Direct answer. Intralogistics refers to all physical and information flows internal to a site — receiving, storage, order picking, handling, shipping — as well as the technologies that organize them: WMS, conveyors, trucks, AGV/AMR mobile robots. It differs from transport logistics, which is focused on flows between sites.
A term covering both processes and technologies
Intralogistics covers everything that happens "within the four walls" of a warehouse, distribution center or factory, from the receiving of goods through to their loading for shipment. It encompasses methods (cross-docking, slotting, picking, scheduling) and a wide range of equipment: racking, conveyors, stacker cranes, forklifts, as well as mobile robotics (AGV, AMR, cobots) and the software that controls these flows (WMS, WCS, fleet manager). It is an umbrella term used by warehouse-automation players to describe the entire scope they address, as opposed to transport logistics (chartering, groupage, last mile), which concerns flows between sites.
A sector undergoing strong automation in France
Automating intralogistics addresses concrete challenges for French warehouses. The global market for mobile robots (AGVs and AMRs) is expanding fast: according to Interact Analysis, shipments jumped more than 50% in 2022, with several million mobile robots expected to be in operation worldwide by the end of the decade. This trend responds in particular to the labor shortage: around 15,000 forklift-operator positions remained vacant in France in 2026, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for more than 80% of recognized occupational illnesses in the sector — two factors pushing many sites to automate part of their internal flows rather than rely solely on hiring. Several French players (Balyo, Exotec, Sherpa Mobile Robotics, E-COBOT, Alstef Group) develop mobile robotics solutions dedicated to intralogistics, alongside international suppliers.
FAQ
What is the difference between intralogistics and logistics?
Intralogistics is limited to flows internal to a site: receiving, storage, picking, handling, shipping. Logistics in the broad sense also includes transport between sites (chartering, long-distance transport, last mile), which falls under external logistics or supply chain.
Which technologies fall under intralogistics?
The main ones are control software (WMS, WCS, fleet manager) and physical equipment: racking, conveyors, stacker cranes, forklifts and pallet trucks, as well as mobile robotics (AGV, AMR) and cobots used to automate all or part of the internal flows.
Why is intralogistics becoming more automated in France?
Several factors contribute: the shortage of forklift operators (around 15,000 vacant positions in 2026), the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders that weigh heavily on occupational illness statistics, and the continuing drop in the cost of mobile robotics compared with traditional heavy automation.
Related terms
WMS · WCS · Fleet manager · AGV · AMR · Cobot · Stacker crane · Conveyor · Logistics vs supply chain.
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