“Flexibility is required” — Interview with Andreas Löwe from the IWML podcast

The podcast “Something with Logistics” (IWML for short) deals week after week with a wide range of topics from the exciting world of logistics, told by logisticians for logisticians. The first IWML report has now been published, to which experts from the industry have contributed expert contributions — including Lennart Bochmann from SYNAOS. Reason enough to ask Andreas Löwe from IWML a few questions.

In your podcast, you talk to many different people from the logistics industry and get insights about current developments. What are the most exciting trends right now?

Andreas Löwe: Basically, it can be said that all technologies that support flexibility are currently in great demand. As a result, automation and additional digitization measures must be introduced, scaled and replaced more easily. Providers must therefore rethink when it comes to software, but also from a business and financial point of view.

In addition, it is still a matter of automating simple and often repetitive processes. This applies in particular to the handling of heavy and large goods as well as in non-ergonomic areas in order to make optimal use of the precious human resource.

In the end, however, it is about customers wanting to receive the best possible service. They are now demanding this through experience with the well-known big players and require it. Internal improvements can improve this service, but also transportation (middle- and Last-mile). Ultimately, delivery is characterized by high speed, for example. In summary, logistics is still the provision of goods or goods at the right time, in the right place and in the right quantity. This is also reflected in current trending topics.

Time to look into the future: Which developments or technologies will determine the next few years?

Tough question! Even though no one probably doesn't want to hear it anymore, e-commerce will certainly be a major driver for the near future, especially in previously rather atypical industries. The topic of omnichannel is becoming increasingly relevant for chain stores, and thanks to Q-Commerce models, a lot will happen even in small areas within cities.

Anything that involves predicting the next three to four years is probably better left to fortune tellers, as technological change is being driven forward incredibly fast.

What is the mood in the industry: Are decision makers interested in innovations and new technologies — or do caution and skepticism reign supreme?

I think the topic of innovation is more present than ever! This can be positive or negative. In any case, it is positive that the willingness to deal with new technologies is increasing. Even though there are still many traditional decision makers, there is currently a generational change taking place here, from which everyone can benefit. However, some major players are still trying to remove innovations with great potential from the market and thus gain competitive advantages.

How does this compare to Germany in other countries?

In mechanical engineering in particular, Germany has always been and is very strong and will certainly continue to do so. Germany and many other European countries already have funding for corresponding investments for development as well as for users in their program. However, these must certainly be expanded and, above all, be more easily accessible so that funding also reaches where it is needed.

It is important for future development that you manage to build up the necessary software resources and find developers and retain them in the long term. We're still lagging behind.

Which mindset should the industry finally say goodbye to?

There is often a desire for perfection in Germany. Driven by JIT or JIS manufacturing supplies, companies are sometimes somewhat risk-averse, which can prevent the use of innovations. In addition, there is often the approach “what worked 20 years ago also works well today.” Anyone who thinks this way is turning to the tried and tested. But time will also bring about changes here: Anyone who doesn't understand how to be innovative today will lose touch in five years at the latest — this affects all areas of logistics.

IWML recently released the 100th episode — congratulations! How did you get the idea to start a podcast?

With the podcast, we originally wanted to appeal to the masses and make logistics more accessible to them. After the first three episodes, however, it was clear: We are closed nerdy on the go. That was and is just our nature, as we are thoroughbred logisticians ourselves. That is why we have decided to continue the format with intensive technical discussions, which are sometimes also very technical. I now believe that we have a very solid fan base, which consists of users and providers alike. But all listeners are very likely geeks similar to us when it comes to logistics.

And what is the response?

The feedback we receive is actually 100 percent positive. Our guests appreciate the relaxed but demanding exchange of blows — our listeners play back that we manage to bring specialist topics across in an entertaining way.

What are your plans for 2021 and 2022? When does your website go live?

There are now a great many plans, some of them megalomaniac. In fact, we implement a lot intuitively and deal with the topics that we — and hopefully consumers too — enjoy the most. We recently launched our weekly video format on YouTube where we try to demystify things. We try out technical devices, put things into operation and test limits. Or we simply look at logistics on site and pick from the warehouse. We will probably set up other regular formats here.

Otherwise, we are currently massively planning the launch of our website and monthly reports. We expect to start on September 1. Based on this, a number of further content and services are planned. This means that we have something for everyone. You can listen to, watch, or read our content. The only thing missing is on site — that is also being planned.

You have now published your first report as an e-book. What do you hope to get out of it?

It is our intention that a written product gives us another level of seriousness. We are currently just a small bunch of logisticians doing something with audio and video on the Internet. However, the media are not even known to all potentially interested parties. With the intensive technical reports in a truly modern format, we offer the opportunity to purchase summaries of content of individual topics and in a very simple way as PDF to consume. There will probably also be a print-on-demand version of the reports at some point.

Thank you very much for the interview and good luck with your “megalomaniac plans”!

The report “Driverless Transport” is now available free of charge on the website of Irgendwas mit Logistik ready to download. There is, for example, the IWML podcast on Apple Podcasts or spotify. New episodes are released weekly.

By the way, episode #81 was SYNAOS CEO Wolfgang Hackenberg visits and explained how complexity in logistics can be used effectively.

There are new biweekly cooperation episodes created with Digital Hub Logistics. Also new is the IWML YouTube channel: Fresh videos go online there every Wednesday.

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