Delivering perfection

Next-day delivery is a thing of the past. At least, that’s what the big players in the logistics sector are suggesting. “Same-day delivery”, or at least “on-demand delivery”, are the new watchwords that are taking over, not least thanks to the marketing teams of online supermarkets and their lightning-fast urban delivery services.

Customer expectations when it comes to getting things fast have gone through the roof – and the B2B sector is no different. However, pulling off this kind of masterclass in logistics means getting an awful lot of different elements in a distribution centre to come together and run smoothly round the clock. The devil, of course, is in the detail, and those details include everything from goods receipt and storage through to order picking, packing and dispatch. Let’s not forget about all the other challenges either, such as the pandemic, labour shortages and all the ins and outs of the IT landscape.

From cloud computing, collaborative robots and big data analytics to artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things – logisticians need to get to grips with a huge range of new technologies.

Urgent digitalization and an ever-increasing focus on services are the general themes at the heart of these developments. The aim is to take the individual processes that generate the necessary drive and transform them into a value chain that will help change the logistics market from the ground up.

Solutions from Rittal can be found in every corner of cutting-edge logistics centres. They cover everything from the building infrastructure with its power distribution and data traffic, through the loading bay with its automated loading systems and conveyor belts for moving goods, to the high-bay warehouses with their control systems and operating devices, and the order picking section with its electronic weighing, scanning and measurement systems. After all, it’s only when all these wheels interlock smoothly that all friction can be eliminated.