Interested in how DB SCHENKER employees get fit for the world of AI?

The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 has impressively shown the immersive potential of modern AI. Overnight, there was a new dimension of AI capability available to everyone, and immediately people started to adopt it in nearly all aspects of their lives. While AI and machine learning have a long history, DB SCHENKER has been actively incorporating these technologies and applications into its operations long before the rise in popularity. But with this step, it became clear to everyone that we are now on a journey that will deeply change the way we all do our jobs, from the marketing department to truck drivers. DB SCHENKER is engaged in various activities to shape the future and transform operations for this century of AI to deliver the logistics services that are needed for individual business requirements.

Innovating Projects through New Technologies

DB SCHENKER has been investing in AI since 2016, the Global Data and AI department joined the data warehousing and BI forces with DB SCHENKER AI and machine learning teams. Its mission is to think of AI and advanced analytics as an integral part of business intelligence. DB SCHENKER is conducting a wide range of data science projects exploring and applying innovative technology. In former blog posts, Logistics Matters talked about a bunch of these projects: From video analytics at warehouses to shipment arrival prediction or terminal volume forecasting. DB SCHENKER also has a variety of GenAI projects. Several of these initiatives have been successfully implemented and deployed in production. One new factor in the rise of LLM (Large Language Modules) and GenAI services is the democratization of AI in different ways. Some build models or enhance existing ones with retrieval-augmented generation or finetuning, while others leverage embedded AI functionalities or LLM assistants.

A Commitment to AI Excellence

As one of the leading logistics companies worldwide, DB SCHENKER is committed to empowering its employees for the AI age. Already long before 2019, the year when the large language model hype started, DB SCHENKER has continually evolved its AI training programs to keep pace with advancing AI technologies. This includes developing skills in prompt engineering and understanding ethical and legal implications.

To prepare employees, DB SCHENKER has a variety of training and learning offerings. The core is the DB SCHENKER AI Training, which is available to everyone. To supplement this, there are also peer-to-peer training formats, expert communities, brown bag presentations, an internal IT&D Tech conference, and self-guided learning resources. The data science profession group serves as a central hub for expert exchange, planning training initiatives for a broader audience, and establishing essential governance guidelines to ensure best practices are followed.

Behind the Scenes of AI Training

The basic AI Training is a two-hour awareness presentation designed to provide an overview of AI’s potential and responsible usage. This training highlights inspiring AI initiatives within DB SCHENKER and demystifies some of the core AI concepts so that people have a basic understanding of what AI does under the hood. AI is such a fast-moving domain that the training is updated slightly each time before being conducted again.

Alumni are invited to the Data Science Community, where they can get continuous updates on the DB SCHENKER AI world and get access to additional resources and events. The community may also serve as an informal incubator for new ideas or a peer-to-peer exchange to share the latest news on AI.

Driving Innovation Through AI Education

Over the course of time, DB SCHENKER has trained a vast number of employees with the AI Training, and the internal Data Science Community has grown to nearly 2,000 AI enthusiasts. This significant growth reflects the company’s dedication to innovation.