Active Ants (3PL) Featured in a 5-Page German Magazine Article

The article describes how Active Ants, a logistics service provider specialized in e-commerce fulfillment, is advancing its operations through automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence to increase efficiency, scalability, and sustainability.

Active Ants focuses entirely on fulfillment for online shops, providing end-to-end logistics services – from inbound goods and storage to picking, packing, shipping, and returns. The company is part of Bnode and operates several fulfillment centers in Europe. Its strategy centers on innovation and technology, with automation forming a core part of its operational DNA.

A key element of Active Ants’ logistics model is a highly automated warehouse system. Important technologies include:

• AutoStore systems for dense, compact storage of small items.
• AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) called “Rangers,” which transport goods between storage and picking/packing stations.
• Pick-to-light stations that guide workers through order picking.
• AI-based robotic arms (Sereact robots) that can automatically pick products.

These systems work together to create a highly efficient goods-to-person workflow, reducing manual transport and increasing productivity.

Automation enables:

• Up to 600 picks per hour with robotic picking systems.
• Handling of around 10 million orders annually across fulfillment centers.
• Storage capacity exceeding 94,000 m² of warehouse space.

The approach allows the company to scale operations and process large order volumes while maintaining accuracy and speed.

Active Ants emphasizes that its focus is not simply on reducing costs, but on improving quality and reliability in logistics processes. Automation ensures consistent performance and enables employees to focus on more complex tasks instead of repetitive work.

The robotic picking technology uses machine learning and sensor data to recognize products and improve picking performance over time. Early deployment required training and adjustment, but the systems now achieve high accuracy and productivity.

Sustainability is another priority. Active Ants uses automated packaging machines that:

• Adjust box size to product dimensions.
• Reduce empty space and packaging materials.
• Lower transport volume and CO₂ emissions.

The company aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, including fully emission-free last-mile delivery and sustainable packaging.

One notable advantage of the standardized fulfillment concept is rapid deployment: new customers can often go live within about a week once their logistics setup is prepared.