Dachser has taken the next step in the digitisation of logistics processes in Zevenaar. Since mid-April, the transfer warehouse has been working with @ILO (Advanced Indoor Localisation and Operations), a system that automatically records QR codes on goods and material handling equipment via ceiling-mounted scanning units. Instead of individual scanning moments, all movements are continuously recorded, without employees being captured.
The 1,325 optical scan units record QR codes attached to the tops of goods and material handling equipment, such as EPTs and forklift trucks. Based on this data, @ILO creates a digital twin: a real-time digital copy of the transhipment warehouse in which all goods and material handling equipment are visually displayed.
The material handling equipment in the warehouse is equipped with tablets, which are used continuously during work. As soon as an employee picks up a pallet with an EPT, he or she sees at a glance whether it is dangerous goods, to which location in the warehouse the pallet has to go and what the dimensions are.
Digital twin
When a shipment cannot be found immediately, the digital twin is consulted. Through this real-time digital copy of the transhipment warehouse, the employee can see exactly where the shipment is and what its dimensions are. This makes the loading process more efficient, reduces reliance on manual scans, reduces the risk of errors and ensures faster and clearer processes in the warehouse.
In many transhipment warehouses, processes still rely on manual scans and separate registration moments. Although this makes shipments easy to track, direct visibility of the exact location between scanning moments is sometimes lacking, which can lead to additional control or search actions. With @ILO, Dachser takes this to the next level by automatically and continuously recording all movements and making them immediately available.
Work more efficiently
The implementation in Zevenaar is the result of an intensive process lasting more than a year, during which the local project team worked closely with specialists within the Dachser network. The system was extensively tested and optimised to fit seamlessly into daily operations. Developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer IML, the technology was awarded the European Logistics Association Award in February 2026, in recognition of its innovative nature and exceptional achievement in logistics and supply chain management.
"With @ILO, we not only make our processes in Zevenaar more transparent but also demonstrably more efficient," says Stefan Raimondo, country manager european logistics at Dachser Netherlands. "Employees can see at a glance where goods are, where they need to go and what the dimensions are. This ensures more control in the warehouse and an even more reliable service to our customers."
Roll-out in Europe
The introduction of @ILO in Zevenaar is part of a wider roll-out within Dachser's European network. The system is already operational at nine other sites in Europe, making Zevenaar the first site in the Benelux to deploy this technology, and one of the first outside Germany. In the coming years, @ILO will be gradually rolled out to other transit terminals.
