If Your Package Is Late, Blame the Lack of Interoperability

Despite increasing automation, intralogistics remains inefficient. One key reason: a lack of interoperability between different systems. Read on to learn about the challenges and solutions.

By Julian Borchert-al-Huribi

nteroperability has been a buzzword in the logistics industry for quite some time, but in practice, it has yet to gain real traction. Today, automated and autonomous vehicles and robots are already being deployed in warehouses, logistics centers, and factories worldwide. However, these often come from different manufacturers, making seamless communication between them difficult.  

Experts emphasize that interoperability is one of the most important logistics trends of our time—and a key factor in the widespread implementation of mobile robots. Yet, the lack of interoperability continues to slow down efficiency. The dominance of manually operated forklift fleets and the incompatibility of different transport systems in terms of communication and control have turned intralogistics into a bottleneck.

As mobile robots navigate warehouses and factories, they must operate and interact in shared spaces. Without a certain level of interoperability, that is impossible and jeopardizes workplace safety and reliable order fulfillment—especially when human workers are nearby.

A centralized control system and a common communication interface that enables robots to interact with each other offer a solution to this problem.

Interoperability as an Accelerator for Intralogistics

Many of us experience the consequences of (missing) interoperability regularly: Even in 2025, delivery times for goods and products still span multiple business days. The time an item takes to move from manufacturer to consumer is directly tied to the agility of warehouses and logistics centers along the supply chain. Ensuring interoperability lays the foundation for operational excellence in intralogistics.

Intralogistics decision-makers face a seemingly enormous challenge: successfully integrating the mechanical and human elements of their operations efficiently and safely. Automated and autonomous transport vehicles, each equipped with different technologies, must coexist with service robots, conveyor systems, manned forklifts, tugger trains, and warehouse workers operating picking carts or pallet trucks. At the same time, mobile robots must also be interoperable with each other.

"Interoperability has many facets. Two of the most crucial: Humans and machines must be efficiently managed on the shop floor, leveraging their respective capabilities and limitations. That’s when true efficiency emerges," says Dr. Lennart Bochmann, CPO, CRO, and co-founder of SYNAOS.  

He highlights the core issue in modern intralogistics: "Given the increasing diversification of robot fleets, the industry must recognize the communication challenges posed by a lack of interoperability. As robots become more autonomous, it is vital that they communicate effectively with each other and a central control unit. Establishing and maintaining interoperability is one of the biggest challenges—but also a key lever for ensuring smooth intralogistics operations. Without it, operational delays, collisions, or even serious accidents become inevitable."

How Interoperability enhances Workplace Safety in Intralogistics

Thanks to advanced technologies, mobile robots can now be deployed in a growing number of scenarios. However, a central control system for the robot fleet must ensure that manually operated forklifts do not interfere with autonomous robots—and vice versa.

"Safety is a central aspect of interoperability," Bochmann continues. "From an occupational safety perspective, one of the most fundamental principles is that manual traffic should always yield to autonomous traffic. Humans can anticipate better and assess the overall situation more effectively than their robotic counterparts. And when warehouse staff heads to the cafeteria during lunch break, no intralogistics material flows should take place there at that time."

Software enables Interoperability in Intralogistics

Three main factors are driving the diversification of mobile robots and, consequently, the need for interoperability in logistics:

• Cost pressure

• Increased demand for end products

• Labor shortages

For intralogistics decision-makers looking to boost efficiency, Bochmann advises always considering the big picture: "Many forces are at play here. Competition is relentless. Rising costs threaten profitability. And, of course, there is a severe shortage of skilled workers in the logistics industry. Ironically, these very workers make seamless interoperability indispensable. Wherever machines and humans operate together, communication and collaboration must function flawlessly," says Bochmann, who holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich. "At SYNAOS, interoperability is a crucial step toward the factory of the future, making the much-discussed Industry 4.0 a reality today—such as at our customer VW Commercial Vehicles in Hanover."  

Bochmann stresses that digitization and automation of intralogistics processes must now also take root in Germany’s mid-sized businesses, the backbone of its economy: "The key concept here is resource-agnostic execution of intralogistics tasks. In other words, shop floor resources—whether AGVs or forklift operators—should be assigned tasks that align with their capabilities. This approach is central to our vision with the SYNAOS Intralogistics Management Platform: maximizing the potential of every entity on the shop floor, whether manually operated or autonomous. As complexity increases, ensuring efficient and safe interactions between all transport participants is essential."

In practical terms, this means that the software automatically assigns tasks to resources based on predefined parameters. Control center staff always have full transparency over current operations and are alerted to any disruptions or delays, allowing them to intervene when necessary.

"This is combined with real-time order optimization, powered by our AI-driven algorithms. When every resource receives the most suitable task, maximum efficiency is achieved."

Interoperability is more than just a Nice-to-Have

Interoperability shouldn’t just be a bullet point in a PowerPoint presentation outlining goals for the next fiscal year. The latest developments in the global intralogistics market make it clear: The future lies in automation and the centralized control of processes using connected hardware and software. At the same time, the biggest challenge in interoperability is integrating different mobile robot technologies with manually operated vehicles.

For intralogistics to play a vital role in maintaining functional global supply chains—rather than acting as a bottleneck that slows material flows—interoperability across all transport resources must take center stage. The successful integration of autonomous and manually operated vehicles depends on AI-optimized, real-time task allocation from a centralized control system.

This approach must take into account the skills and capabilities of both humans and robots—the very entities responsible for moving our online orders across various transportation units. When interoperability is achieved, timely deliveries become the norm, not the exception.

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