The Nordic consulting firm Langebæk has appointed Lars Dam Kristensen as a partner and Chief Financial Officer of the business. The appointment is part of the company’s ongoing development and serves to strengthen the organization and its operational capabilities.

Lars joined Langebæk in 2008 and has played a central role in the company’s professionalization for more than 18 years. His contributions have extended beyond logistics consulting services to include financial management, internal processes, governance, and organizational structures—which constitute a significant part of the framework within which Langebæk operates today. As a director, Lars has been responsible for financial management, strategic planning, and internal operations, including budgeting, forecasting, internal control, risk management, and staff development strategy. This work has been crucial in building scalable and robust internal processes that support Langebæk’s growth.

– Lars has been a key figure in Langebæk’s development for many years. His deep understanding of our business, combined with his ability to translate strategy into robust structures and processes, has been fundamental to the professional foundation we stand on today. “This promotion is both a result of Lars’ long-standing commitment and an expression of the importance we place on strong internal leadership and governance as part of our partnership model,” says Peter Gyldendal, CEO of Langebæk A/S.

The partner group now consists of Peter Gyldendal, Lars Bek Jensen, Christoph Ohly, Anders Bartholin, Peter Landenberg, and Lars Dam Kristensen. The management team also includes Martin Schultz, Rudi Kjeldsen, Morten Badsberg, Peter Lamp Sørensen, Heidi Bergsveen, Anna Olsén, and Magnus Schultz.

Langebæk was founded in 1977 and is a Scandinavian consulting firm specializing in logistics and supply chain management. The company has more than 45 employees at offices in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, with its headquarters in Allerød, Denmark.

Amazon is now launching Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS) for all businesses—not just Amazon’s customers. This initiative is being compared to how Amazon Web Services evolved from supporting only the company’s own growth to becoming an extremely profitable business unit in its own right and a global market leader in cloud services.

With the launch of Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), the company’s full portfolio of shipping, distribution, order fulfillment, and delivery solutions is now available to businesses of all types and sizes. These services were originally developed to power Amazon’s own retail operations and to support independent partners around the world.

“Amazon brings the infrastructure, intelligence, and scale of our supply chain services—which have proven their strength over decades—to businesses everywhere, much like Amazon Web Services did for cloud services,” says Peter Larsen, vice president of Amazon Supply Chain Services, adding:

– The supply chain wasn’t just a function at Amazon; it was central to delivering an exceptional shopping experience. It was our key differentiator and the reason we were able to offer fast and reliable delivery like no one else. With the launch of ASCS, we’re confident that we can give all other companies access to the same cost-efficiency, reliability, and speed that we’ve built for Amazon’s customers.

The launch of ASCS now provides third-party logistics services to companies in sectors such as healthcare, the automotive industry, manufacturing, and retail. With decades of experience, ASCS helps companies improve their speed, reliability, and efficiency, and can leverage Amazon’s AI forecasting models and extensive access to delivery data, which helps optimize inventory placement. On Monday, it was also announced that Procter & Gamble is now using Amazon’s freight services to transport raw materials to production facilities and move finished goods throughout its global distribution network.

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for Swedish manufacturing rose to 57.2 in April from 56.2 in March. This is the highest level since spring 2022 and marks the tenth consecutive month above the historical average of 54.3.

“Swedish industry continues to show robust growth, despite an uncertain global environment. Disruptions in supply chains and rising raw material prices caused by developments in the Middle East are challenging, but are not yet reflected in companies’ production plans,” says Jörgen Kennemar, head of the Purchasing Managers’ Index analysis at Swedbank.

Sub-indices for new orders and delivery times contributed to the monthly increase in the PMI, while inventory purchases, employment, and production weighed on the index. The index for suppliers’ raw material and input prices rose by 11.5 index points in April to 81.3 compared with March, the highest level since May 2022.

“Supply disruptions and rising inventories are driving up prices for raw materials and inputs across the board. These factors have quickly increased cost pressures in the manufacturing sector, which will ultimately fuel inflation and put more pressure on the Riksbank,” says Kennemar.

The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is an economic indicator for the Swedish economy compiled in collaboration between Swedbank and Silf for both the manufacturing industry and the service sector. The purpose of the PMI is to provide a quick assessment of current economic conditions. Each month, economic statistics are collected from purchasing managers who are part of a survey panel. An index reading above 50 indicates growth, while an index reading below 50 indicates a decline.

AI has quickly become an integral part of transportation and logistics management. According to the Descartes European Transport Management Benchmark Study, 97 percent of European shippers and logistics providers report that they use AI to optimize their transportation operations.

The study shows that AI is primarily used to automate processes and improve the quality of decision-making. The most common use of AI is to automate and organize data, according to 41 percent of respondents. At the same time, 29 percent use AI for freight forecasting. One in three respondents states that the technology is used to procure more accurate freight capacity (32 percent) and for route and load optimization (37 percent).

Leading companies are using AI more strategically
Although AI is widely established, financially strong companies are clearly at the forefront. Among the most prosperous companies, 61 percent say they use AI to automate and structure data, while 52 percent use the technology for freight forecasting. At the same time, market leaders stand out by applying AI to a greater extent in more strategic contexts such as dynamic price optimization and berth planning, where 39 percent say they use AI solutions.

Shippers Are Ahead of Logistics Providers
The study shows that shippers have generally made more progress than logistics service providers (LSPs) in terms of technological development. For example, 45 percent of shippers use AI to automate data entry, compared to 36 percent among LSPs. A similar difference emerges in route and load optimization, where 42 percent of shippers report using AI, while the corresponding figure among LSPs is 31 percent.

Generative AI: A Growing Strategic Priority
In addition to increased use of AI in operational processes, a growing number of organizations are highlighting generative AI as a strategic priority. One-quarter of respondents (25 percent) state that the adoption of generative AI tools is crucial for improving operations and enhancing customer service.

“The widespread use of AI shows that the logistics industry has matured. The question is no longer whether to use AI, but how deeply it is integrated into decision-making and operational processes,” says Elmer Spruijt, VP of Transport Management EMEA at Descartes.

The study was conducted in 2025 and surveyed 300 senior decision-makers in logistics-intensive industries, including both shippers and logistics service providers (LSPs) in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Descartes provides cloud-based logistics solutions for responsive, secure, and sustainable supply chains. The Global Logistics Network (GLN) platform connects logistics-intensive players in a network where technology, data, and AI are used to plan, track, and optimize shipments, manage customs, and ensure compliance worldwide.

BY HANS BERGGREN, AGNETA CHRISTERSDOTTER, AND JENS DREMO 

Download the English version here

The supply chain has always been about coordination. Between demand and production. Between inventory and delivery. Between companies and operations that, in practice, depend on each other’s decisions, but are often driven by different incentives, systems, and time horizons.

That is also why the supply chain is changing at a slightly slower pace than many other sectors and industries. Not because the technology is lacking, but because the reality is complex. Many players with long and complex relationships. Add legal structures and business-critical dependencies to that, and you get a world where everyday stability is often valued higher than experimentation. At the same time, something is happening now in our world of supply chains. Not in the form of a dramatic revolution, but as a cautious curiosity about how technology can be used in entirely new ways. As the degree of digitized flows in supply chains really starts to take off, we can begin using predictive AI as a way to better understand the pace the market is already setting.

This is where predictive AI really starts to get interesting. Not because it eliminates uncertainty in the supply chain—that will always be there—but because, in certain areas, it can reduce that uncertainty. This is especially true when, as in the automotive industry, the volume of data is vast. When the range of uncertainty in the decision-making process shrinks, even marginally, it changes how people plan, order, and produce. For certain items and flows, that improvement alone may be enough to create a calmer, more synchronized behavior throughout the entire chain. We have seen this clearly in our work with the supplier side of the automotive industry. When forecast signals are analyzed over time, in combination with historical patterns, a more stable picture of demand emerges than the one often communicated in traditional forecast files. The effect isn’t dramatic at every data point, but it’s sufficient to influence inventory strategies, purchasing decisions, and production planning.

Ultimately, it’s about building supply chains that can better handle fluctuations—ones that respond more quickly, but not erratically. And ones that, as the market shifts pace, manage to keep up without losing their balance. That’s where a synchronized supply chain begins to take shape. Not perfectly. But in step.

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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.

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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.