IoT Retrofit for Warehouses: How Businesses in Werl Digitize Logistics with LoRaWAN
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Warehouses in the KonWerl business park, in Werl's town center or along the B1 highway - many logistics companies in Werl face the same challenge: the halls date back to the 80s or 90s, retrofitting them with cabled sensors is expensive and disruptive. At the same time, requirements for temperature monitoring, energy efficiency and documentation are increasing.
IoT retrofit with LoRaWAN solves exactly this problem: battery-powered sensors transmit wirelessly over kilometers, a single gateway on the roof covers the entire complex, and data arrives on a dashboard in real time - without a single meter of cable.
Werl as a Logistics and Business Location
Werl is strategically located on the B1 federal highway between Soest and Unna, with direct connections to the A44 and A445 motorways. This location has made Werl an important commercial and logistics hub in the region:
- KonWerl Business Park: One of the largest contiguous commercial areas in the Soest district, hosting logistics, manufacturing and trade businesses. Large warehouse halls dominate the landscape - many built in the 1980s and 1990s.
- Westoennen/Buederich Industrial Area: Metalworking, suppliers and manufacturing companies with partly historic building stock.
- Town Center Commerce: Retailers with storage space, trade businesses and the area around the Pilgrimage Basilica with gastronomy and food storage.
- B1 Corridor: Along Federal Highway 1, freight forwarding companies, car dealerships with parts warehouses and wholesale businesses line up in succession.
What all these locations have in common: the buildings were constructed without digital infrastructure. Retrofitting with cables means drilling through reinforced concrete walls, running cable trays over shelving systems and weeks of construction work - often during ongoing operations.
Why Warehouses in Werl Are Ideal Retrofit Candidates
LoRaWAN sensors bypass this problem entirely:
- No cabling required: Sensors are battery-powered (5-10 year lifespan)
- Long range: One gateway covers multiple halls (up to 500m indoors)
- Low cost: 60-80% cheaper than wired alternatives
- Quick installation: Mount sensors, set up gateway, done
Typical Setup for a Warehouse
A concrete retrofit project for a 3,000 m2 warehouse typically looks like this:
Hardware:
- 1x Milesight UG67 Gateway (outdoor, on the roof)
- 8x Temperature/humidity sensors (distributed throughout the hall)
- 2x Door/gate contacts (loading docks)
- 2x Energy monitoring sensors (power meters)
- 1x CO2 sensor (air quality)
Software Stack:
- ChirpStack as LoRaWAN Network Server
- ThingsBoard for device management and dashboards
- Grafana for long-term analysis and reporting
- Node-RED for automations and alerts
Managed Hosting: All software components run GDPR-compliant on German servers - hosted and maintained by merkaio Managed Hosting. You focus on your core business, we handle the IT.
Use Cases in Detail
Temperature Monitoring
Particularly relevant for businesses with temperature-sensitive goods: sensors continuously measure the temperature in different warehouse zones. When thresholds are exceeded (e.g., cold chain interrupted), an alert is triggered immediately via email or SMS. Continuous documentation meets HACCP and IFS requirements.
Energy Monitoring
Identify energy wasters before the annual bill arrives: LoRaWAN energy sensors at the main distribution board capture consumption in real time. Grafana dashboards show peak loads, base loads and consumption patterns - the foundation for targeted savings.
Gate and Access Monitoring
How often are the loading dock gates open? Magnetic contacts on gates and doors record opening times and frequency. Combined with temperature data, the energy loss from open gates can be quantified.
Case Study: Freight Forwarder in the KonWerl Business Park
Situation: A freight forwarding company in the KonWerl business park operates three warehouse halls (totaling 8,000 m2) with temperature-sensitive goods. Previously, temperatures were checked manually twice daily with a handheld thermometer and entered into an Excel spreadsheet. No checks were conducted on weekends. Energy costs were approximately 45,000 euros per year without transparent breakdown.
IoT Solution:
- 1x Milesight UG67 Gateway on Hall 1 (covers all three halls)
- 12x Temperature/humidity sensors (4 per hall)
- 6x Gate contacts at loading docks
- 3x Current clamps at main distribution panels
- Managed hosting on German servers
Results after 3 months:
- Weekend temperature alarm: The cold storage area in Hall 2 rose to 12 degrees C due to a defective seal - alarm triggered on Saturday morning, technician on site by 10 AM, goods damage prevented (estimated avoided loss: 15,000 euros)
- Gate analysis: Loading dock 3 was open an average of 4.2 hours per day - 60% longer than docks 1 and 2. Cause: missing high-speed doors. After installation: energy consumption in Hall 3 reduced by 18%
- Energy transparency: Hall 1 consumed 40% more than equally sized Hall 2 - cause: outdated lighting. After LED conversion: 8,500 euros per year in savings
- ROI: Total investment approximately 4,200 euros - paid for itself after 4 months through the prevented cold chain break alone
Special Regional Requirements
Food and Pharmaceutical Logistics
Due to proximity to the Soester Boerde (food production) and the clinics in Bad Sassendorf, Werl has an above-average number of businesses handling temperature-controlled goods. HACCP and GDP-compliant documentation is mandatory - IoT sensors deliver it automatically and without gaps.
Trade Businesses with Outdoor Storage
Many trade businesses in Werl store materials in unheated halls or containers. Moisture damage to wood, paints or electronic components is a recurring problem. Simple humidity/temperature sensors alert before damage occurs.
Seasonal Peaks in the Pilgrimage Town
Werl is one of Germany's most visited pilgrimage sites. During pilgrimage season (May-October), logistics demand for gastronomy and retail increases. IoT data helps with planning and shows when capacity limits are being reached.
Why WZ-IT as Your IoT Partner in Werl
As a Werl-based company headquartered at Max-Liersch-Anger 13, we know the local business landscape personally. We are not just IT service providers but neighbors - and can be on site within 10 minutes. Our approach:
- Free initial consultation on site in your warehouse - we assess the conditions
- Proof of Concept with 3-5 sensors for 4 weeks of testing
- Rollout across the entire facility after successful test phase
- Managed hosting with 24/7 monitoring and a personal contact
Next Steps
Do you operate warehouses in Werl or the surrounding area and want to know what IoT retrofit could look like for your facility? We will come by and assess your halls - free and without obligation.
- IoT solutions in Werl - All services at a glance
- IoT solutions in Soest - Neighboring location
- IoT solutions in Bad Sassendorf - Neighboring location
- All IoT locations - Overview
- Get in touch - Request a free consultation
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to important questions about this topic
Costs depend on the hall size and number of measurement points. A typical setup with 10-20 LoRaWAN sensors, one gateway and managed hosting starts at approximately 2,000-5,000 euros initial investment plus monthly hosting costs. Compared to wired systems, you save 60-80% on installation costs.
Indoors, LoRaWAN typically reaches 200-500 meters through walls and shelving. A single gateway on the roof easily covers several thousand square meters. For larger complexes like the KonWerl business park, multiple gateways can form a comprehensive network.
No, that is exactly the advantage of LoRaWAN: the sensors are battery-powered (5-10 year lifespan) and transmit wirelessly to the gateway. No new cabling needs to be installed in the building - ideal for existing structures.
Typical measurements include temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, door openings, power consumption, fill levels and light conditions. For cold storage, temperature monitoring with alerts on threshold violations is essential.
Yes, WZ-IT is headquartered in Werl (Max-Liersch-Anger 13) and manages IoT projects throughout the region. From consulting to installation to managed hosting, you get everything from a single source - with a personal contact on site.
Written by
Timo Wevelsiep
Co-Founder & CEO
Co-Founder of WZ-IT. Specialized in cloud infrastructure, open-source platforms and managed services for SMEs and enterprise clients worldwide.
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