The image shows a number of AGVs in a warehouse, intended to illustrate intralogistics

Intralogistics: Optimisation & Increased Efficiency

Stagnant material flows and excessive stock levels on the shop floor erode margins and jeopardise your ability to deliver. With optimally synchronised intralogistics, you can turn these bottlenecks into a measurable competitive advantage that ensures components are available at exactly the right time and drastically reduces your process costs.

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Intralogistics: What is it?

Modern intralogistics encompasses the holistic planning, control and execution of all material flow-related processes within a plant, from the workstation right through to upstream procurement. Primarily suited to manufacturing companies with high-variety production, optimisation leads to measurably lower stock levels, higher throughput and maximum process stability. To achieve this vision of a seamless factory, real-time data flows must be seamlessly integrated with robust lean principles such as just-in-time or just-in-sequence. Working with ebp-consulting guarantees you absolute manufacturer neutrality and the seamless synergy between Fraunhofer engineering expertise and operational IT implementation strength.

Challenges in Intralogistics

In an era of highly complex Industry 4.0 environments, manufacturing companies are increasingly struggling with a lack of transparency regarding their internal material movements. Outdated warehouse management systems and isolated data silos prevent the necessary synchronisation between production, intralogistics and procurement. At the same time, the acute shortage of skilled workers makes it imperative to replace manual transport and inefficient picking routes with intelligent automation solutions as a matter of urgency. This is precisely where ebp-consulting comes in, breaking down these structural barriers and implementing bespoke, future-proof logistics concepts based on in-depth expertise.

Minimising stock levels whilst managing high variability

The growing variety of products quickly leads to a shortage of space and costly excess stock on assembly lines if material supply is not highly dynamic and precisely synchronised. The aim is to reduce buffer stock without jeopardising the resilience and delivery reliability of production in the event of disruptions. Our consultants at ebp-consulting have mastered the balance between lean methodology and precise forecasting models to ensure accurate just-in-time or just-in-sequence processes.

System disconnects between material and data flows

Often, ERP or MES systems do not know in real time the exact physical location of load carriers or automated guided vehicles (AGVs). This lack of end-to-end data flows leads to search times, empty runs and hampers responsiveness during bottlenecks. ebp-consulting resolves these system disconnects and supports you in the seamless integration of WMS, TMS and sensor systems to ensure complete transparency.

Skills Shortage and pressure to automate

Reliable logistics staff are becoming increasingly scarce, which is increasing the operational pressure to automate monotonous transport tasks or error-prone picking processes. However, selecting the right technology – from AGVs to pick-by-vision glasses – is highly complex and requires an impartial assessment of suppliers. Benefit from the vendor-neutral ebp methodology, which we use to select and implement the most cost-effective and technically suitable automation solution for your production facility.

ebp-consulting’s intralogistics solutions

To design a future-proof factory, the flow of information and materials must mesh together perfectly, like clockwork. The following strategic and operational highlights form the foundation of our planning work and are essential to any far-reaching process restructuring. Rely on tried-and-tested best practices that ensure the transition to Intralogistics 4.0 is both economically and technically sound.

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Material Requirements Planning and Co-ordination

By precisely coordinating material requirements, batch sizes and transport intervals, we ensure a continuous supply to your production lines whilst minimising inventory levels. An intelligent breakdown of requirements prevents idle times and ensures your machines are utilised to full capacity. ebp-consulting uses advanced simulation tools and data science to schedule even highly complex production programmes in a transparent and robust manner.

Just-in-Time and Just-in-Sequence

We systematically structure your intralogistics according to the ‘line-back’ principle, so that changeover times are drastically reduced and material supply follows the production cycle with fine granularity. This reduces space requirements at the assembly site and prevents costly searching for or re-sorting of assemblies. Our practical experience from numerous automotive and mechanical engineering projects guarantees you error-free implementation of these synchronised supply methods.

Automated Picking Processes

We achieve greater precision and speed in material assembly by introducing pick-by-vision, pick-by-light or collaborative robotics. This relieves your staff of monotonous walking routes and reduces the error rate in parts provision to an absolute minimum. ebp-consulting designs and pilot-tests such picking cells on a manufacturer-independent basis to ensure the maximum return on investment (ROI) for your plant.

Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) Systems & Autonomy

The use of AGVs and autonomous vehicles enables highly flexible, safe and centralised transport control between the warehouse, supermarket zones and production lines. State-of-the-art sensor technology and collision avoidance systems allow for seamless navigation even in dynamic brownfield environments. Drawing on our expertise, we evaluate the most suitable fleet, design the network and integrate the control system securely into your existing IT architecture.

Industrial Internet of Things (IoT)

Through the targeted sensory collection of real-time data such as humidity, load security or belt speeds, we elevate your intralogistics to Industry 4.0 standards. This digital representation not only enables seamless quality assurance but also predictive maintenance of your racking and conveyor systems. We help you to structure these data sets and translate them into valuable control decisions for the shop floor.

End-to-End Data Flows and Visualisation

Physical logistics is blind without seamless integration of ERP, MES and warehouse management systems (WMS). We establish end-to-end data flows and create bespoke dashboards that visualise throughput, cycle times and capacity utilisation in real time. Our design approach provides managers with the transparency they need to take immediate corrective action in the event of bottlenecks.

Our Approach to Intralogistics with ebp-consulting

ebp-consulting combines scientifically sound analysis with a thoroughly hands-on approach to transform your intralogistics reliably, from the initial concept right through to implementation on the shop floor. Our approach is based on a structured, iterative process that minimises risks and ensures a rapid return on investment. In doing so, we always act as a neutral master planner, breaking down technology silos and holistically orchestrating material and data flows.

Systematic Analysis of the Current Situation & Data Modelling

In the first step, we set ourselves apart from traditional consultancy approaches by not only conducting interviews, but also cleaning and thoroughly structuring operational data sets using tools such as KNIME or Tableau. We scrutinise your current material flows, stock coverage and bottlenecks in detail to reveal the actual potential for optimisation, moving beyond gut feelings. This data-driven methodology enables us to define the exact state of your intralogistics. Building on this, we establish a robust foundation for all subsequent simulation and planning steps.
Concept Development & Technology Selection

What makes the ebp approach unique is our radical independence from manufacturers when designing your new intralogistics system. We evaluate automation technology, WMS software and AGV fleets purely on the basis of their technical and economic benefits for your specific business case. Whether you require a highly flexible supermarket model or a fully automated buffer warehouse – we translate lean production requirements into watertight specifications. In doing so, we protect you from poor decisions and excessive vendor lock-in.
Implementation Support & Go-Live

We do not simply provide you with theoretical presentations; instead, we support the tendering process, installation and commissioning of the new systems directly on the shop floor. Our interdisciplinary team takes charge of project management (PMO), coordinates the complex interfaces between construction, IT and logistics, and ensures the schedule is met through strict quality gates. This focus on the practical realities of implementation clearly sets us apart from pure strategy consultants. With ebp-consulting at your side, the go-live of your Industry 4.0 processes will run efficiently, smoothly and on schedule.

Delivering excellence in intralogistics: your project options with ebp-consulting

Rely on ebp-consulting’s scientifically sound methodology, proven implementation expertise and absolute manufacturer neutrality to realise your intralogistics project with maximum investment security.

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Holistic consultancy project (end-to-end)

In an end-to-end project, we assume overall responsibility from the initial potential analysis through detailed planning to successful commissioning. You receive a turnkey solution in which material flow, building infrastructure and system landscape interlock seamlessly. This holistic approach eliminates costly interface losses and reliably secures the projected return on investment for you.

Flexible Deployment of Experts / Interim Management

Should you lack the internal capacity to manage complex automation or software roll-outs, our interim managers will immediately bridge these critical bottlenecks. Our logistics professionals integrate seamlessly into your teams, manage service providers and drive implementation forward with their hands-on approach. In this way, we ensure that your projects do not stall, but are rolled out on the shop floor swiftly and in a targeted manner.

Strategic Quick Check / On-site Audit

A standardised intralogistics audit quickly identifies hidden cost drivers, process breaks and inefficiencies in your existing material flow. Through a combination of data analysis and a shop floor inspection (Gemba Walk), we identify quick wins that can be implemented immediately. This provides you with a sound basis for decision-making and a roadmap to modernise your factory logistics in a targeted manner without major upfront investment.

Questions and answers on optimising intralogistics

At what company size or level of complexity does automation in intralogistics become cost-effective?

Automation is not necessarily linked to company size, but rather to factors such as throughput, product variety, shift patterns and labour costs. As soon as repetitive transport routes, high error rates in order picking or an acute shortage of skilled labour begin to limit growth, the use of AGVs or robotics becomes economically viable. Before any investment, we assess the business case using data-driven analysis and often simulate the system in advance using a digital twin. Even for small and medium-sized enterprises, scalable, modular Industry 4.0 solutions offer lucrative payback periods, often of less than three years.

What is the difference between intralogistics and extralogistics?

Intralogistics manages and optimises all material and data flows within a company’s own premises, whereas extralogistics handles the physical exchange of goods between suppliers, different company sites and end customers. Whilst issues such as warehouse automation, supermarket models and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) dominate in-plant planning, the external network focuses on freight cost optimisation, global route planning and the choice of transport mode. As a holistic supply chain partner, ebp-consulting seamlessly synchronises both worlds, ensuring that the efficiency gains you achieve on the shop floor are not negated by inefficiencies at the loading bay.

How much of our team’s time and resources will be required during such an optimisation project?

We are aware that your day-to-day business is your top priority and that your internal resources are already stretched to the limit. That is why our consultants take charge of the entire project management (PMO), data preparation and communication with plant manufacturers and software suppliers. You will be involved in a targeted and time-efficient manner at defined quality gates to make strategic decisions on the direction to take. Should the operational pressure nevertheless become too high, we will provide you with experienced interim managers who will temporarily take on operational tasks.

What does an intralogistics specialist do?

An intralogistics specialist plans, controls and optimises the entire physical flow of materials as well as the associated digital data streams within a site. They implement automated warehousing technologies, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and smart replenishment concepts based on the ‘line-back’ principle to ensure efficient production supply with minimal stock levels. Through the seamless integration of hardware and WMS software, they eliminate bottlenecks on the shop floor, measurably reduce process costs and increase the flexibility of the entire plant’s logistics operations.

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