The Overlooked Challenge in Intralogistics
In many industrial companies, containers play a crucial role by transporting raw materials, semi-finished goods, or finished products within the plant or between different locations. Yet in practice, container management often remains a blind spot. Questions like “Where is a specific container?”, “Is it full or already empty?”, or “Was the correct container loaded?” frequently remain unanswered. Manual processes, error-prone scanning, and the absence of a comprehensive digital system result in lack of transparency, extra workload, and avoidable costs.
Consequently, employees waste valuable time searching for containers, mistakes lead to production errors, and inadequate traceability complicates quality assurance.
A project from the stone processing industry in the U.S. demonstrates a better approach. By introducing IdentPro’s Warehouse Execution System (WES), processes were not only digitized but also yielded measurable economic benefits.
Digital container cycle in real time
Use Case: Container Management in the Stone Industry
A major U.S. manufacturer of finely ground stone materials faced a common problem: identical-looking containers were managed manually, filling occurred without digital feedback, and loading was based on assumptions. This resulted in incorrect deliveries, high circulation rates, and significant search efforts.
Implementing the WES fundamentally changed this scenario. Each container received a unique ID and was represented as a digital twin. Real-time tracking allowed for seamless monitoring of all container movements. Status information such as “full,” “empty,” or “loading” was automatically updated in the system.
Results Achieved:
To meet the increasing customer requirements and maximize process efficiency, the goal was clear: Achieve 100% transparency over all container inventories to enhance overall process performance. For this reason, ELA chose IdentPro’s Warehouse Execution System to optimize existing processes and significantly improve productivity.
How Does it Work Technically? A peek under the cover
The IdentPro WES integrates several key technologies into a holistic system:
Digital Twins
Unique Container Identification
Real-Time Location System (RTLS)
System Integration
Process Automation
More Than Just a Use Case – Cross-Industry Relevance
The advantages described are not limited to the stone industry but illustrate significant value for manufacturing companies across various sectors. Numerous additional applications can be derived:
Additional Application Areas:
Food industry
batch container traceability and hygiene control
Chemical & pharmaceutical
mandatory documentation and secure identification of hazardous material containers
Automotive industry
reusable container management in just-in-sequence production processes
Consumer goods & retail
optimization of internal container cycles in distribution centers
Digitally mapping container fleets promotes sustainable cycles, reduces the need for additional containers, and enhances the resilience of the entire logistics chain against disruptions.
Process automation via conveyor belt
Why Digitalization Should Never Stop
Implementing a WES system is not the endpoint of container management digitalization but rather the starting point for further automation. Reliable real-time data enable companies to take further steps toward the future. Smarter decisions leveraging existing resources become possible, simultaneously reducing costs and scaling production profitably.
Future development pathways:
- AI-based forecasting of bottlenecks and demand (predictive analytics)
- Fully automated scheduling across all warehouse levels
- Integration of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) into container loops
- Dynamic simulation of material flows based on digital twins
Companies investing in real-time transparency today lay the foundation for self-steering intralogistics processes tomorrow.
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