Nokia is changing the game.
In the pursuit of streamlined, customer-centric, and cost-effective operations, warehouse managers are presented with a difficult choice.
They can either pour sizable resources into costly labour to oversee vast inventories, or they can accept the inevitable losses from shrinkage — the theft, misplacement, or damage of goods within expansive warehouse spaces. According to Nokia, this can lead to large annual inventory losses, not only inflating operational expenses but also jeopardising the timely shipment of products to customers.
This is where Nokia has stepped in. The company has solved this dilemma via the revolutionary launch of its Autonomous Industrial Monitoring Service (AIMS). Cutting-edge autonomous drones navigate warehouses with ease, scanning inventory in real-time and providing managers with near-continuous, accurate updates. The result? A significant boost in accuracy, efficiency, and cost savings.
Paul Heitlinger is the General Manager, Nokia AIMS. In an exclusive interview with SupplyChain Strategy ahead of Manifest Vegas 2025, Heitlinger fills us in on the moves his company is making within the space and why 2025 is set to bring even further transformation.
Can you share some background on yourself and the business?
Paul Heitlinger: “Hello all. I am an entrepreneurial leader with extensive experience in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship. In my current and most exciting venture to date, I am leading AIMS, a Nokia startup that uses autonomous drones, computer vision and AI to automate warehouse inventory cycle counting. The venture originated as a Nokia Bell Labs research project, progressed to a commercial launch and is now in an accelerated growth stage. Previously, I have held senior positions in companies such as Avis Budget Group, Verizon, Citigroup, Capgemini, and various startups, in varied roles including CEO, venture capital, corporate innovation, product management and strategy consulting.”
What inspired you to get involved in logistics?
Paul Heitlinger: “Logistics is an industry with vast efficiency improvement possibilities – there are a hundred thousand warehouses around the world that still operate manually with limited automation. The industry holds multiple opportunities for true innovation that improves logistics performance, efficiency, customer satisfaction and ultimately the bottom line. This is such an exciting space to be building a new service right now.”
What are you most looking forward to at Manifest 2025?
Paul Heitlinger: “The team and I are looking forward to interesting discussions around warehousing automation possibilities. I’m not just there to pitch the value of AIMS to prospective customers, but also to learn from my peers and thought leaders. It’s an amazing opportunity when the brightest minds in the industry come together in one place to learn from each other, network and have fun. Manifest isn’t too large or too small, it’s just the right size to sell, learn and create new relationships.”
How do you think events like Manifest are contributing to the overall evolution of supply chain and logistics? What makes it so special?
Paul Heitlinger: “It is a perfect opportunity to meet a lot of experts in the field, learn from them and share future visions. Attendees can explore a lot of innovative solutions and can bring back concrete, ready-to-go solutions already in the market for immediate implementation. Everyone, both customers and vendors, have something to contribute to the event.”
What, broadly, do you think 2025 holds for the supply chain space?
Paul Heitlinger: “In 2025, more and more companies will evaluate their operations on a detailed level. There are more opportunities for automation and analytics. 2025 will be an exciting year as we see more AI and ML solutions to help warehouse operators manage operations, sales and workforces. Add in uncertainty around tariffs and trade, and I think this will be an amazing year for both logistics companies and vendors working with them.”
What does 2025 hold for your business specifically?
Paul Heitlinger: “2025 will definitely be a growth year for Nokia AIMS! We have gone through the start-up phase and are now expanding rapidly. The need for this kind of solution is evident and our capability enables warehouses to automate inventory counting 7-10 times faster and with higher accuracy and increased efficiency than manual counting. Nokia AIMS has a proven 30-40 % ROI over a three-year period, therefore it is truly a no-brainer to our customers. As a result, employees can concentrate on more value-adding tasks, and thus companies can increase employee satisfaction and decrease employee turnover. We look forward to working with our customers and making the product better than ever and helping our customers operate best-in-class warehouses.”
Learn more about Nokia AIMS here.
- Digital Supply Chain