We Take a Holistic Approach | FORTNA
Contact us

Article

We Take a Holistic Approach

Article appeared in f+h Fördern und Heben in October | 2024 and has been translated from German to English.

View original article

The challenges faced by warehouse and logistics center operators are numerous and varied. How can FORTNA help them in meeting these challenges? Thomas van Workum, President FORTNA International, and Marcel Kars, Vice President Sales, FORTNA International, discuss this in an interview with Winfried Bauer, Editor-in-Chief of f+h Fördern und Heben magazine.

Mr. Kars, some time ago FORTNA International took over Pierau Planung. What changes and developments has this acquisition brought to FORTNA International in the EMEA region?

Marcel Kars: The acquisition of Pierau Planung was a strategic step for us to strengthen our planning and consulting capabilities. Pierau Planung had a great deal of expertise in the field of intralogistics planning, and the integration enabled us to expand our service portfolio accordingly. Today, we are able to offer future operators a one-stop solution, from network strategies and future planning to the design and equipment of warehouses and distribution centers with manual, semi-automated and automated intralogistics systems and robotics—including a wide range of lifecycle services.

Thomas van Workum: Let me add the following. In order to find out what a customer’s warehouse logistics requirements are, we take the time to listen to them to really understand their problem and then develop an integrated solution based on that. We see ourselves as a partner who thinks about the material flow end-to-end.

Marcel Kars: This is one of the key differentiators of our business model compared to our competitors. We can offer customers a complete solution from a single source and don’t just cover parts of the internal supply chain. This gives our customers a single point of contact. This facilitates communication and coordination and makes project execution more efficient.

To pick up on your key words, Mr. Kars, automated intralogistics systems. What new technologies do you think will be most relevant in the near future?

Marcel Kars: One of the most exciting developments is certainly artificial intelligence. In intralogistics, AI can help us optimize processes, diagnose and predict errors, and automate labor-intensive tasks.

Thomas van Workum: In this context, we are looking at how warehouse operators can combine their human resources with automated systems so that they can work together. We need to find appropriate ways to coordinate tasks and assign them to either a human or a robot.

Marcel Kars: In order to do that, we need the right consulting expertise. As I said in my answer to your previous question, we have built that up.

Image:
Marcel Kars, Vice President Sales, FORTNA International

fortna
I see great potential in using AI to make complex warehouse operations systems even more efficient. But the integration of robotics and automated guided vehicles will also change the industry.

Marcel Kars

Mr. van Workum, automation is a major trend in the logistics sector. How do you see the future of warehouse jobs?

Thomas van Workum: Automation is indeed a key factor that is significantly changing the world of work in material handling and warehousing. On the one hand, it leads to a reduction in physically demanding and often monotonous activities, which improves working conditions for employees. On the other hand, new jobs are being created to maintain and monitor automated systems. We are seeing a shift towards higher-skilled jobs that require more technical expertise. This also provides an opportunity to attract young people to a career in logistics who may have previously considered a career in logistics to be unattractive and therefore less desirable.

Image:
Thomas van Workum, President FORTNA International

fortna
We see ourselves first and foremost as a solution provider, not a product seller.

Thomas van Workum

Mr. Kars, let’s get back to design. As an integration partner of the system provider AutoStore, how agnostic can you be when it comes to automated bin storage systems?

Marcel Kars: That’s a fair question. If you look at the systems behind our reference list, you will see that agnostic in the field of automated small parts storage is not just an empty phrase.

Thomas van Workum: Our goal is to find the best solution for the customer, regardless of which company supplies the subsystems for the installation. Based on our many years of experience and our knowledge of what solutions have worked in practice, we ultimately create a system that provides added value to the customer.

Mr. van Workum, What do you see as the biggest challenges in intralogistics?

Thomas van Workum: One of the biggest challenges will be keeping up with the rapid development of new technologies and integrating them into existing systems in a meaningful way. We also see increasing complexity in operations due to growing demands for flexibility and speed.

 

Published/Updated 11/8/24