Gerald Schneikart, Project Leader & Senior Researcher at the IDS at FHWien der WKW, was awarded the “Best Presentation Award” at the “International Conference on Management of Technology and Sustainable Production” (MOTSP 2026) in Zadar. The award recognized his presentation on the impact of generative AI on logistics organizations and their employees.
AI’s Impact on Processes, Employees and Organizations
The award-winning presentation, titled “A research framework for the evaluation of operational impacts of AI solutions in logistics use cases”, was developed in collaboration with Head of Research and IDS at FHWien, Walter Mayrhofer. It addresses a central question of digital transformation: How can the actual added value of AI in logistics companies be assessed?
The research focuses on analyzing the impact of generative AI on processes, employees and organizations. The findings show that AI is currently used primarily to support knowledge-intensive activities such as information processing, documentation, translation, research and software-related tasks. Comprehensive integration into core logistics processes, however, is still in its early stages. Means and methods for assessing the impact of AI – including in financial terms – seem to be entirely absent, although they would be required.
AI Applications Are Changing Requirements and Work Practices
The research clearly shows that the evaluation of AI solutions should not be limited solely to efficiency or automation gains. Rather, AI applications also alter competency requirements, work practices and organizational routines. A key finding is therefore the need for suitable methods to systematically assess the impact of AI on people and organizations.
This work is part of the SIBORC research project funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). The project’s goal is to analyze the potential impacts of generative AI solutions in multi-modal logistics systems and to evaluate their benefits for various stakeholder groups.
By winning an award at the MOTSP 2026, the research conducted at the IDS at FHWien der WKW has gained international recognition and underscores the importance of evidence-based approaches for the responsible use of AI in logistics.