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Economic survey - The industry is confident despite political crises
Without exception, entrepreneurs are optimistic about 2017. Some are cautiously optimistic about the overall economic development in Germany, but for their own company, the thumbs are all pointing upwards. Most of the experts we surveyed expect stable growth in the coming year. For their own company and for the intralogistics sector as a whole, the unanimous opinion is that things will continue to improve. Increasing digitalization, automation and the booming e-commerce business in particular mean that providers are looking to the coming year with great optimism. Nevertheless, some are taking a more pensive tone. This is not surprising. The uncertain political situation in Turkey and Russia are mentioned. And, of course, the elections in the USA and Brexit are uncertainty factors that could have an impact on the economic situation. No one knows exactly how much today. Competitive pressure from China is also being felt. Overall, companies can look back on a successful 2016 and are convinced that this trend will continue in 2017. It can be assumed that the wave of the "Industry 4.0 movement" will continue to have a positive impact on the intralogistics business. You can read in detail here why the entrepreneurs feel well positioned.
Economic trend
Materialfluss asked the participating managers to assess the economic expectations in their company, in their sector and in Germany in general. We convert this assessment into arrows:
Anton Software: Trend towards even greater automation
Our EVA shipping system was upgraded to the latest technology last year. EVA7 has a modular structure, links shipping and export functions and offers a high degree of standardization combined with flexibility. EVA7 now enables very high performance and stability as well as even better data protection. Since the launch of EVA7, we have seen strong demand for conversions from our existing customers and have very good prospects for new projects. The number of available parcel service and forwarding modules (almost 100) has also increased further. CETA will increase the need for preference calculations. We offer an intelligent EVA stand-alone module for this and therefore expect further projects in this area. We see a trend towards even greater automation in shipping and export. EVA7 is well equipped for high-performance, automated systems in the shipping sector. Additional automated functions such as freight cost calculation or freight invoice verification round off the system.
Apex Supply Chain Technologies: Proving that things can be done differently
Apex Supply Chain Technologies has deployed a record number of automated dispensing systems for companies across Europe to deliver solutions to operational challenges. Our technology is an example of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT). These new trends may initially seem overwhelming and out of reach, or even impractical for the low-tech processes within supply chains; however, Apex is proving that things can be done differently. To help our customers innovate, we work closely with them. As a result, we have identified opportunities for process improvement in areas that our customers have not yet considered. This focus has strengthened our success, including our expansion into France and Poland, supported by our offices in Germany and the UK and our headquarters in the US. In 2017, we expect to see a steady increase in demand for our solutions across a wide range of applications. Our innovative approach requires close collaboration with our customers.
Bayern Innovativ: Digitalization is the catalyst
Lean management is a decisive economic success factor. For ten years, we have been focusing on innovative approaches and solutions for lean processes at our "Lean Material Flow" cooperation forum. The topic of lean has lost none of its importance over this time. The solution approaches have changed and holistic approaches are now standard. At the same time, the circle of those actively practising lean management has expanded. Efficient material flows are not only a concern for large corporations, but increasingly for medium-sized and small companies. The catalyst is digitalization. It enables complex information flows to be controlled in real time and integrates innovations. We are expecting new impetus in this area in particular, which we will address in the Cooperation Forum in 2017. We will begin with the development of a digital platform for self-organizing and dynamic networks. The aim is to connect a wide range of sectors and technologies. We also see new opportunities for companies in the area of "lean material flow".
Beumer Group: Staying competitive in the long term
2016 was another successful year for us. We were able to generate and implement exciting projects and are still very well positioned internationally. We therefore have a positive outlook for the coming year. Intralogistics is a growth industry in general. This is particularly due to the fact that we can react to trends accordingly - for example with our customers in e-commerce. Online retailers who want to remain competitive in the long term and tap into new target groups have to deal with individual delivery times, the atomization of shipments and increasing automation. As a result, intralogistics is becoming increasingly complex. In order to master this increasing complexity in logistics, more and more information technology (IT) is required. As a system provider, we equip our systems with intelligent IT right from the start and offer the user clear added value that sets them apart from the competition.
BITO-Lagertechnik Bittmann: Stable growth expected
Bito-Lagertechnik Bittmann GmbH was once again able to build on its record sales in 2015 in 2016. In addition, the order backlog has increased even further compared to the previous year. The overall economic outlook is certainly difficult due to the many political uncertainties - although we also see stable growth in the warehouse technology sector for 2017. With new products, outstanding consulting and the further internationalization of our company, Bito will continue to outperform the industry average in terms of sales growth in 2017. In general, we are focusing even more strongly on our range of solutions - with real, demonstrable added value for customers - and our high level of consulting expertise. 2017 will see the launch of the LEO Locative - the easiest-to-operate automated container transporter on the market. We are also adding two models to the extremely quiet, smooth-running Bito XL-Motion container series. Our ergonomic folding container Bito EQ is still unique.
Compass Logistics International: Global economy "on hold"
While the last two years in our company were characterized by an unchecked phase of growth, we are now experiencing a wait-and-see attitude in many countries and logistics areas. Promising projects and the global economy are on hold. One reason for this is the fall in prices on the raw materials markets, which have not yet recovered from their slump. On the other hand, a new course is being set in global politics, which will lead to protectionism in some countries. For the time being, these are not ideal conditions for the free trade of goods and services. The fact that we are represented with 52 locations in 22 countries has a balancing effect for us: Submarkets and individual regions develop differently and ultimately contribute to a positive result. We will expand our presence in the growth regions in 2017 and implement our "25/8" concept, with which we want to set a consistent quality and service standard in our Group. Digitalization is also part of this concept.
Crown: Less dynamic markets offer opportunities
The market for our industry's products is reaching record highs worldwide. One might think that a cyclical economic downturn should now follow. However, not all markets have grown equally strongly. Less dynamic markets continue to offer opportunities for growth. In addition, the trend towards Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things is also driving demand for replacement products that exploit the benefits of digital networking. These factors make me cautiously optimistic that our industry will be able to maintain its current high level, at least in the coming year. Crown is ideally positioned to take advantage of the technology-driven growth. We have continuously developed our products and steadily expanded our fleet management services. With our multifunctional product, the Crown Insite productivity suite, we are constantly gaining new customers and our existing customers remain loyal to us because we can deliver on our promise to reduce the total cost of ownership of their forklift fleets."
Daifuku: Industry 4.0 is the decisive approach
Markets such as China, Brazil and the USA are growing. It will be interesting to see what impact Brexit and the political developments in Russia and Turkey will have on the European intralogistics market. Customers are recognizing that intelligent, automated and networked intralogistics is ultimately essential in order to gain decisive advantages in international competition: secure and stable processes, greater transparency and availability, faster delivery readiness and better delivery quality. Industry 4.0 is the decisive approach here. Daifuku is broadly and solidly positioned, so we can look to the future with great optimism. Daifuku developed the SPDR (pronounced: spider) gantry robot, which can be used for storing, buffering and linking small parts containers. The SPDR gantry robot is a very powerful and compact solution for all storage and sorting tasks.
Dambach storage systems: Competitive pressure from China
Economic expectations in the intralogistics sector remain positive. However, expectations are likely to weaken. This is due in particular to political uncertainties and increasing competitive pressure from China. Our company has expanded its product portfolio in the area of warehouse technology and is launching it onto the market in stages, so we expect the company to continue to develop regardless of the economic environment. By integrating our own conveyor technology into our product portfolio, we are able to simplify the interface between the storage and retrieval machine and the pre-zone in a targeted manner and increase performance. The performance of SRMs in the pallet area will continue to increase and shuttles are also increasingly being used in pallet technology. The new Dambach energy management concept significantly reduces energy consumption and installation costs. The system becomes more economical in its life time costs.
Denipro: Scoring points with system solutions
We expect business to develop very positively in 2017. Our company has absorbed the disadvantages of the hard Swiss franc and the turbulence on the international financial markets at the start of 2016 surprisingly quickly. We expect stable development in the eurozone, by far our most important market. The ongoing e-commerce boom and the trend towards digitalization will ensure growth there in the near future. At the same time, we are in the process of establishing ourselves in emerging markets such as India. We therefore believe we have a good chance of continuing to grow next year. In doing so, we will consistently continue on our course towards becoming a system provider. As a system provider, we have better opportunities to develop our innovation potential in direct exchange with the end customer. In addition to quality and a strong focus on the needs of our customers, we score points with products that offer new solutions. The most recent example of this is the denisort, which combines processes such as transportation, sorting and order picking in a single system.
Dexion: Stable business expected
Despite cautious growth forecasts for 2017 and the crisis in the eurozone, including Brexit, we are optimistic about the coming year. After an above-average order intake in 2016, we expect business to remain stable in 2017. We are focusing on our strengths, i.e. offering customers a high level of quality, individual customer solutions, flexible systems and product innovations. With our product mix of static shelving systems and dynamic storage systems, such as our mobile racking systems, storage lifts and carousels, we offer our customers a wide range of options. Warehouse processes must become ever leaner, faster, safer and more efficient, which means that the degree of automation will continue to increase. Demographic change in society will also play an increasing role. Industry 4.0 is on the advance. Space-saving technology, dynamic and flexible warehouse systems, IT-controlled in combination with driverless and energy-efficient picking and conveying technology form the future of warehouse technology.
Eisenmann Anlagenbau: Automotive suppliers open up opportunities
After a more than solid financial year in 2016 with a high order intake, we are very confident about the coming year at a consistently good level. We have already identified promising projects at this stage, particularly in our traditionally strong Food & Beverage market segment. Opportunities are also opening up in the automotive supplier segment. From a geographical perspective, our mainstay in China is stabilizing alongside Europe, and provided the general conditions do not change significantly, the USA will also remain important for us. Digitalization in production remains an important topic - not only for our entire company, but across all sectors - with an ever-increasing focus. This is accompanied by a trend away from rigid material flow systems towards increasingly flexible concepts, particularly in conveyor technology. In addition to our high-performance conveyor technology, our strength lies in the professional planning and implementation of sophisticated automation solutions.
European Pallet Association e.V. (EPAL): The measure of all things in the supply chain
The European Pallet Association expects 2016 to be the next best ever in terms of the production and repair of EPAL pallets. We support companies in reducing their carbon footprint, as an EPAL Euro pallet already saves 27.5 kg of CO2 during production, is predominantly made from sustainably grown wood, can be repaired and fully recycled. A look into the future with regard to economic expectations for 2017 shows a rather cautious trend, as the consequences of Brexit in particular cannot be assessed. We are confident in our high-quality products, which ensure a high level of safety in all logistical processes. EPAL will maintain and further expand its "No. 1" position on the market by consistently taking action against pallet counterfeiters and against substandard and substandard production and repairs. In addition, the worldwide network of EPAL licensees will be expanded even further and more densely - particularly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Euroexpo: The challenge is digital change
LogiMAT will once again be the world's largest industry meeting place next year. As Hall 10, which is currently under construction and will offer a further 15,000 m2 of space, will not be available until 2018, there are natural limits to growth in 2017. The main drivers of intralogistics are e-commerce, the future-oriented Industry 4.0 project and the end-to-end digitalization of processes. Investments in these areas will continue to offer the respective industry segments solid growth in the coming years. We see it as our core task to bring the right partners together in a central marketplace and to present innovative solutions. We never want to compare ourselves with our competitors, because LogiMAT has had its own concept from the very beginning. It is a "working trade fair of short distances". On site, decision-makers with a tight time frame in particular appreciate the clear structure of the exhibition areas. This is the added value that we have been offering for 15 years now.
Ferag: firmly establishing itself as a system provider
2017 will be a very important year for Ferag AG, and we are entering it with great confidence and positive economic expectations. This is because we will further strengthen the commitment we began three years ago in the field of intralogistics and material flow. At the same time, this year we are celebrating our 60th anniversary as a global technology leader in print finishing and conveyor technology for the graphic arts industry. Responding to current market trends and new requirements at an early stage is part of Ferag's culture of innovation. We also want to use these virtues to score points in the areas of overhead conveying, buffering, processing, sorting and order picking. In 2017, we will continue to expand the Skyfall system with regard to various automotive and other industrial applications. Our Skyfall overhead conveyor technology already offers benefits such as high energy efficiency, simple scalability and high adaptability for installation in existing buildings. Added to this is the recognized high quality and - as it were Swiss - precision of our systems and installations.
Getac Technology: Increasing demand for rugged tablet PCs
With over 25 years of experience, Getac is currently the fastest growing brand in the field of rugged computers. With our wide range of notebooks and tablets, we are present in many other industries besides transportation and logistics. As we are the only provider of rugged computers that develops and manufactures the devices completely in-house, we have great scope to create ruggedness from the inside out and also to meet individual customer requirements. We are seeing a general increase in demand for rugged tablet PCs. In addition to reliability, very good display properties, high connectivity and functionality are particularly important for our logistics customers. With the T800 and F1110 devices, we offer particularly reliable and powerful tablets in the logistics sector, which are even available in an Atex version. Equipped with our Lumibond display technology, they offer excellent readability and the touchscreen can be operated with either a stylus or gloves.
Gilgen Logistics: The market will continue to grow
We are optimistic about 2017. The logistics market will continue to grow, as cost savings can still be realized here. Gilgen Logistics is continuing its growth strategy and plans to top the 100 million mark in incoming orders by 2020. Thanks to its expertise and experience, the company has succeeded in achieving considerable increases in turnover in previous years with the same number of employees. Thanks to the new LDR concept, which includes logistics, design and implementation of all system elements and the standardized hardware and software modules, we were able to achieve an enormous increase in quality and efficiency in the implementation of logistics projects. As a logistics general contractor, we focus on innovative and customized product developments and respond to trends such as Industry 4.0 in intralogistics. Our modular and flexible conveyor and storage components are geared towards the future and adapt perfectly to individual customer requirements.
HaRo Anlagen- und Fördertechnik: Increasing pressure to automate
The expected economic developments in 2017 are good to very good for the HaRo Group. The main reason for this forecast is the pressure to automate, not only in large companies but also increasingly in small and medium-sized companies in Germany, caused by high wage levels in Central Europe. As a specialist in unit load conveyor technology, individual solutions are our particular passion. But we will also continue to pursue the trend towards ever more complex and networked systems. We are therefore already looking forward to a busy year and are optimistic about numerous new requirements in 2017. We are meeting the growing demands in the field of automation with our innovative vertical conveyors, demand for which is expected to continue to rise in the coming year. Its use opens up new levels in existing buildings and connects them to existing logistics processes using state-of-the-art automation technology.
Knapp: Expansion of the global network
Technology for logistics systems in distribution and production, as well as in the provision and use of data, continues to be in demand. We expect further growth in the medium term, as well as potential from new developments and trends such as Industry 4.0, even if we are seeing increased uncertainty and tougher competition in economically stable regions such as Germany and the USA due to the tense political situation in many regions. The focus for 2017 is on expanding and strengthening the global corporate network and continuing innovation projects in the areas of free-moving shuttle systems, robot technologies, image recognition and analysis using AR. Over the next few years, our company will be moving towards becoming a full service provider over the entire service life of systems. To this end, we will make our systems more flexible with new technologies in the area of shuttle technology and AGVs and continuously optimize them for various scenarios through data management and consulting.
Körber Logistics Systems: e-commerce remains the driving force
We expect an increase in turnover via market development for all subdivisions/individual companies, both domestically and for all foreign units. The AMHE market will continue to be driven by the enormous growth in the e-commerce sector, or in other words, the e-commerce sector will continue to be the driving force for national and international growth in our focus markets. Körber Logistics Systems as a Business Area of Körber AG will continue to focus on expanding its software expertise in the area of intra- and extra-logistics. With more than 500 software engineers for the so-called stand-alone software business, we are probably the leader in Europe. We will continue to drive forward our overall expertise as a general contractor specifically for our focus industry sectors (e-commerce, fashion, F&B, etc.) and the acquisition of Qubiqa Logistics with its layer picker has made us one of the leading providers for these segments in Europe in the area of palletizing and depalletizing.
Leuze electronic: Closing with double-digit growth
The market situation for Leuze electronic worldwide and in Germany is good, in some cases even very good. This is reflected in the order situation. There has been a significant increase in orders compared to the previous year, which also brought the company considerable growth. It looks as though the financial year will close with double-digit growth - in many regions of the world even significantly higher. Leuze electronic sees great opportunities in the "Industry 4.0" environment. Major things are starting to move here. As one of the main drivers, Leuze electronic is right at the forefront and, with its core competencies in the areas of "Industrial Interfaces, Communication and Connectivity", sees itself very well positioned for this. With the DDLS 500, Leuze electronic has developed the world's first data transmission photoelectric sensor that enables worldwide remote diagnostics thanks to an integrated web server. This is a real world first.
PAKi Logistics: Positive further development
Pooling Partners' PAKi network for the management of standardized load carriers continues to grow in existing countries and is being established in additional countries, making us increasingly interesting for customers in the food industry and retail sector in particular. We are therefore optimistic about further developments in the coming year. The automotive industry, for which we continue to operate a strong Europe-wide network of pallet cages, is a stable factor despite the diesel issue. In addition to an equally stable pallet cage business, we now offer a foldable plastic container that is compatible with the pallet cage, especially for long transport routes. IPP Pooling Partners with quarter pallets is now also a stable business and continues to develop positively. In this area, we are currently introducing a new half Euro pallet wood/metal and are meeting with broad interest. The Group is investing in a new IT system for all pooling activities in order to be able to manage data flows for our customers even better.
Pierau Unternehmensberatung: Boom in digital commerce continues unabated
The consistently strong economy in Germany is also influencing logistics. It is expected to remain at this high level in 2017. The boom in digital retail continues unabated. Some sectors - such as food retail - are still in the 'starting blocks'. We see a great need for Germany to catch up here. Due to the strong demand, project lead times in the intralogistics sector are in part negatively impacted by the high capacity utilization of system providers. The creation of planning and production capacities cannot be adjusted quickly enough. In addition to the retail sector, we are seeing an increasing demand for logistics solutions in the manufacturing industry. Thanks to our excellent expertise in the field of intralogistics - not only in digital commerce - we have a comprehensive overview of all system variants and their advantages and disadvantages as well as their conditions.
Servus Intralogistic: Shuttles will gain market share
As far as economic expectations are concerned, we are cautiously optimistic for the coming year. The general conditions will remain challenging, but intralogistics as such will receive increased attention, as there is still a lot of potential for improving lean and efficient production. In addition, shuttle technology will continue to gain market share compared to storage and retrieval machines. Overall, we are therefore optimistic. We continue to differentiate ourselves from our competitors with our intelligent and autonomous Servus transport robot, which enables an efficient and interface-free material flow along the entire value chain. Thanks to a variety of new applications, our customers can now achieve a new level of efficiency. For example, customers can expect even more performance from their warehouse with the new, fully integrated Servus logistics module.
Stahl CraneSystems: Significant recovery not until 2018
Stahl CraneSystems is one of the leading international manufacturers of lifting technology and crane components and is a global specialist when it comes to explosion-protected crane technology. The current low oil price and the resulting reduction in investments will continue to have a noticeable impact on our business in 2017. Due to the fact that our industry is traditionally very cyclical, we do not expect our business to pick up significantly until 2018. In contrast to the weakening foreign markets, Germany is currently at a satisfactory level for us, which we also expect for 2017. In our view, the effects of the consolidation currently taking place on the conveyor technology market cannot yet be definitively assessed. We will present a revised version of one of our core products in 2017. The first prototype is already planned for LogiMat 2017.
Stow: Moderate growth
2016 was a very successful year for Stow. In addition to traditional storage solutions, we recorded significant growth in the area of high-tech storage systems and e-commerce in particular. We want to carry this momentum into the new year and expect moderate growth for our company and the industry as a whole in 2017. Not only individual advice, but also precise and resource-saving technologies are becoming increasingly important. And this is precisely where our great strength lies. In recent years, we have succeeded in consolidating and further expanding our market position, so that our customers can always expect comprehensive advice from us in their search for the most efficient storage system for their individual requirements. At the same time, we attach great importance to future-oriented technologies and we develop our own solutions for compact storage and time-saving handling. We will be presenting our latest innovations in shuttle technology at LogiMAT.
Wagner Group: Further growth expected
The issue of safety is becoming increasingly important. Wagner offers fire protection systems with more than 40 years of experience. Over 700 patents have resulted from our own research and development work to date. We offer our customers a complete portfolio of services, from planning and project management to system construction and maintenance. As a family business with around 500 employees, we are growing steadily and have recorded a 55% increase in turnover in the last five years - and we expect further growth in the coming years. The security industry is growing: in Germany alone, turnover amounts to around 14.5 billion euros. We continue to rely on our position as a technology leader and the development power of our engineers. With Titanus Multi Sens, we are now launching an aspirating smoke detector that, for the first time, can not only distinguish between a real fire and a false alarm, but can also detect which substance is burning or deceptive, such as cigarette smoke. This enables new protection concepts.
Wanko: Expectations are becoming more demanding
Wanko will continue to grow in 2017. We are receiving positive signs from our main sales markets in Europe and expect our positive development to continue. The overall trend on the software market is towards customizing business suites for different industries. We have already taken this into account with our strategic orientation. The requirements in the applications we support in the various sectors are increasing from different perspectives. The expectations of users, here I mean both the B2B and B2C sectors and their customers, are becoming more demanding from various directions. On the one hand, there is an increased focus on customer service, and on the other, the impact of legal requirements will be felt. The requirements will also become more stringent from a security perspective, at least in some areas. In our view, the market as a whole continues to show clear trends towards the automation of logistics and process optimization.
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