Open Fleet Management for Autonomous Intralogistics with Scania

Currently, internal Scania logistics are mainly managed with manually driven vehicles, and the transports are planned based on interior solutions from Scania. At the same time, the technological development for autonomous vehicles and systems is rapid, and the solution space is maturing quickly, building overall momentum for the independent industry and more sophisticated solutions. Scania has been developing its industry-leading production system for over 100+ years and wants to be at the forefront of the industry development.

We at Scania are seeing the rapid transformation towards using Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in many of our warehouses and production sites globally. However, we are encountering the challenge that autonomous vehicles and robots, such as AGVs, AMRs, and forklifts, from different brands do not talk to each other and cannot be controlled from a single source. AGVs are currently managed through their brand-specific interface software. This decreases the overall indoor material movement efficiency.

We envision an open fleet management system capable of controlling robot and vehicle fleets of multiple brands and vehicle types in mostly indoor environments like factories and warehouses where several vehicles are needed for logistics. We are looking for software with a high level of usability, enabling seamless interoperability with different users in our production facilities. In the long term, the software solution would also optimize the routing of fleets.

Overall, Scania is interested in software-based solutions that can improve the logistics flow, including autonomous vehicles, robots, and humans. A typical use case would be a Scania factory or warehouse, where a fleet of several (>10) mixed cars is needed. Ultimately, the potential technologies need to be adapted to Scania’s needs and fit into the Scania Production System. Thus, data integration capabilities into Scania’s internal systems are considered a benefit.