How artificial intelligence is making our logistics fit for the future

Innovations and modern technologies are changing the way we work and live -and are creating new jobs. Artificial Intelligence, autonomous driving and robotics are no longer dreams of the future. They are part of the daily lives of our engineers and developers. For our #DigiJobs series, we spoke to the digital minds at thyssenkrupp and asked them how digitalization is influencing their work.

Christian Jabs works in Sustainability & Supply Chain Management at pacemaker.ai, the AI subsidiary of thyssenkrupp Materials Services. What is it all about, and why does his job require digital expertise?

Supply chain management: What is it all about?

Jabs and his team make sure that their customers have the materials they need, in the right quantities, at the right time, and in the right place. And they do this through efficient processes. The CO₂ footprint should be as small as possible. But what does this have to do with digitization?

Jabs explains: "Together with our customers, we are working on the world of tomorrow. We network wherever possible. We design processes collaboratively and transparently so that we are able to maximize all potential along the supply chain." And that is only possible with modern digital technologies.

With pacemaker.ai to the digitalized supply chain

One of these solutions offers pacemaker.ai. The platform consists of several software products based on artificial intelligence (AI), which can use historical data to make accurate predictions about warehouse stocks, customer requests and transport routes. “People and machines work hand in hand here,” enthuses Project Manager Managing Director Jabs. The software can therefore lead to significant resource savings.

However, this optimization is not just about economic benefits and the availability of materials, the expert tells us. "Our goal, in addition to warehouse optimizations, is above all to reduce the C0₂ footprint of our customers," Jabs explains. pacemaker.ai 's integrated AI-technology has many advantages: "We can predict future demand, taking into account past values. The system is updated on a daily basis so that a continuous and automated learning process can take place," says Jabs.

And this has already been implemented internationally: Because pacemaker.ai is used by customers worldwide and, as a subsidiary of Materials Services, has been an independent company since 2022. . The focus will be on markets close to existing customers in the automotive and aviation industries. 

Digital progress thanks to AI

For Jabs, it is clear what logistics work will look like in 50 years: transparent, digital, and innovative! In his eyes, artificial intelligence will play a major role in this, but the expert also makes clear: "AI is only as good as its data basis. It is a tool. Humans set the direction and the machine learns."

The fear that the advancing digitalization and development of intelligent technologies could displace jobs is therefore unfounded in his view. "Humans will have to continue to orchestrate everything in the future," says Jabs. "The art of data management will become increasingly important." That's why the expert sees jobs in the future, especially where complex data sets have to be handled - for example, as a data scientist.

Regardless of the skillset, the expert advises young professionals and students to take care when choosing a career. His tip: look for a forward-looking topic that you're really passionate about and always stay curious!