Industry optimistic for 2016

Economic expectations

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:

AR Racking

Our network of agencies strengthened and expandedAspart of the Arania Group steel group, our industrial company has always relied on exports, with exports accounting for 85% of our total production. This high export share has enabled us to survive the toughest period of the economic crisis. In these last critical years, we have mainly strengthened our position in Europe, but also in Latin America, which offers great potential for business opportunities. We have expanded in the area of system integration projects throughout the world, which is currently the major challenge for manufacturers of heavy-duty racking systems such as AR Racking. At the same time, in line with our company policy, we have consolidated and expanded our network of agents, which allows us to offer our services directly in more than 40 countries worldwide. From AR Racking's point of view, the intralogistics sector is recovering. We have seen this in 2015 and are confident that this positive trend will continue in 2016.

Auer Packaging

María Cano Núñez, Sales Manager DACH AR Racking

Networking will have a positive impact for SMEs

We assume that Auer Packaging will continue to grow in the coming year. Growth is planned, currently at EUR 83 million (2015), which will be significantly higher than the OECD GDP forecast of 3.6%.

With its products and services, Auer Packaging finds itself in a market environment that clearly offers more growth opportunities than growth risks.

Networking in the industry is unstoppable.

Robert Auer, Managing Director Auer Packaging

This will clearly have a positive impact on our industry, which is characterized by medium-sized companies.

We expect improvements in the areas of productivity, flexibility, transparency and customer satisfaction.

Beumer Group

Increasingly networked and automated2015was a special year for us, we are celebrating our 80th anniversary and have also done good business.

We are very well positioned internationally, which is why we are also looking positively to 2016. I see challenges in online mail order in particular. Efficient material flows and maximum availability of technology are crucial.

To achieve this, postal and CEP companies need equipment and systems that can be adapted quickly and flexibly. Automation is a success factor here. In addition, there is an increasing networking of structures with a large number of people, IT systems, automation components and machines involved.

This allows value chains to be organized and controlled optimally.

Daifuku Europe

Customers will demand the 'intelligent warehouse'

Daifuku had a good year in 2015 and was able to confirm its position as the global market leader for intralogistics systems. Asia and America are growing faster than Europe, but demand for complex intralogistics solutions in Europe is stable.

Thomas Wiesmann, Sales Manager Sorting and Distribution Technology Beumer Group

At the same time, intralogistics is facing major challenges. These are caused by global developments and various megatrends, which not only entail lasting changes in the economy, but also influence the intralogistics of tomorrow. These include energy efficiency, increased demands on functionality and ergonomics and faster systems.

We believe that Industry 4.0 will have a lasting impact on intralogistics. Customers will demand the 'intelligent warehouse', which is characterized by adaptability, resource efficiency and ergonomic design.

Rainer Joost, Business Development Manager Daifuku

Dambach storage systems

Increasing competitive pressure from ChinaEconomicexpectations continue to be positive due to the global economic trend. However, there will be increasing shifts. Competitive pressure from China is also increasing for our industry outside China.

The market in China will no longer develop as positively as before for foreign intralogistics suppliers. Instead, other regions and countries will pick up speed. The intralogistics sector continues to be a growth market, albeit at a somewhat slower pace.

Industry 4.0 approaches will also have an increasing impact on our sector. In particular, approaches can be seen in the linking of individual intralogistics elements. We consider this to be a normal development process; in some cases, it is overrated as an all-new strategy for the future.

Dematic

Intralogistics is booming

Spurred on by changing customer requirements, companies from the e-commerce, food retail and clothing sectors in particular are making their way into the future. This is characterized by strong digitalization and mobilization. As a result, lead times from order to delivery to the customer are becoming ever shorter and orders ever smaller. This is a scenario that needs to be reflected in business processes. Demand is therefore very high, not only in our company, but throughout the industry. We are observing this in all our regions worldwide without exception. We expect the boom to continue in the short to medium term. Despite the hype, the Dematic approach remains conservative. Dematic is focusing on healthy, organic growth. Since the beginning of the year, Industry 4.0 has been experiencing a wear-out effect, a perceived weariness. While some people can no longer hear the term, studies show that 80 percent of companies have not even considered it. Whatever happens to the term, we are all acting as fire accelerators, at the latest in our role as end consumers. Data protection and the definition of data sovereignty, on the other hand, act as a healthy brake shoe.

Dr. Roland Thumm, Managing Director Dambach Lagersysteme

Denipro

Generating further growth by expanding the product rangeInrecent years, Denipro AG has made a name for itself worldwide as a system provider for intralogistics solutions with rolling conveyor technology. We will continue along this path in 2016. In doing so, we will score points with virtues such as quality, innovative strength and a focus on the needs of our customers.

We have weathered the appreciation of the Swiss franc against the eurozone in spring 2015 well. Despite the risks posed by the current political crises and their impact on economic development, we are optimistic about the coming year. At the same time, we believe we have good opportunities for further growth.

For us, 2016 is definitely a year in which we will expand our product range and introduce new technologies. The intralogistics trade fair LogiMAT in Stuttgart will provide us with the first platform for this in the spring of 2016.

Industry 4.0 - or, more precisely, the field of intelligent digital networking and system communication - is an important topic for us. We also see other current trends, such as the fact that we need to use energy more and more intelligently.

Efaflex door and security systems

Sheer horror at the keyword digital revolution

Consolidation in the market is progressing. Large companies are buying up medium-sized companies and becoming monopolists as a result. For us SMEs, this means that we can only counter the resulting price pressure with the expertise of our employees and the above-average quality of our products.

Barbara Wladarz, Managing Director Dematic

As a result, we continue to achieve above-average growth in the market. Of course, the Asian market offers us a great opportunity, but one of our most important sales channels is still the domestic market - Germany.

The goal of Industry 4.0 has long since been realized by flexible, future-oriented companies. We faced up to this challenge years ago.

Jens Kirchhoff, CEO Denipro

But the topic cannot be focused on enough, because there are many managers in Germany, and not just in the SME sector, who are horrified at the thought of the digital revolution.

Domnick+Müller

Trend towards negative sentiment not confirmedOurMobile Easykey division is entering the year-end business with momentum and there are also promising signs for 2016.

The demand for manufacturer-independent fleet management systems for forklift trucks continues unabated. Software developed together with key customers and new products will secure our position as market leader in 2016.

The economic outlook is currently characterized by negative sentiment, which is not (yet) confirmed by the actual figures.

However, it is mainly individual effects that are raising eyebrows. For me, the expression "robust" German economy, which has been valid for some time, still applies.

This will continue in 2016.

Euroexpo

Position as logistics world champion already wavering

Germany is still the world logistics champion. However, this position is beginning to falter. This makes it all the more important to continue to shape scientific developments and technological innovations and to turn them into products.

The main drivers are e-commerce and future projects such as Industry 4.0, i.e. the end-to-end digitalization of processes. Retailers and service providers are also increasingly focusing on automation and linking their system environments with production. The associated investments in IT as well as identification, warehouse and conveyor technology will continue to offer companies solid growth in the coming years.

Industry 4.0 is designed as a project for the future. This premise per se underlines the fact that the orientation and modernization of companies towards digitalization and cooperative processes in the supply chain will remain an ongoing topic. The "fourth industrial revolution" is a fact.

Jochen Müller, Managing Director Domnick+Müller

Ferag

Skyfall system to be further expandedFeragAG is entering the next year with great confidence and optimism. 2016 is the year in which we celebrate our 60th company anniversary. At the same time, we will further strengthen our commitment to intralogistics and general material flow. Our goal: We want to firmly establish ourselves as a system provider for complete materials handling solutions and industrial applications in the areas of overhead conveying, buffering, processing and order picking.

We strive to achieve this with the same means and virtues that have made us the global technology and market leader in the graphics industry. These include top quality, high customer satisfaction and continuous innovation.

Although as a Swiss company we have to expect currency turbulence at any time, we see excellent market opportunities for the Skyfall technology, which was first presented in 2014, both in Germany and in other EU countries. That is why we are now expanding this system further.

Fronius International

Will continue to focus on internationalization

The rather negative outlook in countries such as China and Brazil is putting pressure on global growth. The IMF and OECD are forecasting global growth of 3.3% for 2016, while growth of 2.1% is expected in Europe.

Peter Kazander, Managing Director Euroexpo

The projected economic growth of 2.8 percent in the USA is positive. This forecast also reflects the expected situation in the global industrial truck market. The trend in industrial trucks towards electric drives is definitely positive for us as a company. While the global market volume grew by 8% in 2014 according to the World Industrial Truck Statistics (WITS), the volume of industrial trucks with electric motors increased by 14% during this period.

The number of devices with combustion engines, on the other hand, only rose by four percent. We have similar expectations for 2016. Fronius International GmbH will continue to focus on internationalization with its Perfect Charging division in 2016 and actively develop markets such as the USA, China, Mexico, Australia and India.

Hörmann Logistics

Innovative spirit in warehouse and production logisticsHörmannLogistik has made a good name for itselfthroughinnovative projects in recent years. Still benefiting from low interest rates, many customers are investing in new facilities or expansion measures.

We expect this positive trend to continue, particularly in the e-commerce sector. For new projects, our experience in complex, industry-specific intralogistics solutions promotes good demand.

Many companies are still keen to invest in warehouse and production logistics. We have been able to implement a number of extensive projects in the automotive, packaging and dairy industries. The topics of flexibility and energy efficiency play an important role here.

Industry 4.0 will also become increasingly important in intralogistics. The principle of networking various IT systems has already been practiced for many years. We still see a need for development in our industry, particularly in the area of decentralized intelligence.

Jungheinrich

Additional impetus from trade fairs

2015 was a really good year for Jungheinrich - both in terms of business development and in terms of the implementation of our major strategic projects such as the acquisition of the MIAS Group and the global expansion of our direct sales network.

We expect the market in Europe to continue to develop positively in the coming year. Important trade fairs such as LogiMAT and CeMAT will provide our industry with additional impetus. We will show our customers that Jungheinrich is excellently positioned in all areas of intralogistics.

Harald Scherleitner, Head of Perfect Charging Division Fronius International

In practice, this means that every customer receives a solution from Jungheinrich that is tailored to their specific needs - efficient, economical and practical, i.e. always with the greatest individual benefit. Jungheinrich will successfully continue its growth trajectory in the coming year.

Klinkhammer Group

Industry 4.0 will not trigger a boomOurpresence as a holistic problem solver, general contractor and system integrator has once again proven itself this year, and demand and order volumes for 2016 are excellent.

As we will also be launching our latest generation of software and a new development in the shuttle sector next year, we see increasing potential for our company. As we also intend to start actively developing foreign markets in the coming year, we anticipate slight growth in 2016, even if economic growth expectations are moderate overall.

We are also seeing stagnating momentum in the willingness to invest, but the industry level should remain stable in 2016. Industry 4.0 has been a reality in our systems for many years - interfaces to all conceivable peripheral devices and their networking and integration into our software have become a matter of course. Nevertheless, we hardly believe that this will trigger a real boom in intralogistics in the future.

Small shelf inspection + repair

Steffen Dietrich, Managing Director Hörmann Logistics

Demand should increase

We have not planned any significant increases in sales for 2016, but want to further optimize our solid service quality in the area of shelf inspection and shelf repair.

Safety accessories manufactured in-house, such as impact protection, are set to expand the range. In our opinion, the economy in the logistics sector will continue to stabilize at a high level. This will be boosted by the rising number of people in employment, increased purchasing power due to lower energy prices and the increase in collectively agreed wages, which is well above the rate of inflation.

The extent to which the high level of immigration will affect the economy also depends on how we can qualify immigrants for the labour market and attract them as consumers. In our opinion, "Industry 4.0" will not achieve the significance of the previous industrial revolutions because it only adds value in a few sectors and companies.

META shelf construction

Investment activity fell short of expectationsThanksto our very well-developed service activities, we were able to close 2015 with a satisfactory result.

However, 2015 fell short of our expectations in terms of investment activity, not least due to global economic developments. After a mixed year, we expect 2016 to be a challenging year.

The retail sector is developing into a multi-channel provider with ever shorter response and delivery times. In the project business, we are seeing steadily growing interest in automated guided vehicles as well as order picking and conveyor technology.

These are signals for the development of Industry 4.0, even though we do not expect a boom in this sector in the medium term.

We are responding with intelligent solutions, which we will continue to expand both nationally and internationally. For LogiMAT 2016, we have future-proof innovations in our trade fair baggage, which we will be presenting for the first time in Stuttgart.

Pooling Partners

Automotive supply industry is a stable factor

We are optimistic that PAKi, as part of Pooling Partners, is well positioned throughout Europe and across the entire supply chain: industry, trade and logistics. Our product pipeline and our growth in other EU countries give us confidence for the coming years.

Hagen Schumann, Head of Sales and Consulting Klinkhammer Group

With the Euro pallet, we have focused on the food sector, which has been quite stable in recent years. The automotive supply industry, where we have been very successful with our pallet cage, has also been a stable factor to date. As our core competencies lie in these two sectors, I also see good opportunities for us in the future. The challenges in logistics are definitely becoming more complex due to faster services and smaller units.

In my view, Industry 4.0 will not trigger a boom, but it will have a positive impact on the sector. As long as there are no surprises from abroad, the market should continue to develop well.

Egon Klein, Managing Director Klein GmbH

PSI Logistics

IT sector will see above-average growth in 2016Withthe central topic of "digitalization", the networking of logistics structures and companies with one another is coming to the fore. Numerous companies are currently putting the performance and future viability of their software systems in intralogistics and for the design and management of (multimodal) logistics networks to the test - because IT is the enabler for competitiveness and process efficiency. Against the backdrop of this market development, growth is expected for the IT sector in logistics in the coming year. Based on current orders and project inquiries, PSI Logistics is forecasting a mid-single-digit percentage increase in its company turnover in 2016 compared to the previous year.

When asked about the topic of "Industry 4.0", many reactions show that the sometimes inflationary use of the term is clouding the view of those affected.

Industry 4.0 is often not yet recognized in its dimensions as a necessity for competitiveness. Regardless of the label under which the challenges are subsumed, the topic and the associated investments will have a lasting impact on market development for at least the current decade - and from the perspective of IT company PSI Logistics, even well beyond that.

Pierau Management Consulting

Start-ups reorganize their supply chains

Growth in the e-commerce sector remains strong. In recent years in particular, many well-known fashion providers have positioned themselves very well when it comes to productive and fast goods distribution solutions.

We are now observing that many local retailers as well as start-up companies from the fashion sector are following suit with the reorganization of the supply chain. Other sectors are confronted with the need for fast delivery.

Peter Beilenhoff, General Sales Manager Germany META-Regalbau

This goes hand in hand with 1-stage order processing - even with a shipment throughput of several 1,000 shipments per hour and a large stock range. Proximity to the customer is sought, which is to be achieved via smaller distribution centers close to the city.

Cost and delivery pressure remains high in many industrial sectors.

Individual concepts will deliver the expected result here. We have strengthened our team accordingly.

Servus Intralogistics

Intralogisticsis becoming a key component for lean productionIntralogisticsis increasingly becoming a key component for lean and efficient production. The opportunities for the intralogistics sector and its market prospects are therefore good.

Of course, if there is an unforeseeable, dramatic slump, whether it is caused by the financial world, the debt crisis or terrorism, investments will always be the first to be halted.

If this is not the case, we are very confident about next year. Whether Industry 4.0 will trigger the great industrial revolution or is just old wine in new bottles remains to be seen. However, we are firmly convinced that Industry 4.0 is the most efficient way to achieve the necessary one-piece flow.

SSI Schäfer

German economy proves resilient

Intralogistics is a highly innovative industry that is directly linked to innovations in other sectors of the economy. Although developments in the individual sectors of the economy have varied in recent months and there has been turbulence at an international economic level, the German economy is proving to be very resilient. The outlook for 2016 remains positive.

Dr. Giovanni Prestifilippo, Managing Director PSI Logistics

We expect healthy growth for the SSI Schaefer Group in the 2016 financial year. We rely on our industry expertise and our product range, which we have adapted to the challenges of the industries. We support our customers with solutions that generate competitive advantages by increasing efficiency.

Intralogistics sets trends, but it also reacts to developments. As the market leader, we have been focusing on increased digitalization and networking in our solutions for some time now. This also fits in with the growing trend towards automation. The requirements that Industry 4.0 entails are and must be part of future-proof intralogistics.

Arne Pierau, Managing Director of Pierau Unternehmensberatung

Still

Jobs will be upgraded by Industry 4.0Automatedlogistics solutions will play a decisive role in the context of Industry 4.0 because they pave the way for the vision of intelligent factories and warehouses. Warehouses will become flexible, vehicles will become increasingly intelligent and employees will take on a new role. They will increasingly take on jobs in which they monitor and optimize processes, reducing error rates and achieving greater control, which in turn increases quality. Employees' jobs will be upgraded and can be made more age-appropriate, giving us greater flexibility.

However, it is not only automation but also autonomy that will be important in the next industrial revolution.

We at Still have been working on this topic for years. In research projects such as the marion project, which is an association project initiated by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi), we are already implementing autonomous vehicles. After automation, autonomy is the next step towards Industry 4.0.

Stöcklin Logistics

Decisions to conclude a contract are often postponed

Overall, the need for efficient logistics solutions of all kinds will continue in practically all markets. It should be noted that the period from the start of a project to the definitive conclusion of a contract has become longer and the planned decision date is often postponed.

Nevertheless, growth in intralogistics as a whole will outpace that of the industry as a whole. By combining a detailed understanding of customer needs and our innovative solutions with detailed knowledge of our various products and systems, we are able to develop tailored customer solutions and generate significant added value for our customers.

Thanks to our focus on sustainability and "the years beyond", we have a significant international customer base that is constantly expanding. Industry 4.0 has not just found its way into logistics today, with various systems already featuring self-diagnosis and self-optimization.

The networking and integration of a wide variety of processes within companies, but also in cross-company constellations, will continue to progress and drive forward optimization and increased efficiency.

Stute Logistics

ForStute and many other logistics service providers in the production-related contract logistics sector, the economic development of the coming years is strongly linked to the trade union dispute between ver.di and IG Metall.

The penetration of IG Metall into contract logistics in the struggle for membership numbers has caused great uncertainty among shippers and service providers. There is an urgent need to restore collective bargaining security and thus equal opportunities.

Despite the understandable desire for equal treatment on the part of the employees concerned, the generally binding collective agreements required for this must be negotiated with a sense of proportion that ensures Germany remains competitive compared to its European neighbors.

At the same time, tariff developments on the shipper side must be accepted as irreversible and taken into account when setting prices.

Toyota Material Handling Germany

Klaus Tersteegen, Managing Director SSI Schäfer

Stable level for the industrial truck market in 2016

Record exports and a positive mood with high private consumption - the German economy is in very good shape. However, subdued signals from the global economy and the attention surrounding the criticism of emissions in the automotive industry are dampening the mood somewhat.

Nevertheless, we expect the industrial truck market to remain stable in 2016. This positive trend will once again lead to high sales figures. We are seeing a concentration of larger players and purchasing groups on both the customer and supplier side.

The growing number of major customers is exerting increasing "market power". In order to do justice to this growing number, we will invest in the expansion of the sales channel and adapt our financial and service offering.

I see a clear trend towards automation in 2016. Many customers will address this topic in 2016. Their interest will continue to grow and trigger a high demand for advice.

viastore

Digitalization increases efficiencyOperators of logistics systems are increasingly recognizing that intelligent, automated and networked intralogistics is an important part of their value creation and provides them with advantages.

Today, it extends all the way to the assembly station and enables secure processes, greater transparency and availability, faster delivery readiness and better delivery quality.

Intralogistics also makes a significant contribution to reducing the capital tied up in the warehouse and thus freeing up funds for investment. A key basis for this is digitalization, which permeates and networks all processes, thereby increasing the efficiency of intralogistics.

In our view, software is more important than individual warehouse technology components. That is why we are absolutely on the right track with the spin-off of our viastore Software GmbH.

I see the situation of the industry and our company internationally as positive - even if individual markets such as Russia are currently somewhat weaker.

Wegener+Stapel conveyor technology

Urs Grütter, CEO Stöcklin Logistics

Growth in online retail, store delivery and spare parts logistics

We do not expect growth in the Automotive segment due to the current "turbulence" in connection with the so-called emissions scandal, but we also do not anticipate a slump in inquiries and incoming orders.

We are certainly planning for growth in the distribution logistics segment for SMEs, with a focus on online retail, store delivery and spare parts logistics. Here we are building on our modular system kit and our 24-volt container and carton conveyor technology for the medium capacity range.

As far as Industry 4.0 is concerned, I don't expect a boom, but I do expect intralogistics system suppliers to focus intensively on the new possibilities of this technical development.

In future, there will be new features and applications that can be used economically thanks to the easy availability and use of process data.

Christian Dieckhöfer, Chairman of the Management Board of Stute Logistics

Witron Logistik+Informatik

Customers want to increase efficiency and capacity2015was a successful year for Witron in terms of incoming orders and project implementations. Our regional focus was on Europe and North America. In terms of content, the focus was on distribution logistics, modernizations and expansions as well as services.

The topic of distribution encompassed both food and non-food projects. The topic of multi-channel is extremely important - we offer a range of solutions for this, such as FMC and OFS.

The area of modernization & expansion is gaining in importance because many customers want to increase the efficiency and capacity of their existing structures - usually during ongoing operations. The Service division has quickly developed into a substantial part of our business with more than 1,000 employees (out of a total of 2,400).

We have a similarly positive outlook for the coming year. The importance of digital business will increase - and with it the attractiveness of our solutions.