alt text  Go to Newsroom

KLU Talks Business ... with Dietmar Guhe, Arvato

To not just bring warehouse logistics up to speed with technological advances, but to truly revolutionize it, AI and data science experts have to optimally collaborate – the working mode of tomorrow, according to Dietmar Guhe. From Cloud to AI, the Vice President Cloud IT & Infrastructure at Arvato has consistently integrated new technologies early on, and initiated Arvato’s support for a recently launched, innovative Ph.D. project at KLU. Under the academic supervision of Prof. Henrik Leopold, the Ph.D. candidate, who has yet to be selected, will spend four years developing fresh approaches for more efficient inbound logistics. Arvato is part of Bertelsmann and, as one of the leading international service providers in the field of supply chain management and e-commerce, develops customized international warehouse and process solutions for companies from various industries.

What made you pursue this Ph.D. project with KLU?

Dietmar Guhe: The decision to work together with KLU followed in-depth conversations with Prof. Leopold at a conference, during which we discussed the tremendous potential of AI in logistics. At Arvato, we’ve always intensively focused on the question of how to optimally design our warehouses. With the support of our partner Microsoft, we’re currently designing the warehouse of tomorrow. The collaboration with KLU and Prof. Henrik Leopold gives us the opportunity to investigate the topic in an academically sound and hands-on manner. We’ll gain insights into the latest research and look forward to fruitful exchanges with this potential new employee.

How likely is it that the project will yield true innovations?

Guhe: What’s innovative about this project is its unique combination of practice, research, and bleeding-edge technologies. We have an extensive “playground” of data, which will allow the Ph.D. candidate to take a deep dive into our processes and find new, creative solutions. Although AI has already become a standard tool in many areas, we want to go further. What we’re talking about isn’t just optimizing individual processes, but combining a range of small improvements, just like pixels combine to create a large and complex image that goes far beyond the standard and remains flexible. As the technology is continually advancing, we expect to see outcomes from the project even after it ends, ones that will facilitate and spur on the transformation of our warehouse processes.

What part does data science play in the future of logistics, and how important will human experts be?

Guhe: Data science is now indispensable, especially in logistics. But it’s not just about how to deploy AI – the real challenge lies in applying the technology sensibly and responsibly. That requires human expertise, which is used to supplement and supervise the AI. What we’re seeing now is a cultural transformation sparked by the advent of AI, and at this point no-one can truly judge its scale. What I can say with certainty, however, is that professional roles will change – they will evolve and adapt to the new circumstances. In this regard, data scientists will be vital. In the future, there will continue to be a need for experts who accompany this change and know how to optimally apply the new technologies.

If you had to describe KLU using three terms, what would they be?

Guhe: Logistical expertise. Knowledge network. Future.