On the occasion of its 40th annual congress, taking place on May 7th and 8th in Saarbrücken, the Working Group AKJ Automotive ceremoniously awarded the elogistics award 2025 as well as the Tool Award 2025. The honors were presented on May 7th during the festive evening event by Jürgen Barke, Minister for Economy, Innovation, Digital Affairs and Energy of Saarland, together with the members of the jury. The award ceremony was accompanied by a panel discussion on the challenges of digital transformation in the automotive sector.
The jury – consisting of executives from the automotive industry, digitalization experts, and professors from the University of Applied Sciences of Saarland (htw saar) – evaluated the submitted projects based on five established criteria: the degree of innovation of the solution, the originality of the application, demonstrable benefit and added value for users, acceleration effects along the value chain, and sustainability and development perspectives.
According to the organizers, the focus of the awards is on the combination of logistics and process innovation with modern information technology. Particular attention was paid to the practical application of the solutions and their measurable impact on real corporate practice.
An overview of the three award winners:
elogistics award 2025: Motherson – Online-Cycle-Counting (OCC)
With its "Online Cycle Counting" solution (OCC), Motherson (Hungary) impressed the jury with a highly innovative integration of mobile technology and SAP in inventory management. The solution is specifically designed to manage inventories more transparently, currently, and efficiently without the need for extensive physical inventories.
Particular highlights of the solution:
- Automated ABC classification: Based on real-time data, the system prioritizes inventory auditing according to the Pareto principle, thereby significantly increasing efficiency.
- Mobile and SAP-integrated data collection: Inventory processes are conducted intuitively and with fewer errors using tablets and RF scanners, reducing the error rate by around 40 percent.
- Hybrid inventory model: A combination of preventive planning and reactive checking for inventory discrepancies, supported by an alert system.
- Financial integration: Direct connection to SAP-FI for automated booking discrepancy reports and thus high compliance and faster booking corrections.
Achieved effects:
- Improved inventory accuracy
- Reduced emergency freight costs through early detection of discrepancies
- 50 percent reduction in lead times for annual inventories.
- More than ten percent reduction in the carbon footprint in the warehousing and transportation sector.
The jury praised the excellent technical implementation and the thoughtful combination of standard software, mobile technology, and
innovative process design, which enables a sustainable improvement in overall inventory management.
elogistics award 2025: Schmitz Cargobull – Integrated process landscape to manage volatile supply chains in an adaptive production network
Schmitz Cargobull, a European trailer manufacturer, presented a comprehensive digitization initiative that decentralizes, flexibly, and sustainably manages all operational logistics processes. The goal is to make production and logistics processes more robust, adaptable, and efficient in a volatile market environment.
Core components of the solution:
- Free transport scheduling: Standardized, digital scheduling including time slot booking, which significantly increases flexibility and transparency and optimizes transportation utilization.
- Digital gate processing: Introduction of an app-based registration and OCR-based document verification, significantly reducing wait times and overcoming language barriers.
- Integrated HU/container management: Seamless, automated management of transport containers and container circulation processes to prevent losses and optimize container availability.
Measurable results:
- 3 percent reduction in freight costs thanks to efficient transport planning and flexible scheduling processes.
- 160,000 euros in annual savings at the Vreden plant through digital optimization of driver processing.
- Reduction in new container purchases by five percent per year through better availability and transparency.
Cargobull impressively demonstrated, in the jury's opinion, how digitization can be used to increase operational
agility and economic sustainability. The modular architecture and consistent orientation towards real-world practical requirements were particularly appreciated.
Tool Award 2025: Magna with the service provider S2data – Holistic transport optimization
For its innovative solution for AI-supported inbound transport optimization, Magna Steyr, together with S2data, received this year's "Tool Award." The solution sets new standards for efficient and sustainable inbound logistics while addressing the increasing complexity and dynamics of global supply chains, according to the jury.
Innovation in detail:
- AI-based demand consolidation: Aggregation of transport needs through intelligent forecasts, significantly reducing the number of transports.
- Dynamic TCO optimization: Automated calculation of optimal order quantities taking into account storage, capital, and transport costs.
- 3D visualization: Real-time validation of truck loading concerning stackability, axle loads, and utilization of loading areas.
Results that convince:
- Saving over 500 transports in 2024.
- Avoidance of around 450 tons of CO₂ emissions through optimized transport utilization.
- Projected seven-figure cost savings by the end of 2025 while simultaneously improving delivery performance.
The jury particularly emphasized that Magna Steyr has created a solution that is not only of strategic importance for the automotive industry but can also be applied to other industries such as FMCG or steel production.
