Automation is everywhere in logistics. But according to Intralox, many businesses are starting the conversation in the wrong place.
Instead of asking which machine, conveyor or sorting system they should buy, companies should first ask: what problem are we actually trying to solve?
That is one of the key messages from Antonio DiCarlo of Intralox in the latest episode of Logistics Business Conversations. Drawing on 30 years in the industry, Antonio explains why the most impressive technology is not always the solution that delivers the greatest operational benefit.
A manual sorting process, for example, may look like an obvious candidate for full automation. But those same workers may also be managing parcel flow, straightening items and carrying out other tasks. Automating one part of the process without understanding the whole operation can simply create problems elsewhere.
For Antonio, automation is “just a tool in a toolbox”. The real goal should be measurable improvements in productivity, ergonomics, maintenance and total cost of ownership.
He also compares buying automation to buying a car. A vehicle capable of 200km/h may sound impressive, but comfort, reliability and how it performs every day can matter far more than its headline speed.
The conversation also explores how e-commerce has transformed parcel logistics, why operators are increasingly optimising existing facilities rather than building new ones, and why the next generation of automation needs to be simpler and easier to operate.
Antonio also reveals work underway on technology designed to automate the induction of bulk parcels into existing loop sorters, with field pilots expected around late 2026 or early 2027.
So are logistics businesses automating the right problems – or simply buying more technology?
Listen to the full conversation with Antonio DiCarlo of Intralox in the player below.
