Zeitfracht Medien further optimizes book logistics by expanding its sustainable print-on-demand service

Erfurt, March 20, 2024 : Zeitfracht Medien is working consistently on the further development of the Print on Demand (PoD) division. Logistics on more than 300,000 square meters of space is combined with sustainability and speed in the production of books. Following an intensive project and construction phase, the company has now connected the PoD print shop directly to the conveyor technology at its logistics center in Erfurt, thus ensuring even faster delivery in the bookstores' direct customer business and overnight deliveries.

Thomas Raff, Managing Director of Zeitfracht Medien GmbH: "Our print-on-demand technology, which is already used by more than 500 publishers and includes over 1,600,000 titles in our print database, makes it possible to print books at the moment they are ordered. This enables us to keep a very large number of books available for the book trade, which would not be possible in a purely physical warehouse, either for capacity reasons or economically. This approach not only significantly expands the variety of the product range for the book trade, but is also a fundamental step towards more sustainable production. By avoiding overproduction and reducing transportation costs, we are making a tangible contribution to environmental protection."

Kay Wissendorf, Head of Print on Demand and Operational Purchasing, is delighted that the print shop is now directly connected to time freight logistics and the warehouse using state-of-the-art conveyor technology: "The freshly printed books travel directly from the print shop to their designated storage or picking location or immediately via the packing department to the outgoing goods department. This enables us to ship efficiently in a single package even faster than before. This now also applies to mixed orders consisting of titles in stock and freshly printed books. Customers benefit from this optimization through faster delivery times and an even larger selection."

With this initiative and the associated investment, Zeitfracht Medien is supporting its commitment to an environmentally conscious and customer-oriented future.