Production logistics today faces the challenge of shorter delivery times, increasing product variety, and rising cost pressures. Many companies struggle with siloed warehouse, production, and shipping processes, lack of transparency, and inefficient inventory management.
Ferag Solutions addresses these challenges with integrated, data-driven, and retrofit-friendly systems that turn logistics from a cost factor into a value driver.
“Our customers want more than pure automation – they want a holistic approach that connects all material flows, proactively eliminates bottlenecks, and flexibly adapts to new market conditions,” explains Christian Klöckl-Greimel, Managing Director and Technology Sales Support at Ferag Solutions. “That’s exactly where we come in.”
Modern production logistics must do far more today than simply move material from A to B. That’s why Ferag Solutions pursues an end-to-end integration approach: from inbound goods through buffer storage and production lines all the way to outbound shipping, every stage is linked in a continuous material and data flow. This tight integration eliminates interface problems, ensures smooth production cycles, and increases delivery reliability. For example, in an electronics plant, components are automatically stored immediately after receipt, delivered to assembly lines at the right time, and transferred directly into the shipping process after completion, all controlled by a central system.
A key element of this approach is real-time inventory transparency. By integrating control and software, ERP, and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), companies always know exactly how many parts and materials are available and where. This prevents overstocking, avoids shortages, and minimizes tied-up capital. For instance, a furniture manufacturer can detect an upcoming increase in demand for fittings for a specific cabinet type and automatically trigger a replenishment order before a shortage occurs.
Data-driven control also ensures that bottlenecks are identified and eliminated before they escalate. Sensors monitor conveyors, buffer areas, and storage zones in real time. Analytics tools reveal where material is building up, and adaptive controls respond instantly, for example, by rerouting material or adjusting conveyor speeds. In a food production facility, the system can detect an imminent delay on the packaging line, reroute material from another buffer zone, and thus prevent a production stop.
Ferag’s solutions are also scalable and retrofit-friendly. They can be expanded easily as production volumes grow or product portfolios change, without requiring a complete system replacement. Retrofit concepts enable modernization of existing facilities during ongoing operations.
Sustainable components and energy-efficient drives not only reduce the CO₂ footprint but also cut operating costs. For example, an automotive supplier can expand its existing conveyor system with additional buffer zones to handle short-term order peaks without having to replace the entire infrastructure.
All of these measures make logistics a true value driver. Optimized material flows increase Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), shorten time-to-market, and enhance customer satisfaction, a decisive competitive edge in fast-moving markets. A machinery manufacturer that reduces lead times by 20 percent thanks to shorter material paths and precise production sequencing gains critical contracts against international competitors.