Container Utilization: Skoda Increases Transport Efficiency with AI

The logistics of Skoda Auto was inspired by the classic computer game "Tetris" for a new AI application, according to a statement from September 30: In this game, the goal is to fit differently shaped elements seamlessly into a given space. A similar task occurs when Skoda's own logistics needs to load a 40-foot sea container, according to the company. The app "Optikon" is now being used, an application that relies on technologies from the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The app calculates how and in what quantity the various pallet types need to be loaded to make the best use of the container's volume. Skoda Auto saved 151 container transports and 80 tons of CO2 emissions in just the first half of 2020 this way, it is said.

David Strnad, Head of Brand Logistics at Skoda Auto, explains:

"This AI application is a big development step on our way to digitizing logistics and our work processes. The Optikon project simplifies the work of employees in the parts warehouse while reducing our transport costs. Moreover, we are reducing CO2 emissions because we are only sending fully loaded containers on the journey."

AI Solutions for the Knapsack Problem

According to Skoda, there are countless ways to store pallets of various formats in a container, making loading a challenging task for logisticians. It is made even more difficult by the fact that different pallet sizes are ready for shipment at the parts warehouse every day, according to the company. The AI app Optikon, jointly developed by Skoda Auto Logistics and Skoda IT, calculates how the individual freight components must be placed to make the best use of the container volume.

The Skoda Auto logistics department has been using Optikon since November 2019, particularly for loading containers destined for Nizhny Novgorod. In addition to body parts, process materials such as adhesives are also shipped from the Czech city of Mladá Boleslav to Russia.