According to the latest IEA report, 80% of cars sold in 2024 will still be powered by Internal Combustion Engines (ICE)2, suggesting a continuous demand for countless automotive parts and a robust logistics network to supply global manufacturing facilities and its related maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) market, for years to come.
As the world moves towards 2035 the year where ICE cars start to phase out, demand for electric vehicles (EVs) will continue to increase. The sales is forecasted to reach 17 million globally in 20242, bringing up the demand for EVs alongside new dynamics and challenges requiring logistics support.
Similarly, handling, transportation and storage challenges are rising in the battery segment. Batteries with lithium-ion as the dominant technology are classified as hazardous or dangerous goods. Intralogistics become viable solutions in strengthening the supply chain ecosystem to improve the productivity and safety of battery manufacturers and their logistics partners.
Geopolitical tensions drive many organisations to re-strategise their logistics operations and move their manufacturing locations closer to where the raw materials and end consumers are. Benefits of nearshoring include lower labour，reduced freight costs and duties, shorter lead times, and mitigation of global disruption and city lockdown risks in the case of pandemics.
The global E-commerce market is expected to hit USD 6.3 trillion in 2024, with a projection of 9% growth3. With 52% of all online shoppers shown to make their purchases globally, a strong and robust logistics ecosystem must be in place to ensure timely and accurate delivery of billions of packages to the customers. Intralogistics then becomes a solution of utmost importance as its automation enhances the efficiency in warehouse operations, with manpower employed within the facilities to ensure smooth operations using the Warehouse Management Services (WMS).
Industry 4.0 and digitalisation are not new buzzwords. Automation connects intralogistics equipment which allows for large streams of data to be available, providing organisations with real-time information for better management of logistics operations. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a new trend, where its technology provides predictive data through the analysis of historical information. This helps to ensure efficacy of warehouse operations such as improving the accuracy of delivery with information on potential delays. Many companies were also observed to have introduced some levels of intralogistics in 2023, from the deployment of Autonomous Material Transport (AMRs, AGVs, piece-picking robots etc) to an upgraded automation in conveyor and sortation systems.
At LAPP, we constantly reflect on how we can future-proof our operations to better serve our customers. Recognising the potential for significant upgrades, LAPP decides to walk the talk and make use of intralogistics to elevate customer service and efficiency.
Automated storage and retrieval systems were installed in our warehouse premises, resulting in an increase of storage space vertically within a fixed area. Thanks to this revamp at LAPP, operators and pickers in the cable harnessing team can now conveniently view the BOM lists saved within the storage database via a touch screen interface, enabling easy and quick retrieval of items from the internal trays.
To meet these challenges and set businesses for an automation-driven future, one will require the right supporting equipment. Cables are an essential part of your organisation’s infrastructure, offering the behind-the-scenes support, powering technologies, solving business problems and ensuring connectivity.
Discover the products our customers adopt from LAPP to tackle and excel in the new era of intralogistics:
