Innovative technologies play a decisive role for a modern service provider like Militzer & Münch. At the moment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is an issue that is causing a stir in the logistics industry. In order to explore the individual needs and potential applications of this technology, Thies Spannagel has been appointed Group Project Manager AI.
Mr. Spannagel, what is your task in the AI project?
As Group Project Manager AI, I am like a hub. I receive input from the country units telling me what challenges they have to overcome on a daily basis, and where major expenses arise that could be reduced using AI. The focus is always on improving the quality of service for our customers. I then check whether there are any suitable AI modules that we can integrate into our IT infrastructure.
When was the project launched, and what is the objective?
We started the project on 1 March. In November 2023, M&M air sea cargo GmbH took a new transport management system into operation, our central software that we use to process all orders. The task now is to further develop this system – including with AI. The aim is to continuously reduce for our colleagues the number of manual data entries in order to increase productivity.
Where do you see the biggest challenges?
The Militzer & Münch Group’s country units are relatively heterogeneous. Each country has its own transport management system and its own IT infrastructure. This is a challenge when we purchase new modules, as we have to ensure that they can be used by as many country units as possible. Evaluating the modules is also demanding. Service providers often present demo versions in their showcases that are perfectly tailored to the tool’s capabilities. However, the problems we face in reality often have completely different parameters, for which the AI must first be trained over a lengthy period of time.
What characteristics do AI modules need to have in order to be considered for Militzer & Münch?
At the moment, we are primarily interested in using AI for repetitive tasks in order to free up resources in other areas. We can thus optimize processes and become more efficient. A good tool has to fit in well with our IT infrastructure. One example is customs clearance. The aim is to automate the process so that the documents we receive from the customer are already prepared to such an extent that our colleagues only have to look over them again and add small details.
Which institutions or service providers are supporting Militzer & Münch in the project?
We cooperate with the University of St. Gallen. In this context, we also exchange ideas with a student consultancy that also collaborates with the university. The consultancy has already supported AI projects. Their experience is very valuable to me, because we don’t want to make mistakes that we only notice years later.