have been used in industrial practice for many years. Although these methods have positive side effects on the environment, the objective when using them is usually economic optimization. In some cases, however, minor adjustments can be sufficient to make a targeted contribution to "green intralogistics" with these measures. For example, in IT-based transport optimization, the criteria for assigning transport orders to specific vehicles could be supplemented by ecological aspects, such as the energy consumption of the respective transport process. Software for optimizing stacking and loading schemes offers further potential. In addition to generating volume-optimized stacking patterns, minimizing the generation of noise during transport could also be defined as an optimization goal.

"Green logistics is now a buzzword on everyone's lips in the industry."

Christoph Pott

Other measures were developed explicitly with ecological aspects in mind. These include, for example, energy-based ABC zoning. Energy requirements for storage and retrieval are assigned to the storage compartments and the storage strategy stored in the IT system is adapted so that fast-moving items are provided in storage locations that can be reached as energy-efficiently as possible.

Raising awareness among forklift drivers

One possible approach to promoting an environmentally friendly driving style for manually operated industrial trucks is the visual display of the current energy and fuel consumption on a monitor in the truck. This vision, which has not yet been implemented for cost reasons, can increase the driver's awareness of their personal contribution to "green intralogistics" and thus increase their motivation to change their driving style. In addition, driver training adapted to individual driving behavior could be offered.

About the offer

The Intralogistics and IT Planning department of the Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund offers consulting services in the areas of warehouse and material flow planning, lean warehousing, Industry 4.0 and the selection and commissioning of intralogistics IT systems. In addition to advising industrial and commercial companies, new scenarios, methods and tools for future-oriented logistics are developed in research projects.

These and similar methods represent approaches that demonstrate the potential of using IT systems to implement "green intralogistics". However, extensive research in this area has shown that the topics of "green logistics" and "intralogistics IT systems" have rarely been linked to date. When it comes to process optimization through IT, the focus is still primarily on economic objectives. Of course, a company's profitability must be ensured. Nevertheless, companies should also ask themselves in future to what extent they are prepared to prioritize ecological objectives over economic ones in individual areas. For example, can the maximum throughput of a storage system be sacrificed in favor of an energy-efficient storage strategy? For research and development, on the other hand, it is important to design measures that combine both objectives so that, in the best case scenario, the above question does not even arise.

Task for the future: reducing the environmental impact of IT

It is striking that the majority of the measures already developed and ready for the market are aimed at energy efficiency, which is certainly due to the simultaneous cost savings. The development of ways to reduce other environmental impacts using IT is another task for the future. Coupling with intralogistics IT systems is also conceivable in the area of building technology. "Going greener through IT" is therefore definitely possible in intralogistics and offers further potential for the future.

Dipl.-Logist. Christoph Pott, B. Sc. Hannah Knoblauch