Glossary · Packaging and intralogistics
Fleet management system
Also known as: Fleet manager, AGV master control
German: Flottenmanagementsystem
In intralogistics, a fleet management system is the software that coordinates a fleet of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) by assigning transport orders, planning missions and routes, managing traffic and scheduling charging.
- Intralogistics
In one sentence
A fleet management system coordinates AGVs and mobile robots: it assigns orders, plans routes, manages traffic and schedules charging.
Example
The fleet management system assigns the next pallet transport to the closest idle AMR and holds another vehicle at an intersection until the path is free.
How it applies
- Engineering: The fleet management system connects to the Warehouse management system (WMS) or MES for orders and to the vehicles for status and commands. VDA 5050 is a widely used interface between master control and vehicles from different manufacturers.
- Operation: Dispatching rules, priorities and charging strategy determine fleet performance. Operators see vehicle states, faults and order queues.
- Safety: Personnel detection and speed reduction are safety functions on the vehicle. The fleet management system organizes traffic but is not the safety function that protects people.
- Documentation: Describe the interfaces, operating modes, manual intervention (pausing, removing a vehicle) and recovery after faults. Make clear which functions sit in the vehicle and which in the fleet management system.
Fleet management system vs. warehouse control system
A Warehouse control system (WCS) controls all material handling equipment; a fleet management system is specialized for mobile vehicles and may be connected to the WCS.