Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IMLHigh order volumes, growing complexity in global supply chains, volatile markets, and the ongoing shortage of specialists are presenting logistics companies with a wide variety of challenges. Increasing demands for transparency, delivery reliability, and efficiency are adding to the pressure. This often puts small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular under severe strain. How can they manage complex processes in the supply chain when resources are scarce, cost pressure is high, and the flood of data is difficult to keep track of? This is where the Fraunhofer IML's “Omnistics” platform comes in. The modular AI ecosystem was developed specifically for the needs of logistics companies.
With “Omnistics”, the Dortmund-based researchers want to give freight forwarding companies without extensive IT infrastructure access to AI technologies. The platform supports the optimization of logistics processes such as shipment volume forecasts, route planning, dispatching, and data analysis. The goal is to make processes more efficient and knowledge more accessible without high initial investments. For companies that struggle with complex supply chains and tight margins on a daily basis, AI can be a decisive lever for streamlining processes and ensuring competitiveness. “Companies must set the course now to benefit from more accurate forecasts, lower costs, and higher customer satisfaction in the long term – and thus maintain their position in a highly competitive market,” explains Martin Friedrich from Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund.
