In a recent media visit to Schneider Electric’s Beijing Logistics Center, industrial automation experts from Control Engineering China, along with other media representatives, had the opportunity to explore the immense potential of “software-defined automation” and its impact on modernizing logistics operations. The visit showcased Schneider Electric’s commitment to lean manufacturing practices, sustainability, and the deep integration of AI technologies in areas such as safety management and warehouse optimization.
Schneider Electric’s Senior Vice President and Head of Global Supply Chain for China, Zhang Kaipeng, emphasized the significance of the Beijing Logistics Center project, stating, “Digitalization is the key to achieving supply chain efficiency and sustainability. Schneider Electric actively applies its own digital solutions for supply chain transformation, and the Beijing Logistics Center is a prime example. By leveraging the EcoStruxure architecture and platform, the center achieves 100% accurate deliveries and full-process traceability, significantly improving operational efficiency.”
The Beijing Logistics Center: A Model of Digital Transformation
The Beijing Logistics Center, a key project of Schneider Electric’s smart manufacturing demonstration park, spans 18,000 square meters, with 12,000 square meters dedicated to Phase II expansion. The center features seven mixed storage zones and integrates both raw material warehousing and logistics distribution functions. It manages the inbound, outbound, and storage processes for goods worth nearly 10 billion RMB annually.
Li Taotao, Logistics Director for Schneider Electric (China), explained that the Beijing Logistics Center began its deployment in 2022 and phased into operation in May 2023. To achieve operational efficiency, the center adopted the EcoStruxure open automation platform (EAE). The system now covers all scenarios from S2 to S4 storage areas, cutting deployment time by 20% compared to traditional solutions. The center processes over 20,000 goods per day, achieving 100% accurate delivery and full-process traceability. With a platform uptime of 99%, maintenance efficiency has increased by 30%, laying a solid technological foundation for building a fully intelligent factory.
Leveraging Open Automation for Efficient Logistics Operations
Why has the EcoStruxure open automation platform (EAE) been so successful in supporting the Beijing Logistics Center? Schneider Electric’s EAE Capability Center Head, Qu Binghua, provided a detailed explanation of the platform’s logistics architecture. The EAE platform features a three-layer design: the bottom layer consists of IoT devices such as PLCs, frequency converters, and sensors; the middle layer comprises edge control systems and industrial PCs (IPCs); and the top layer connects with WMS and WCS systems. This architecture enables EAE to support order management, inventory control, equipment management, and edge computing, offering scalability and flexibility to meet the complex automation needs of logistics centers.
Compared to traditional systems that require hundreds of PLCs to control the same scale of conveyors, EAE achieves centralized control through software definition, significantly reducing hardware dependency and future maintenance costs. During the design phase, EAE can seamlessly integrate with EcoStruxure™ Machine Expert Digital Twin Logistics and Warehouse Software (EMET L&W), creating a 3D virtual model of the conveyor line before the project begins. This allows automation programs to verify actual logistics operations, ensuring a more streamlined implementation.
In system expansion, traditional PLC-based systems require hardware purchases and program redevelopment for new subsystems, while EAE can simply virtualize new controllers on the existing hardware, avoiding hardware upgrades.
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AI and Digital Twin Technologies Power Operational Efficiency
EcoStruxure open automation (EAE) not only handles scheduling but also directly controls the execution components on the conveyor lines. With over a thousand workstations equipped with sensors to monitor material locations, the platform dynamically adjusts the transport routes and mirrors all OT (Operational Technology) data to a monitoring interface, offering full-process visualization and data support for maintenance teams.
The impact of the platform’s deployment has been evident in the Beijing Logistics Center, which has successfully managed billions of yuan worth of goods and addressed the complexities of multi-zone warehouse operations. EAE’s “replicable and quantifiable” approach has proven effective in enhancing both efficiency and cost optimization, providing a clear path for industrial enterprises to upgrade their systems.
In addition, the platform’s seamless integration with AI algorithms and digital twin technologies has allowed real-time warehouse strategy optimization. For instance, material storage locations and warehouse workload distribution are dynamically adjusted to improve space utilization and warehouse throughput.
Empowering Innovation: Building an Open Ecosystem
As digitalization deepens, software has become a core driver for product innovation and service upgrades. Compared to traditional automation systems, the software-defined EcoStruxure platform (EAE) offers a more welcoming environment for new technologies like AI and digital twins. Li Taotao highlighted that integrating EcoStruxure™ Machine Expert Digital Twin Logistics and Warehouse Software (EMET L&W) with AI algorithms has significantly improved warehouse strategies, with results such as an 8% increase in space utilization, a 15% boost in material turnover efficiency, an 11% reduction in overall operational costs, and a 14% improvement in operational efficiency.
AI-driven machine vision technology has also been deeply integrated into multiple processes within the logistics center. For example, in palletizing and automatic warehouse areas, AI cameras detect human-shaped objects and stop robotic arms or machines from operating, adding an extra layer of safety for maintenance personnel. AI-powered visual inspection in automated production lines also replaces manual checks, improving product quality by validating inspection results.
The Future of Software-Defined Automation
Schneider Electric draws parallels between software-defined automation and the transformation seen in “software-defined cars,” identifying three core dimensions: an open ecosystem, control virtualization, and continuous data flow. EcoStruxure open automation platform (EAE) is designed to address these trends.
The long-term value of software-defined automation relies on the support of an open ecosystem. EAE follows the IEC 61499 international standard, ensuring code portability and reusability. Hardware and software from different manufacturers are compatible with EAE, allowing the software modules to be transferred across hardware platforms, much like apps can run on different brands of smartphones. Schneider Electric is also a founding member of the Open Automation Organization (UAO.org), which has over 100 members, including 10 organizations in China.
Looking ahead, the integration of AI and software-defined automation will enable smarter real-time optimizations and more precise predictive maintenance in industrial environments. Through EcoStruxure EAE’s technological implementation and ecosystem-building, Schneider Electric is driving this transformation, offering comprehensive support for digitalization from technology to application, and from solutions to ecosystems.
By embracing software-defined automation, Schneider Electric is helping industrial enterprises navigate the path to digital transformation, improving operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability in logistics and beyond.
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