Zurich – Digitec Galaxus ships its orders in precisely fitting packages. Ergon Informatik AG developed the solution for optimized package sizes with the help of artificial intelligence. The two partners have published their approach, which can be extended to other applications.
Digitec Galaxus has already been shipping its orders in precisely fitting packages since the fall of 2022. The Zurich-based online retailer, which is majority-owned by Migros, commissioned Ergon Informatik AG, also based in Zurich, to optimize package sizes. Ergon used artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for the implementation. The two partners have now made their solution, parts of which are also suitable for other applications, publicly available.
“Publication is important to us because sustainability and transparency are core values of Ergon,” Wilhelm Kleiminger, Head of Data Science at Ergon, is quoted as saying in a related Ergon release. “Furthermore, we want to show that digitization and AI approaches can play a key role in sustainability.” According to the company, parts of the approach can also be used in the planning of personnel deployment, driving routes or material requirements.
At Digitec Galaxus, the new solution has reduced the empty space of the packages and thus the filling material required by 28 percent. At the same time, resource consumption for optimizing packages was reduced by as much as 96 percent. In addition, the company has received positive feedback from customers and from its own employees. ce/hs
