Consafe Logistics and Idnet AB, a member of the Lexit Group, have entered into a partnership that combines WMS software, hardware, implementation, and on-site expertise into a coordinated solution. The goal is simple: to make it easier for companies to improve their warehouse operations without increasing complexity.

Lexit Group is now strengthening its offering through partnerships centered on Astro WMS and Astro Go WMS, and will also serve as an implementation partner for customers who choose Astro Go WMS. The collaboration builds on Consafe Logistics’ existing partnership with Optidev, which was recently acquired by Lexit Group. By combining Consafe Logistics’ software portfolio with Lexit Group’s expertise in warehouse management and related technologies such as hardware and flexible automation, a comprehensive joint offering is created, which simplifies implementation, reduces risk, and minimizes the need for multiple vendors.

– Successful warehouse operations aren’t just about offering a leading WMS system; they’re about how the solution works in combination with expertise and a forward-looking partnership. This is a vision we share with Lexit Group. We are very excited to take this next step together and see great potential in what we can achieve jointly. For customers, this means a more cohesive warehouse solution that meets today’s needs while creating room for continued development and growth, says Patrik Olsson, Chief Operating Officer at Consafe Logistics. 

– This partnership is an important strategic step in expanding our WMS offering. Through our collaboration with Consafe Logistics, we can reach new customer segments and support a wider variety of warehouse operations, while continuing to be a long-term and reliable partner throughout the entire value chain. Consafe Logistics’ strong Nordic presence and established support organization also strengthen our joint ability to create long-term customer value,” says Petter Lagström, CEO of Idnet AB and Lexit Group Sweden AB.

At the IKEA store in Helsingborg, a small team in the warehouse has developed a simple and innovative solution that is entirely in the spirit of founder Ingvar Kamprad: warehouse operations using the AI-powered Moonwalkers robots.

It all started simply. An Ikea employee saw an ad for Moonwalkers robotic shoes, ordered a pair, and tested them at work. The result? A 16 percent increase in picking productivity per hour.

“Our colleagues have responded very positively—and so have our customers. There’s a genuine sense of excitement. People see something new, something that works, and it sparks their curiosity. That energy is what drives us to keep looking for better ways of doing things,” says Sebastian Carlius, Fulfilment Operations Manager at IKEA Helsingborg.

What makes this story special is how it began: not as a top-down directive, but as a team that saw an opportunity and decided to explore it. It is in that spirit—with curiosity, hands-on commitment, and a willingness to take responsibility and experiment—that IKEA was once founded in the heart of Småland.

Gina Tricot is investing in a new, highly automated logistics hub in Viared, Borås, and has selected Element Logic as the system integrator for its entire warehouse operations. The initiative aims to consolidate warehouse operations, streamline the company’s workflows, and create a unified platform for retail, e-commerce, and returns processing.

With the rapid growth of e-commerce and the goal of consolidating multiple warehouses into a single facility, Gina Tricot, in collaboration with Element Logic, has conducted a comprehensive analysis of its future logistics needs. The result is a fully automated end-to-end solution centered around AutoStore, complemented by conveyor systems, automated packing, and the complete Element Logic Warehouse Software suite.

“Our business operates at a fast pace, with short lead times and significant fluctuations in volume. For us, it was crucial to find a solution that could handle the entire workflow—from inbound to store, e-commerce, and returns—all within a single system,” says Petri Ventelä, Logistics Manager at Gina Tricot.

6,000 order lines per hour
The automated facility is designed to handle approximately 6,000 order lines per hour and includes 162 AutoStore robots, a grid with 100,000 storage locations, and fully automated processes for inbound, picking, packing, and returns, among other operations.

“This is a strategic investment that gives us control, efficiency, and a stable platform for continued growth in e-commerce, retail, and B2B,” says Ted Boman, CEO of Gina Tricot.

“Gina Tricot started out in a complex situation with high volumes, numerous workflows, and clear growth requirements. Our role has been to help them make the right decisions from the start and build a solution that is efficient, scalable, and sustainable over time. This is system integration in practice,” says Anders Bohlin, Sales Director at Element Logic Scandinavia.

In recent years, intralogistics and automation specialist KNAPP has been investing increasingly in its growing software business. Its latest initiative is the AI platform KNAPP Brain, which was officially launched at the LogiMat trade show in late March.

– KNAPP isn’t particularly well-known as a software company, but we want to change that. For a long time, software was merely a tool to make warehouse automation work; today, it is absolutely crucial for optimizing and streamlining broader supply chain flows, not just what happens in the warehouse, explains Mario Berger, Content & Communication Manager at KNAPP with over 20 years of experience in the software industry.

KNAPP’s software portfolio includes solutions for everything from inventory management and automation to transportation planning and analysis. Most solutions are part of the KiSoft suite, and for customers using SAP as their business system, a number of SAP solutions are available that have been optimized specifically for use with KNAPP’s automation technology. These solutions are now complemented by the KNAPP Brain AI platform. 

“AI has become a buzzword with an unclear meaning. At the LogiMat trade show, you don’t always get the best answers from industry companies when you ask how they actually work with AI. We didn’t want to be part of that—we didn’t want to say we work with AI unless we could demonstrate very concretely what we actually do and how it creates value. That’s why we waited until now,” says Mario.

KNAPP Brain handles everything from forecasting to last-mile delivery and is structured around four key areas: forecasting, order management, robotics and vision, and route optimization. These terms were deliberately chosen to be very clear, rather than to impress.

“Everyone knows what those words mean. We wanted to use simple terminology that people actually understand and not contribute to creating even more confusion around AI,” he says, noting that AI technology provides practical benefits for customers by reducing errors, speeding up processes, stabilizing workflows, and ultimately giving client companies a competitive edge. 

“We know exactly how many orders are coming in, what the lead time is throughout the warehouse, and how many boxes have passed a particular sensor. And we can link that information from the sensor level all the way up to the business system,” Mario explains.

KNAPP has also tested integrating external data sources. In a conceptual test, historical order data was combined with marketing information and social media data to predict upcoming order peaks, resulting in an accuracy rate of over 90 percent.

“The challenge here isn’t technical, but relational, because customers don’t always want to share their market data,” Mario explains. 

“For example, AI-powered camera systems have reduced the number of complaints by 60 percent. Intelligent route optimization has reduced customers’ vehicle fleets by 25 percent, and with AI-supported resource planning, customers have reduced their manual planning work by up to 75 percent,” he says, also noting that their own picking robots, Pick-it-Easy, have image recognition and machine learning integrated to make the robots’ work as efficient and accurate as possible. 

KNAPP Brain is a platform that is constantly evolving. In the coming months alone, the platform will be equipped with built-in chatbots for WMS and additional analytics tools. The specific use of the AI platform depends on which products KNAPP’s customers use. For example, TMS customers gain access to AI-driven route planning, and those using the software for work and personnel planning gain access to the platform’s AI-based forecasting tools, and so on. 

“Regardless of the application, the goal is to provide real-time insights that reduce complexity and enable faster and better decisions throughout the value chain, from resource planning to final delivery,” Mario concludes.

—

Text and interview by Stefan Karlöf and Marika Karlöf

Scandinavia has long been a leader in ESG and sustainability in the supply chain. The next step will be to leverage AI and other benefits of digitalization to strengthen ESG across all metrics, according to Bo Schwartz, Sales Director at Körber Supply Chain.

In the Nordic region, warehouse automation is the norm rather than the exception. This stands in contrast to many other parts of the world and is a natural consequence of our technological maturity and relatively high wage levels, which make it costly to operate large warehouses or distribution centers manually. At the same time, this is a key reason why we are at the forefront of sustainability.

– As soon as a warehouse or factory in our part of the world reaches a certain size, we automate it. It’s in our DNA to optimize by reducing energy consumption, and we have many years of experience collecting and analyzing production data to continuously identify areas for improvement. The ability to collect data is becoming increasingly important as AI is implemented more and more in production environments, says Bo Schwartz, Sales Director at Körber Supply Chain.

“Lower energy consumption, reduced waste, and better use of space are key drivers for all our customers. This leads to both a reduced environmental impact and financial optimization. When we look at the ‘S’ in ESG, our customers also recognize the value of increasing productivity while improving the work environment through fewer heavy lifts, less stress, and increased safety in the warehouse,” says Bo Schwartz.

– We should not underestimate the importance of the “G” for future investments in automation. Good governance creates greater transparency and better traceability, which is crucial, especially in the food and pharmaceutical industries. It also enables better risk management. More data from more parts of the process strengthens overall ESG reporting, so data and AI improve both production and simplify administrative work, says Bo Schwartz.

– Since we in Scandinavia are at the forefront of both automation and sustainability, we have a head start that digitalization now gives us the opportunity to build upon. When we form partnerships with Scandinavian companies, we work together to strengthen the Nordic region’s position in the global marketplace.

ABB Robotics is launching its new PoWa cobot family in the rapidly growing market for collaborative robots—a market that is projected to grow by 20 percent annually over the next two years.

“Cobots are a segment that is growing significantly faster than traditional industrial robots, driven by demand from both small and medium-sized enterprises that are just beginning their automation journey, as well as large companies,” says Andrea Cassoni, Head of Collaborative Robots at ABB Robotics, and continues:

– These customers are looking for higher speeds and greater payloads, but also robots that are easier to use and feature a compact design. Established manufacturers want to automate heavier-duty applications with faster cycle times without the complexity and operational inflexibility associated with traditional industrial robots. We are meeting these needs with the global launch of our high-speed cobot family, powa—a name that symbolizes powerful, industrial-grade performance in the form of a compact collaborative robot.

The new PoWa family is designed to bridge the gap between traditional cobots—which often lack the speed and payload required for industrial applications—and conventional industrial robots, which are designed for highly specialized, large-scale automation environments that far exceed the needs of many collaborative tasks. With PoWa, ABB Robotics expands its cobot portfolio with industrial-grade performance.

PoWa cobots are extremely easy to use thanks to programmable buttons on the arm-side interface and code-free programming, and they are compatible with an extensive ecosystem of third-party accessories. PoWa can be unpacked and up and running in less than an hour and offers seamless plug-and-play capabilities with a wide range of tools. Here, connectivity and industrial-grade performance are combined with the flexibility of collaborative robots.

The new cobots are powered by ABB’s OmniCore control platform, delivering motion control, speed, and precision, and can be integrated with ABB Robotics’ ever-expanding suite of AI-driven software. Ensuring that collaborative robots can perform more tasks, in more locations, and execute them faster, safer, and smarter is part of ABB Robotics’ vision for more autonomous and versatile robotics. By developing intelligent, flexible, adaptive, and versatile collaborative robots, the robots’ ability to learn, understand, and plan independently is further enhanced, giving them greater autonomy and versatility.

ABB Robotics is one of the world’s leading robotics companies, with a comprehensive and integrated AI-driven portfolio that includes robots, cobots, and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).

Swisslog, a leading provider of data-driven warehouse automation, is expanding its range of automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) for pallet handling with AgileStore. The new solution is described as the next-generation self-driving pallet shuttle (a 4-way shuttle), and the system is designed to maximize storage density, optimize space, and enable flexible, fully automated material flows.

With AgileStore, Swisslog is expanding its ASRS offering for pallet handling, strengthening the company’s ASRS portfolio by adding an autonomous pallet shuttle system alongside the established PowerStore pallet shuttle system (a two-way shuttle) and the established Vectura pallet crane.

“Today’s warehouses need automation solutions that go beyond the limitations of traditional shuttle systems,” says Alexander Leitner, EVP of Strategy & Markets at Swisslog, and continues:

– The autonomous pallet shuttle can move between aisles and levels, enabling efficient pallet handling and scalable performance as storage needs change.

According to the Financial Times, as cited by Reuters, China has urged Maersk and MSC Shipping (Mediterranean Shipping Company) to shut down their ports in Panama just weeks after they were taken over from Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison, which recently had its port rights revoked.

Maersk and MSC, for their part, have argued that their temporary port rights are necessary to keep trade flowing through the Panama Canal and therefore continue to operate port terminals in Balboa and Cristóbal. Officials from China’s powerful National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) are reported to have demanded in meetings with Maersk and MSC that the companies immediately cease their port operations. According to the Financial Times, the Chinese representatives also urged the shipping giants “not to engage in illegal activities that harm Chinese business interests and to uphold business ethics and international rules.”

The Municipality of Eskilstuna has awarded a direct contract for pinDeliver’s transport planning software. The solution will be used at the municipality’s Transshipment and Logistics Center (OLC) to improve the planning, monitoring, and management of freight transport.

Through the direct procurement of pinDeliver’s transport management system, the City of Eskilstuna is taking the next step in the development of its logistics operations. The new solution will be part of the effort to establish clearer oversight and better conditions for coordination among the city’s various operations.

“For us, this is an important step toward modernizing our approach to transportation. We want better tools to track our logistics and develop our operations over time,” says Sofie Salomon, Developer, Eskilstuna Municipality.

Work on implementing the solution will begin this spring.

“We are very grateful for the trust placed in us. We are now looking forward to getting started and delivering tangible benefits to Eskilstuna Municipality’s daily transportation operations,” says Patrik Thelandersson, CEO of pinDeliver.

Through its partnership with the City of Eskilstuna, pinDeliver continues to support municipalities that want to manage their logistics and coordinated goods distribution in a more structured way. Today, the solution is used in several of Sweden’s largest municipalities, either because the municipality itself has procured the system or through carriers that use the platform to make deliveries.

“We’re seeing more municipalities begin to set higher standards for control and transparency in their transport flows. This can be achieved in various ways—either by procuring their own logistics system or by contracting carriers that can deliver the required level of transparency and tracking. Regardless of the approach, it’s important for the municipality to maintain control over its flows and data,” says Thelandersson.

pinDeliver is a cloud-based Transport Management System (TMS) that helps companies digitize and streamline their deliveries.

Tempcon Group—a leading player in temperature-controlled logistics in the Nordic region—has grown rapidly through the acquisition of strong, local transport and logistics companies with deep specialized expertise and close customer relationships. The Group, which currently consists of nine subsidiaries, is now unifying all its operations under a single brand: Tempcon.

The aim is to create greater clarity in the market and make it easier for customers to understand the Group’s overall offering. When all companies bear the Tempcon name, both legally and commercially, it also becomes clearer that they are part of the same organization with shared strength, capacity, and quality assurance.

“By uniting more clearly under a single brand, we are demonstrating our full strength. For our customers, this means easier access to our entire range of services, regardless of where in the organization the collaboration begins,” says Christian Hallberg, CEO of Tempcon Group.

Brand harmonization is a strategic step toward strengthening Tempcon’s position in a market with increasing demands for quality, sustainability, and delivery reliability. At the same time, the Group will continue to build on the foundations of its success: a strong local presence, entrepreneurship, and close collaboration with customers.

“We often say that what makes us unique in the industry is that we’re big enough to deliver, but small enough to really care. We’ll continue with this winning combination, but now with greater clarity toward the market as well,” concludes Christian Hallberg.

Tempcon offers customized, climate-efficient logistics solutions throughout the entire value chain—from producer to consumer—including domestic and international transport, 3PL services, last-mile delivery, and traceability throughout the cold chain. The Group has annual revenue of SEK 3.1 billion and employs over 1,500 people.