Every Manufacturer Needs LIFT: Here’s Why

Modern shop floors are buzzing with automated vehicles, robotics, and smart systems. In fact, a recent report from MHI found that 41% of the leaders surveyed are using robotics and automation, with another 42% planning to make the investment in the next five years.  

The message is clear: automation is no longer optional. If you’re not embracing it, you risk falling behind. 

For many manufacturers, material movement automation begins with investing in automated vehicles. Although this may seem like a straightforward upgrade, it often proves more complex than anticipated. 

Whether you’re just getting started or already managing a fleet of automated vehicles, long-term success depends on your ability to address key automation challenges head-on. In this article, we’ll explore the most common obstacles — and how to solve them. 

The Hidden Challenges of Automated Material Movement 

Automated vehicles can have a major impact on your business, but to see these benefits, you must first address the following challenges: 

• Orchestration: Even a simple task like replenishing materials requires multiple systems to communicate with each other. For example, the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) must initiate the material request based on the production schedule and bill of materials, the Warehouse Management System (WMS) needs to provide the location of the materials, and the automated vehicle must interface with the infeed conveyor to coordinate the pallet drop — among other tasks. If any system or technology can’t exchange data, delays or breakdowns can occur, turning a simple move into a major bottleneck. 

Explore the orchestration challenge further in our blog, “Interoperability vs. Orchestration: Why Interoperability Alone Isn’t Enough.” 

• Configurability: Automated vehicles must be able to adapt to changing conditions, such as shifting material destinations or production priorities. However, they can’t perform these tasks right out of the box. Without this capability, vehicles can’t respond to real-time changes, preventing them from completing dynamic tasks. 

• Interoperability: Many manufacturers operate fleets of vehicles from different vendors. Unfortunately, these vehicles are often unable to communicate. Without communication, they can get too close to each other, leading to deadlocks that require manual intervention. Even if your current fleet is from a single vendor, long-term scalability demands the ability to operate diverse vehicles. 

• Visibility: Deploying automated vehicles is just the beginning. To maintain performance and uptime, you need visibility into vehicle status, errors, and maintenance metrics. Real-time alerts are critical for identifying and resolving issues before they disrupt operations. 

These challenges, while common, can quickly become barriers to efficiency, scalability, and ROI if not addressed with the right infrastructure.  

The Solution: LIFT 

LIFT, an intralogistics middleware, helps you solve your material movement challenges. By connecting siloed systems like MES, WMS, enterprise resource planning (ERP), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), automated vehicles, and more, LIFT enables seamless orchestration across your entire operation. And with access to real-time data, your automated vehicles can now complete complex tasks with greater intelligence and efficiency. 

LIFT also connects fleet management software, ensuring that automated vehicles from different vendors can work together without deadlocking. 

One of the most powerful advantages of LIFT is the visibility it brings to your entire material movement process. By aggregating data from multiple sources into a single, centralized platform, LIFT gives teams a clear, real-time view of your shop floor. This transparency allows for faster issue resolution, smarter decision-making, and continuous performance monitoring. 

In addition to improved orchestration, interoperability, and real-time visibility, LIFT offers a range of features that give teams greater control and flexibility, including:  

• Flow-Based Configuration: Easily integrate systems using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface — no coding required. 

• Advanced User Management: Ensure security with role-based access controls, SSO support, and multi-factor authentication. 

• Comprehensive Alerting: Stay informed with real-time alerts via email, SMS, or in-app. 

The Future of Automation 

As material movement automation continues to evolve, so do the expectations for performance, adaptability, and visibility. LIFT gives manufacturers the tools they need to not just deploy automation, but to do so intelligently, efficiently, and at scale. 

With LIFT, automation isn’t just a technology investment — it’s a competitive advantage. 

See for yourself how LIFT can transform the way you move materials. Request a demo today.