Demand for warehouse and distribution space, driven by ecommerce growth, supply chain restructuring and the expansion of last-mile delivery networks, continues to support new logistics parks across the UK. Yet the construction environment behind these developments has become increasingly complicated.

Logistics projects are frequently delivered on brownfield land, rely heavily on steel-intensive construction and often require substantial off-site infrastructure works.

As global supply chains remain volatile, with recent geopolitical tensions, including the conflict in Iran, affecting energy markets and shipping routes, these are contributing to renewed inflationary pressure on the cost of construction materials.

For developers and contractors, the challenge is no longer simply delivering warehouse space, but managing the legal risks associated with ground conditions, supply chain volatility and infrastructure obligations.

Ground risk and contaminated land

Many logistics developments are located on former industrial or manufacturing sites. While brownfield land can offer planning advantages, it often presents complex ground conditions and contamination risks that affect construction delivery.

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities have powers to require remediation of contaminated land where it presents a risk to human health or the environment. Where the original polluter cannot be identified, liability may ultimately fall on current landowners or occupiers.

From a construction law perspective, these risks frequently emerge during early site works. Even where Phase I and Phase II environmental investigations have been undertaken, unknown contamination or unstable ground conditions can still arise once excavation begins. The key legal question is how that risk is allocated under the construction contract.

Under some contracts ground risk generally remains with the employer unless expressly transferred. Alternative NEC Engineering and Construction Contracts address unexpected physical conditions through compensation event mechanisms that allow cost and programme adjustments where conditions differ materially from those anticipated.

English case law also underlines the importance of contractual risk allocation where site conditions are concerned, and the Court of Appeal has confirmed contractors cannot rely on unforeseen ground conditions where the contract places responsibility for investigating site conditions on them.

For large logistics schemes involving extensive earthworks or remediation works, the treatment of ground conditions within the building contract can therefore have a significant impact on both programme certainty and project cost.

Inflation, steel and supply chains

Modern distribution facilities depend heavily on structural steel frames, cladding systems and mechanical installations, meaning logistics developments are particularly sensitive to supply chain volatility.

Recent geopolitical instability has reinforced that exposure. The Iran conflict has raised concerns about disruption to global shipping routes and energy markets, increasing freight costs and placed upward pressure on construction materials such as steel.

For developers procuring logistics schemes, the question quickly becomes one of contractual risk allocation, particularly who carries the risk of inflation. Traditional procurement models rely on fixed-price construction contracts that place cost escalation risk on contractors. However, sustained material price volatility has made contractors increasingly reluctant to absorb open-ended price exposure.

Standard form contracts offer different responses. JCT contracts include optional fluctuation provisions, although these are frequently excluded in commercial developments, while NEC contracts, particularly under target cost arrangements, allow greater flexibility in managing cost change.

Supply chain disruption can also translate directly into programme delay. Shortages of structural components, façade systems or mechanical plant may trigger extension of time claims and threaten completion dates — particularly problematic where logistics developments are pre-let to tenants with fixed operational timelines.

Again, English case law also illustrates the importance of clear contractual drafting in allocating delay risk, and the Court of Appeal has confirmed parties are free to allocate responsibility for delay through their contract, even where doing so alters the traditional operation of the prevention principle (the rule that a party cannot insist on contractual completion dates where its own actions have caused delay).

Highways and infrastructure interfaces

The high traffic volumes generated by distribution facilities, particularly heavy goods vehicle movements, often require mitigation works to surrounding transport infrastructure. These works are commonly delivered through Section 278 agreements under the Highways Act 1980, allowing developers to fund and construct works to the public highway.

Under Section 278 agreements, highway authorities must approve detailed designs and supervise works carried out within the highway network. Where access roads or junction improvements are linked to project completion, delays in highway approvals or construction can affect programme certainty and practical completion.

For large logistics parks, where vehicle access is central to operational viability, misalignment between highways obligations and construction programmes can create significant delivery risk.

The post Contracts Manage Warehouse Construction Risk appeared first on Logistics Business.

There’s a moment in every critical Service Level Agreement (SLA) parts network where something small reveals something structural. A part misses a four-hour SLA not because it wasn’t in the country, but because no one was quite sure who owned the handoff. A shipment sits at customs while teams debate who the Importer of Record should have been. Two regions quietly increase safety stock on the same SKU ‘just to be safe’. An escalation call includes five organisations and no single line of accountability.

Nothing catastrophic. Just friction. Individually, these moments look operational. Together, they are architectural.

How Fragmentation Creeps In

Global service parts networks rarely begin fragmented. They evolve that way. A regional specialist is added to close a performance gap. A repair partner shortens turnaround time. A trade advisor manages compliance complexity. A 4PL layer is introduced to connect it all.

Each decision is rational. Often necessary. But over time, orchestration becomes layered rather than unified. In high-availability environments such as cybersecurity infrastructure, optical networks, data centres and medical systems, that layering begins to create hidden costs.

Where the Costs Appear

Fragmentation first shows up in inventory. When regions operate with partial visibility of each other’s positioning, they hedge. The US carries stock to protect its SLA exposure. Europe does the same. APAC does the same again. Individually, the decisions make sense. At the network level, they inflate safety stock, tying up working capital in duplicated buffers that exist purely to compensate for uncertainty.

It also distorts performance reporting. One provider starts the SLA clock at dispatch, another at delivery attempt. Reverse logistics is measured separately from forward fulfilment. Dashboards appear aligned until volatility hits, and suddenly, no one can reconcile where the delay actually occurred.

Trade governance becomes another pressure point. In global service networks, customs clearance is not a back-office activity; it is part of the uptime system. When Importer of Record responsibilities shift between providers or vary by region, ambiguity creeps in. A customs hold under a four-hour SLA is no longer just a compliance issue. It becomes a service outage.

Reverse flows create their own consequences. Repairable assets moving across borders without unified visibility become what operators quietly call ‘dark inventory’. The asset exists somewhere in the network but cannot be deployed when it is needed. The forward network compensates the only way it can, by carrying more stock.

When problems escalate, fragmentation becomes most visible. In multi-provider models, root cause rarely sits neatly in one organisation. Escalations move sideways before they move forward. Accountability becomes sequential rather than simultaneous. Under stable conditions, the system absorbs that latency. Under disruption, including tariffs, geopolitical shifts and capacity shocks, the latency becomes exposure.

The Fragmentation Tax

Multi-provider strategies are often adopted to reduce concentration risk. That logic makes sense.
But in high-SLA service environments, fragmentation introduces a different risk: coordination failure.
When orchestration is disjointed, the network begins paying what might be called a fragmentation tax, in duplicated inventory, premium freight, delayed recovery times and the growing overhead required simply to keep the system aligned.

The tax rarely appears on a single P&L line. It accumulates quietly across buffers, expediting, working capital and management attention.

A Different Question

As global service networks expand and trade regimes tighten, leaders are starting to ask different questions. Not ‘Are our providers performing?’ but ‘Is our orchestration structurally unified?’, because in high-availability service networks, architecture is no longer just an operational choice. It is a resilience strategy. Every network pays for its design. The only question is whether the cost is visible.

The post The Hidden Cost of Disjointed Orchestration appeared first on Logistics Business.

After more than two decades of pioneering cube storage automation, AutoStore is now moving beyond automation alone toward intelligent fulfillment systems that continuously sense, decide, and improve in real time. The announcement reflects a shift in the market from asset-centric automation to decision-centric fulfillment, as companies look to connect machines, software, data, and people into more intelligent, coordinated operations. With CubeVerse and AutoStore Intelligence, AutoStore enables better, faster decisions across design, deployment, operations, and optimization—working alongside existing WMS and WES solutions rather than replacing them.

For customers, this means unlocking hidden capacity in existing systems, simplifying operations, and accelerating the path to fully autonomous fulfillment, powered by learnings continuously drawn from AutoStore’s global community of thousands of live systems, enabling improvements that compound across the installed base.

“Fulfillment is becoming a real-time, intelligence-driven discipline. If systems can’t sense, decide, and adapt continuously, everything upstream breaks,” said Parth Joshi, Chief Product Officer at AutoStore. “With the launch of the CubeVerse platform and our AI-driven capabilities, we’re bringing intelligence across the entire lifecycle — from design to daily operations to advanced analytics to optimizations. This is a major first step in our AI strategy and reinforces our focus on innovation as the market leader in automated fulfillment.”

The Spring 2026 product announcement introduces a new CubeVerse cloud platform, designed to unify data, applications, and AI capabilities across the fulfillment lifecycle, alongside AI-powered software and analytics, and expanded automation capabilities. Together, these capabilities lower total cost of ownership, improve performance and predictability, reduce operational complexity, and support longer operating hours, including full 24/7 operation.

After a decade of rapid investment in warehouse automation, the industry is facing a new challenge:
seventy-five percent of companies say synchronizing their supply chain is difficult as logistics networks grow more complex. The question is no longer just how to automate, but how to coordinate machines, software, data, and people into systems that make better decisions and run reliably around the clock.
CubeVerse and AutoStore Intelligence provide the data, simulation, and analytics capabilities that enable this shift — helping customers orchestrate fulfillment decisions across the system lifecycle without replacing existing orchestration or control layers.

The Spring 2026 Product Portfolio

Built on the CubeVerse platform, this Spring’s announcements span the fulfillment lifecycle—from system design and AI-driven optimization to autonomous order preparation.

CubeVerse Platform
CubeVerse provides a single platform to design, deploy, and run AutoStore systems. It spans the full system lifecycle—from design and simulation to deployment, operations, analytics, and optimization.
CubeVerse simplifies integrations, keeps operations consistent across sites, and helps customers avoid overbuilding and keep costs under control.

AutoStore Intelligence
AutoStore Intelligence applies built-in AI to real operational data across the platform to orchestrate fulfillment in real time. It optimizes robot movement through CubeControl, reduces congestion, and clears traffic bottlenecks to deliver significantly higher throughput during peak periods, with
performance continuously improving over time, without requiring additional robots or grid
expansion. Embedded across CubeVerse, AutoStore Intelligence uses 20+ proprietary models to predict issues, optimize operations, and deliver measurable performance improvements across the automation lifecycle.

CubeAnalytics
CubeAnalytics, powered by AutoStore Intelligence, turns system data into clear, real-time insights and recommended actions. It helps teams identify issues earlier, reduce downtime, and rely less on specialized in-house expertise. With built-in AI, CubeAnalytics automatically surfaces key issues and patterns, evolving from reporting into an intelligent system that recommends action automatically.

CubeControl
CubeControl, powered by AutoStore Intelligence, uses AI to personalize routing parameters and create optimized robot highways for large, robot-dense grids. This improves traffic flow, reduces congestion, and boosts overall system throughput without additional hardware.

VersaAI
VersaAI delivers robotic piece picking powered by vision and AI, expanding AutoStore’s automation portfolio into autonomous order preparation. The system automates order preparation, consolidation, and staging, improving overall AutoStore utilization. It enables operations to run longer hours with consistent throughput and lower cost per order. This supports 24/7 operations without sacrificing performance.

CubeStudio
First major application added to the CubeVerse platform, CubeStudio is a shared, cloud-based environment for system design, simulation, and validation, enabling AutoStore and partners to make data-led decisions together. It serves as an early proof point of AutoStore’s modern app strategy powered by CubeVerse.

Cube Enhancements
New workstation layouts and expanded bin and case support give customers more flexibility as volumes, SKUs, and workflows change, without requiring grid rebuilds. Enhancements based on partner and customer feedback include expanded case support in AutoCase, simplified WMS integration through VersaPort, and upgraded industrial PCs for large, high-performance systems.

The post CubeVerse Platform Launched for Fulfilment appeared first on Logistics Business.

“I am glad that we now have signed an agreement with Witron for automation in the logistics centre that we will establish. This solution will give us a more flexible, efficient and sustainable logistics chain for product supply to our stores in the southern parts of Sweden, thereby strengthening the entire Axfood family’s competitiveness,” comments Simone Margulies, President and CEO of Axfood.

Logical next step

“It feels very good to have the agreement in place for this strategically important automation solution. With the experience we have built together with Witron in Bålsta, we know that this technology will give us the right conditions going forward, and as a natural step, we feel confident in continuing this journey also in southern Sweden. This investment is fundamental in strengthening Dagab’s and Axfood’s future logistics structure, and for continuing to deliver on our ambition of market-leading efficiency,” says Hans Bax, Managing Director of Dagab.

High level of automation across all temperature zones

In Kungsbacka, products will be stored and picked across three temperature zones: ambient goods (+18 °C), fresh goods (+2 °C), and frozen items (-26 °C). As in Bålsta, the solution relies on standardized Witron logistics modules, including Order Picking Machinery (OPM with a total of 37 COMs), All-in-One (AIO), the Car Picking System (CPS), and a fully automated shipping buffer. Within this shipping buffer, store-friendly picked and consolidated order pallets are buffered and provided just-in-time on heavy-duty lanes, sequenced by delivery route for efficient truck loading. In addition, the Goods-to-Person (GTP) solution enables ergonomic semi-automated picking operations in the frozen food area.

High-performance warehouse management system

The overall material flow includes more than 500,000 storage locations for wooden and plastic pallets, roll containers, totes, and refrigerated containers, 111 stacker cranes, as well as 16+ kilometers of conveyor technology. All processes are controlled by a multifunctional warehouse management system with open interfaces from the WMS to the customer’s supplier systems, route scheduling systems, and sales systems. This enables a high level of end-to-end optimization across Axfood’s entire internal and external supply chain. A Witron OnSite service team of more than 60 employees ensures consistently high system availability in multi-shift operation around the clock – 365 days a year.

Successful omnichannel project

Both companies can reflect positively on a jointly and successfully implemented project. Since early 2025, following a phased ramp-up, one of the most innovative logistics centres in the retail industry has been operating at full capacity in Bålsta, around 40 kilometers northwest of Stockholm. Axfood and Witron designed and realized a cutting-edge omnichannel distribution centre that supplies stores as well as end customers via click + collect and home delivery. The highly automated system handles a product range of 22,000+ dry, fresh, and frozen items.

The post Another Full-range Distribution Centre in Sweden appeared first on Logistics Business.

What advice would you give to facilities managers who want to take a more proactive approach to maintenance and repairs this year?

“The key is to not wait for minor issues to become major problems. Seasonal changes, particularly the colder, wetter weather in winter, often leads to damage and hazards. Scheduled inspections and checklists for floors, steps and drainage points can prevent costly accidents and disruption.

“Using the right materials from the outset also makes a huge difference. Durable industrial floor coatings, e.g. Watco’s ‘Epoxy Gloss Coat’ help protect high-traffic areas, while anti slip coatings such as our ‘Safety Coat’ can be applied to the floor around entrances, ramps and wash-down zones to reduce slip risk from surface water. For small areas of surface damage, fast-setting repair solutions allow teams to carry out repairs quickly and get areas back into use with minimal downtime.”

How should warehouse layouts be reviewed to improve safety and flow efficiency? Is zoning essential?

“Warehouse layouts should be reviewed regularly, especially when operations change or new equipment is introduced. Many sites evolve organically over time, which can create pressure points where pedestrians, forklifts and automated vehicles meet. These areas not only slow operations down but also increase the risk of collision accidents.

“I do believe that zoning is essential for safe, smooth-running facilities today. Introducing clear pedestrian paths, and categorising facility areas based on usage e.g. parking bays and storage areas helps to ensure clear boundaries and safer behaviour.

“We offer both paint and tapes for teams to identify whether they want to line mark a boundary on the floor, or paint the whole section in a designated colour for illustrating zones. Watco’s ‘Epoxicote High Build’ and ‘Safety Tapes’ are ideal for defining zones quickly and clearly as they can be applied with minimal operational disruption. Observing how people and vehicles actually move through the warehouse is also important; layouts should reflect real-world use, not just plans on paper.”

How can health & safety costs in warehousing be monitored and evaluated?

“Many operators focus on direct costs such as PPE or training, but the indirect costs can be far greater. Lost time, damaged goods, insurance claims and reputational impact all add up quickly. Tracking near-misses, minor injuries and urgent repair requests provides valuable insight into underlying issues and helps prioritise investment.

“For example, repeated floor repairs in the same location often indicate that a more permanent solution is needed. Logging defects, repairs and associated downtime allows operators to identify trends, justify preventative spend and, over time, reduce both maintenance demands and overall health and safety costs.”

How do you recommend FMs get on top of flooring inspections and repairs?

“The most effective way to get on top of flooring inspections and repairs is to build them into everyday routines. Assigning responsibility for inspections e.g. a checklist that is tackled by a rota, ensures issues are spotted consistently, not just when problems become obvious.

“Inspections should focus on high-traffic routes, loading bays and areas exposed to moisture or chemicals, with findings logged so recurring issues can be tracked and prioritised. Smaller areas of surface damage such as hairline cracks, loose edges or shallow holes should be addressed quickly, before they develop into larger, more disruptive repairs.

“Planning for frequent, small-scale repairs also makes a difference. Using fast-curing repair materials allows work to be carried out in live environments with minimal disruption, which removes one of the main barriers to acting early.”

Warehouse floor paint

We talk a lot about warehouse automation, but many distribution centres are still untidy and cluttered. How can that be avoided?

“Automation doesn’t remove the need for good housekeeping – in fact, it makes it even more critical. Automated systems rely on clear routes, smooth floor conditions, and well-defined zones. Cluttered floors, damaged markings or poorly stored pallets can quickly undermine the benefits of automation.

“Avoiding this comes down to culture and clarity. Visual management, such as clear line markings and signage reinforces expectations. Temporary overflow should not become permanent, and regular audits help maintain standards. When staff understand the ‘why’ behind keeping areas clear, compliance improves and automated systems can deliver maximum value.”

How much downtime is typically involved in line marking, re-painting, matting, and taping work in warehouses?

“Downtime is often the biggest concern, but modern materials and methods have reduced disruption dramatically. Many line marking paints and floor coatings are fast-curing and can withstand traffic within two hours. Work can also be phased or carried out in quieter shifts to minimise operational impact.

“Similarly, high-quality matting and surface treatments can be installed quickly, providing immediate safety and efficiency benefits. The short-term inconvenience is minor compared to the long-term gains: reduced accidents, fewer urgent repairs, and a more productive warehouse.”

The post A Lick of Paint for Warehouses appeared first on Logistics Business.

Torus will provide resilient, agile and integrated defence supply chain solutions, helping the UK defence sector adapt to the evolving threat landscape and build the agile capacity required to enhance sovereign capability.

Designed to help address the UK Government policy shift to readiness, visibility and data exploitation, Torus draws on alliance members’ proven capabilities and mission-critical expertise in military domain, procurement and supply chain. The alliance is underpinned by a shared commitment of collaboration, compliance and continuous improvement to solve complex challenges in the UK defence market.

• Amentum will provide overall integration and programme management based on more than 60 years of support to UK defence operations, procurement, logistics support, programme/project delivery and transformation. Its global expertise, built over decades of defence, aerospace and national security experience in the USA and UK, ensures interoperability with allied sustainment systems and proven global buying power. Last September, Amentum announced plans to add another 3,000 people to its current UK workforce of more than 6,000 over the next four years.

• GXO will develop and operate innovative logistics solutions, leveraging its more than two decades of experience partnering with leading aerospace and defence organisations. With A&D operations spanning more than 30 global sites, GXO recently bolstered its UK defence capabilities through the acquisition of Wincanton, a longstanding trusted partner to the UK defence and industrial sector. GXO currently employs more than 60,000 team members across 450 sites in the UK and is a Gold Award level member of the UK’s Defence Employer recognition scheme for its work with the Armed Forces.

• Accenture will lead digital reinvention with a core role to deliver digital enablement and integrated decision support capability. Accenture’s deep experience of defence logistics information systems and digital transformation will enable real-time, single-version-of-the-truth visibility and smarter, data and AI-powered decision making that balance readiness, cost and resilience.

• Maersk will provide global integrated movement solutions utilising its extensive network across multiple modes to enable global reach ensuring compliance with stringent security standards for defence and government cargo whilst ensuring the scale of its owned assets provide agility and resilience to allow defence to plan and react to a changing need.

Loren Jones, Amentum Senior Vice President, said: “Our combined global reach and military domain experience, specifically Amentum’s proven success in deployed logistics and integrating complex systems for the U.S. Government, perfectly aligns with the UK Defence sector’s requirement for future operational resilience and it’s imperative to move beyond systems optimised for just-in-time to ones of assured readiness and global reach.” 

Gavin Williams, Managing Director, GXO UK & Ireland, said: “The defence sector is tasked with responding to dynamic global challenges which has created substantial demands on its supply chains. GXO’s proven capability in the global defence sector optimises efficiency and builds resilience in complex supply chains, providing leading defence organisations with the assurance they will have the adaptive capacity required to deliver with confidence.”

Mark Smith, EMEA Defence Lead at Accenture, said: “This alliance brings together unmatched expertise in logistics systems and data-driven digital transformation – enabling scalable, interoperable solutions that enhance mission readiness. Accenture’s deep defence logistics knowledge and cutting-edge digital capabilities, refined through working with over 20 NATO countries, can help ensure operational continuity and resilience in complex global environments.”

Beyond focusing on supporting UK sovereign mission readiness, the alliance is committed to investing in UK infrastructure, contributing to economic growth and fostering digital skills in local communities.

The post Supply Chain Solutions to the UK Defence Sector appeared first on Logistics Business.

Otto Lehmann GmbH, with around 400 employees, is a leading manufacturer of roofing products and drainage technology – from snow guard systems and roof module holders to gutter hooks. The product range comprises around 3,000 product variants. Around 10,000 tonnes of steel and around 3,000 tonnes of non-ferrous metals, primarily copper and zinc, are processed each year.

The company plans to set up an external storage facility in Geiselhöring. This warehouse will be managed using KlinkWARE WMS, but will be operated completely separately from the main warehouse in Neutraubling. The plan is to use independent software and system configuration on a separate server, which will exchange data with the main system via a shared host interface. The focus is on processing goods receipts and full picks for around 50 fast-moving items. In addition to goods receipt and dispatch of pallets – including tour approvals and packing station allocation – the new warehouse will also use the software to map stock transfers, stock corrections and inventory.

Due to the high degree of standardisation of the KlinkWARE software, the entire project will take only around eight weeks and includes testing, commissioning, training, system support and the user documentation. The warehouse will be set up as a separate address in the main system to ensure a systemic separation of the company’s own warehouse from the warehouse of the external service provider. At the same time, there will be a connection to the central WMS via the ERP system, which generates withdrawal notes.

Back in spring 2025, a four-aisle automatic high-bay warehouse with storage and retrieval cranes and picking stations, a manual long goods warehouse and a block storage facility at the Neutraubling site were converted to KlinkWARE. The reason for the migration was outdated servers and operating systems, which posed an increased security risk. In addition, the maintainability of the existing software was limited, making it necessary to adapt it to the current development environment.

By creating a new set of specifications, a comprehensive process optimisation was also carried out. This made it possible to eliminate functions that were no longer needed and, at the same time, to incorporate frequently missing requirements into the new solution. By connecting the external warehouse, Otto Lehmann is creating greater transparency through standardised systems and is consistently continuing the modernisation of its logistics IT.

The post Software Migration for Automated Warehouse appeared first on Logistics Business.

In many smaller facilities, yard operations remain one of the least digitized areas in the supply chain. Trucks wait at the gate, dock doors are occupied longer than necessary, and teams rely on phone calls, radios, and manual lists to keep track of trailers and containers. This leads to unnecessary dwell times, higher detention and demurrage costs, and a constant risk of miscommunication between warehouse staff, transport partners, and gate personnel.

“In Europe, a lot of everyday yard operations still run on clipboards, spreadsheets, and local knowledge,” says Gary Van Tassel, Director of Sales for Terminal & Distribution Center Logistics at INFORM. “At the same time, customers feel growing pressure from rising transportation costs, driver shortages, and increasing service expectations. YMSlite gives small and mid-sized facilities a practical way to gain control over their yards. With real-time visibility, better dock planning, and fewer surprises at the gate. Without the overhead of a big system implementation.”

As a standalone system, YMSlite combines yard, dock, and gate operations in a single web-based application. Operations teams can configure their yard layout – including parking spots, docks, and bulk areas – and track trailers, containers, and chassis in real time. A live yard overview shows where each unit is located and for how long it has been there, allowing teams to reduce search times and act early when dwell times become critical.

Within the application, users can assign equipment to doors, block and unblock locations, and move trailers between parking slots and docks. Gate staff benefit from a clear overview of expected arrivals and departures and can mark check-in and check-out directly in the system, linking each truck to the relevant unit and yard location. A compact KPI view provides insights into yard occupancy, dock utilization, gate activity, and dwell times to support data-driven decisions.

Built for smaller facilities – fast start, low risk

YMSlite is tailored for small and mid-sized warehouses, distribution centres, carrier and container yards, 3PLs, and manufacturing sites that need professional yard management without the complexity of enterprise systems. The user interface is intentionally simple and immediately understandable for operational teams on the ground – so users can get started without extensive training. Setup is equally straightforward: new sites can be configured within 30 minutes, enabling teams to work with the software quickly and productively. Fully cloud-based, YMSlite can be implemented directly without dedicated IT projects or in-depth IT know-how.

YMSlite is offered with a transparent subscription model, with a flat monthly rate and no hidden fees or long-term commitments. A free trial of 15 days allows interested companies to test the solution with their own data and processes before making a decision.

“Over the past decades, INFORM has built a strong portfolio for complex logistics operations all over the world,” says Karsten Schumacher, Product Manager YMSlite, Terminal & Distribution Center Logistics at INFORM.

“With YMSlite, we are deliberately extending this portfolio to smaller logistics facilities. Many of these sites face the same visibility and efficiency challenges as large operations but have lacked a solution that fits their scale and resources. YMSlite closes exactly this gap and allows us to support customers from small businesses through to global enterprises with the right level of functionality in each case.”

During customer pilots of YMSlite, companies were able to replace paper-based yard lists and manual gate logs with a shared digital view of all trailers, docks, and appointments. Participants reported faster access to information, fewer misunderstandings between staff, and more predictable yard flows, particularly during peak periods.

“YMSlite has been a clear step up from working in Excel. The interface is clean, the system is easy to understand, and we were up and running in about five minutes. Cloud access means we can reach the same up-to-date information from anywhere and don’t have to worry about different file versions. If you’re looking for a straightforward, more structured alternative to spreadsheets, I’d recommend giving YMSlite a try,” says a Warehouse Manager for a leading regional 3PL and YMSlite Beta User.

Ongoing feedback from beta users continues to shape the product’s evolution. Upcoming enhancements in analytics and reporting will expand the system’s capabilities without compromising its intuitive, user-friendly design.

The post Yard Management for Smaller Logistics Facilities appeared first on Logistics Business.

Jungheinrich is implementing a new Regional Warehouse East for Mainova in Frankfurt-am-Main to supply spare parts for the company’s technical infrastructure. The central element of the new warehouse solution for the energy supplier – who supplies more than one million people with electricity, gas, heat and water – is a narrow-aisle warehouse with around 6,200 pallet storage spaces and a rack height of up to 17.1 metres. Two Jungheinrich EKX 516 trilateral trucks will be used for storage and retrieval operations, enabling economical operation even at great lifting heights thanks to their high positioning accuracy and energy-efficient drive technology.

The pallet warehouse is complemented by a small parts warehouse with a storage height of 7.5 metres. A total of eleven Jungheinrich vertical lift modules ensure compact goods-to-person picking and short access times – a decisive factor for the rapid provision of spare parts when required, even with a high variety of items.

In addition, Mainova is integrating a wide-aisle warehouse into the new hall complex. Handling operations are carried out by an EFG 425k electric four-wheel counterbalance truck. In the ten-metre-high hall section, double-deep pallet racking is also installed and operated by the EFG using telescopic forks.
Cantilever racking for the storage of long goods is installed both in the new building and in a neighbouring existing hall. While the cantilever rack in the new building is also served by the EFG 425k, Jungheinrich, acting as general contractor, is supplying a specialist vehicle from Hubtex for handling the cantilever racks in the existing hall, thus also integrating this area seamlessly into the overall concept.

A separate hazardous materials storage area with manually operated shelving is also being set up in the new hall, where materials such as oils and paints will be stored. In total, three newly interconnected hall sections with heights of 25, 10 and 5 metres, along with an additional existing hall, are being equipped with warehouse technology. The hall sections are designed to ensure continuous material flow without structural interruptions.

“With the new regional warehouse, we are significantly increasing the efficiency and supply reliability of our spare parts logistics while making optimal use of the existing property,” says Leonid Feldman, Project Manager and Civil Engineer/Architect at Mainova AG.

“The solution by Jungheinrich maps our very diverse storage requirements – from small parts to long goods – within a single integrated system, creating the basis for fast and reliable processes,” adds Sascha Kaden, Head of Warehouse Management and future user of the facility.

The contract was awarded following an EU-wide tender procedure in which Jungheinrich emerged as the best bidder based on objective award criteria, building on the successful cooperation between the two companies in recent years. Jungheinrich had already implemented two smaller warehouse projects for Mainova in 2022, demonstrating its expertise as a system provider. The new regional warehouse is scheduled to go live in March 2027.

The post Mainova Consolidates Spare Parts in new DC appeared first on Logistics Business.

At its National Distribution Centre in Nieuwegein, Jumbo and WITRON unveil a concept that redefines the role of modern logistics hubs. The focus: speed, availability, and agility. Covering 40,000 square meters, the facility supplies over 725 stores in the Netherlands and Belgium with nearly 3,000 different fresh and ultra-fresh items, including dairy products, a wide selection of cheese, meat products, tapas, salads, chilled beverages, and much more. At an ambient temperature of +2 degrees Celsius, more than one million units can be picked daily using OPM (30 COM machines), AIO, and CPS modules. A fully automated shipping buffer ensures just-in-time dispatch of store-friendly stacked roll containers to the markets.

The fresh distribution centre marks the second successful collaboration between Jumbo and WITRON, following a high-performance dry goods facility. Equipped with OPM (31 COM machines), DPS, and CPS, this site can pick up to 565,000 cases on a peak day from a range of 14,300 items.

DC Heart of Supply Chain

The Dutch retail group faced a series of challenges that necessitated the construction of one of Europe’s most ambitious logistics platforms. These challenges included expected labour shortages in the future, expanding assortments in both the dry and fresh food sectors, rising consumer expectations – especially for fresh products – and growing demand for speed in both stores and online channels. Today, the highly automated fresh logistics centre in Nieuwegein, designed and implemented by WITRON as a lifetime partner, serves as the strategic centrepiece of a supply chain that is seamlessly orchestrated, adaptive, and more customer-focused than ever before. Because the consumer is the true pacesetter.

Mechanics and IT

The central distribution centre for fresh products (CDC) is designed for a daily peak capacity of 1.06 million picking units. A modular expansion for future growth has already been considered in the overall concept. All logistics areas are connected by a conveyor network that includes more than 670,000 pallet, tray, and tote storage locations, as well as 120 stacker cranes. Everything is controlled by a highly functional WITRON warehouse management system. All IT and mechanical components have been designed, manufactured, and put into operation by WITRON.

Labour, Range, Freshness

When Jumbo began shaping the future of its supply chain a few years ago, it became clear that existing structures could not meet the challenges ahead. “We expected to face challenges in the labour market, anticipated a growing number of SKUs, and set out to fundamentally redesign our fresh logistics with a clear focus on maximum customer service, freshness and sustainability,” recalls Karel de Jong, Supply Chain Director at Jumbo. The company aimed to broaden its SKU portfolio, sharpen assortment differentiation, and drive greater agility across its fresh logistics operations. At the same time, regional warehouse space became increasingly constrained as the product range continued to expand. The solution developed focused on centralizing, automating, and streamlining processes.

Precise time management is of critical importance, especially in the ultra-fresh segment. Temperature, daily operations, and weather conditions immediately impact volume.

“For us, agility means being able to respond very quickly to changing demands. A shift in weather means a shift in demand, and we need to be ready to respond,” says de Jong. “Freshness must reach the consumer’s table without delay – and not remain in the warehouse.”

The project marked a significant shift in WITRON’s internal approach. The warehouse has evolved from a standalone entity into a seamlessly integrated organ within the supply chain orchestra. Johannes Meissner, WITRON’s Technical Managing Director describes the development as follows: “The DC is no longer an isolated system, but an integral part of our customer’s organism. Only then can supply chains truly be optimized.” This transformation turns the warehouse from a pure consolidation and buffering point into a key control instrument. de Jong adds: “However, the DC does not lead the orchestra. The customer does.” Symbolically, he portrays the warehouse as the ‘first violin’ in a finely tuned supply chain orchestra – vital, leading, and setting the tone, but always part of a greater harmony.

Technology in XXL

The Nieuwegein logistics hub, featuring both dry goods and fresh food distribution centres, ranks among WITRON’s largest projects worldwide. It is equipped with more than 60 COM machines, over 1.1 million pallet, tray, and tote storage locations, approximately 200 stacker cranes, and is designed for a maximum capacity of 1.6 million picks per day. With OPM, AIO, CPS, and the automated shipping buffer, the Upper Palatinate team leverages proven technology. It guarantees peak availability, since the DC is the core of supply for Jumbo customers in the Netherlands and Belgium. An onsite service team ensures seamless operation of all IT and mechanical processes.

Both partners emphasize that success is not a matter of machine count, but of the specific requirements within each area of use. How can the system be balanced? Since all items are delivered to the stores on roll containers, seamless coordination between the subsystems is crucial to achieve maximum consolidation and space utilization. According to de Jong: “Success is not about the next machine. It’s about a perfectly tuned overall concept, with a vital role for the operators and control room team.”

Result in the Store

Automation delivers measurable benefits for the stores:
• More SKUs – with an upward trend
• Automated stacking of goods onto roll containers, tailored to the store’s shelf layout
• Consolidation of cases (picked in OPM and CPS) with pieces and totes (picked in AIO)
• Highly efficient, route-optimized truck loading enabled by advanced optimization processes within the automated shipping buffer

As a result, shelves in the store are replenished more efficiently, faster, and with less handling effort. In addition: processes previously managed via direct delivery – such as fresh fish – are now consolidated via Nieuwegein. And thanks to advanced forecast and replenishment processes, Jumbo delivers exactly what the stores truly need. The outcome for customers is enhanced freshness, a perfectly tailored assortment, and faster availability.

Packaging is a Core Competence

Automated processes require standardization, and this is reflected in the way various types of packaging are managed. “That’s why we have trained colleagues who have developed extensive expertise in this area,” says de Jong. Carton design, adhesive properties, stretch film, as well as cardboard and pallet quality are critical for material flow and load stability. WITRON and Jumbo took early action to identify critical packaging and deliver transparency to suppliers. The outcome is enhanced inbound control, resulting in more stable processes within the DC.

Employees at Jumbo were able to adapt effectively to their new tasks, moving from manual operations to an automated production process. Employees were able to gain detailed insights into future tasks within operated systems and engage in extensive exchanges with experienced users. “With a wealth of experience from projects implemented across Europe, North America, and Australia, we can offer customers comprehensive support in this vital field of change management,” emphasizes Meissner.

Technology can be purchased – culture cannot. Jumbo adopted lean principles with the Jumbo Production System (JPS), including shopfloor transparency, shift stand-ups, and a high degree of autonomous problem-solving by employees. Once a day, a central control meeting is held at the very centre of operations – not in an office, but in the work area. “Here, the colleagues analyse the previous day and review the tasks and goals for the upcoming shift. If this half hour goes well, it will be a good day,” says de Jong with a smile.

What measures can be expected next? Jumbo considers the supply chain to be an end-to-end network structure rather than a set of separate warehouses. Integrating stores, connecting with suppliers, optimizing transport routes, and automating processes – including in e-commerce, which is still handled manually today – are key pillars of the future strategy.

“Automation is not a standalone objective, but a tool applied where needed. Variety in our product range continues to define our corporate philosophy – driven by a clear focus on efficiency and economic viability,” states de Jong. Meissner gets straight to the point: “Automation built the foundation. The next chapter is all about end-to-end optimization.”

The post High-performance Warehouse Automation appeared first on Logistics Business.