Werben im Podcast: Der Logistik Podcast

With the Order Picking Network (OPN), WITRON is redefining logistics. The focus is no longer solely on automation performance, but on the overall value created through the interaction across warehouse, transport, store, and enterprise levels. For WITRON’s managing directors, Helmut Prieschenk and Karl Högen, OPN therefore marks a paradigm shift: away from traditional optimization within the logistics center towards end-to-end, data-based, and dynamic network optimization.

WITRON rückt mit dem Order Picking Network, kurz OPN, die Logistik in eine neue Perspektive. Nicht mehr allein die Leistung der Automatisierung steht im Mittelpunkt, sondern der Gesamt-Beitrag im Zusammenspiel von Warehouse, Transport, Store und Enterprise-Ebene. Für die beiden WITRON CEOs Helmut Prieschenk und Karl Högen markiert OPN deshalb einen Paradigmenwechsel: von der klassischen Optimierung im Logistikzentrum, hin zu einer durchgängigen, datenbasierten und dynamischen Netzwerkoptimierung.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr Stefan Bauer to look back at the exciting development of the Corrugated Board Business Unit at WITRON. We talk about 15 years of innovation, the shift from electrical engineering to comprehensive software solutions, and how CPMS has revolutionised the corrugated board industry. Particularly fascinating: we discuss the role artificial intelligence plays in packaging management today and tomorrow, and how new technologies are shaping our industry. Personal anecdotes, technological milestones and a look ahead to the future provide a deep insight into our work.

In dieser Episode blicke ich gemeinsam mit Dr. Stefan Bauer auf die spannende Entwicklung der Wellpappen-Business-Unit bei WITRON zurück. Wir sprechen über 15 Jahre Innovation, den Wandel von Elektrotechnik zu umfassenden Softwarelösungen und wie CPMS die Wellpappenindustrie revolutioniert hat. Besonders spannend: Wir diskutieren, welche Rolle künstliche Intelligenz heute und morgen im Verpackungsmanagement spielt und wie neue Technologien unsere Branche prägen. Persönliche Anekdoten, technologische Meilensteine und ein Ausblick auf die Zukunft geben einen tiefen Einblick in unsere Arbeit.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Stefan Bauer to unpack how AI—especially generative models and classic algorithms—are reshaping the packaging industry through CPMS. We dive into the real applications of chatbots, multilingual documentation, and automated order entry, revealing both the immediate wins and the complexities of integrating AI into established workflows. You’ll hear our candid discussion on why 80% accuracy is often enough in industrial settings, what it takes to move from support bots to true workflow agents, and how partnerships are accelerating innovation. If you’re curious about the future of AI in manufacturing, from practical implementations to ambitious visions, this conversation offers a front-row seat to what’s next.

In this episode, I sit down with Tobias Reiter to explore how our CPMS software is evolving alongside our customers' needs. We unpack the annual Statement of Direction, revealing how feedback from our user community directly shapes our roadmap. From building a collaborative forum where even competitors share insights, to integrating AI-driven solutions like chatbots and intelligent agents, we’re committed to keeping CPMS at the forefront of the corrugated packaging industry. We also discuss our major technology upgrade journey and the real impact of AI on both white-collar and shop floor environments. Join us as we share candid stories, challenges, and the vision driving the next generation of packaging management.

In this episode, I sit down with Karel De Jong from Jumbo and Johannes Meißner from Witron to unpack the real impact of next-generation warehousing. We dive deep into how centralization and automation are rewriting the rules of supply chain agility, with fresh food logistics as our stage. From overcoming labor shortages to integrating technology that keeps freshness at the forefront, we explore what it means to play the 'first violin' in the logistics orchestra. You'll hear firsthand how Jumbo's innovative facility became a model of efficiency and adaptability, and why the end consumer still calls the tune. Join us as we reveal the strategies, challenges, and future vision shaping the modern supply chain.

Richard Kearns always knows how his supply chains, his new warehouse in Hernando, Mississippi, or his logistics processes are performing - because he receives immediate feedback every single day. As Executive Vice President of Distribution & Logistics at Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), he serves demanding customers: the store operators are independent retailers who expect to be impressed by logistics performance every day. This is made possible by a highly automated full-range logistics center, designed and implemented by WITRON, which supplies 3,400 stores with a portfolio of currently 54,600 different dry, fresh, and frozen items. The facility is designed for a daily picking capacity of more than 460,000 cases and ranks among the most innovative and high-performance logistics centers in the United States. The results achieved are impressive. Labor and transportation costs have been significantly reduced.

At its distribution centers in Brisbane and Sydney, Coles uses state-of-the-art WITRON technology to pick 1.6 billion sales units annually from a dry goods range comprising 19,000 different items. More than 90 percent of these items are picked either fully automatically or at semi-automated workstations. The WITRON solution has fundamentally transformed not only the processes in the distribution centers but also enhanced efficiency and product availability in the stores. Working conditions for Coles’ employees have also significantly improved. As a result, nearly 18 million kilograms of manual lifting and carrying have been completely eliminated each week across the entire supply chain. By halving the required footprint compared to a manual warehouse, the ecological impact has been substantially reduced - enabling the implementation of a business model that is both economically viable and environmentally sustainable. A third, even larger logistics center is already under construction in Melbourne.

Food retailer Axfood and its logistics partner WITRON planned and implemented a forward-looking omnichannel distribution centre. From here, more than 1,500 stores and many thousands of end customers will be supplied with a wide range of over 22,000 dry, fresh and frozen items via click + collect and home delivery. The highly automated facility is designed for a daily picking performance of 1.6 million pick units.

He describes how the typical WITRON mentality - pragmatic, direct and often stubborn - helps to shape the company's success and the challenges that growing diversity brings with it.

Er beschreibt, wie die typische WITRON-Mentalität – pragmatisch, direkt und oft stur – den Erfolg des Unternehmens mitgestaltet und welche Herausforderungen die wachsende Vielfalt mit sich bringt.

The two experts share their experiences from international projects and explain how companies can prepare their employees, IT and processes for these extensive changes.

Die beiden Experten teilen ihre Erfahrungen aus internationalen Projekten und erläutern, wie Unternehmen ihre Mitarbeiter, IT und Prozesse auf diese umfassenden Veränderungen vorbereiten können.

Dr Stefan Bauer, Business Unit Director at WITRON, and Dominik Simbeck, Head of Competence Center Basis Project Support at WITRON, report on WITRON's interface offensive in the podcast - architecturally, in the UX process and in visualisation.