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Solve Top Efficiency Challenges with Robotic Automation To handle both peak season volume and regular order volume efficiently, distribution centers need scalability. The robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model lets you add and subtract as needed.
The third challenge is the economical uncertainty of the world. People are concerned, so they’re holding off on certain expenditures, while trying to eke a little bit more out of their current CapEx models rather than trying to sign up for new things like warehouse automation. They know they need to automate, but they’re not sure what type they need. How can large distribution centers use automation to evolve and get past these challenges? The biggest way that large distribution centers can get past their top challenges is to look at automation solutions that are flexible, scalable, and safe. The solution needs to be flexible due to demand changes. If you’re building a new center, do you want to build it for the number of people you need to fulfill peak season orders or do you want to build it for the number of people you typically employ every single week? It’s a false dichotomy. You need to create an environment that can handle the volume of peak season and your regular order volume without overpaying. For scalability, you need to be able to add and subtract as needed, and you can easily do so with a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model. With Locus Robotics, our robots are not replacing people. Instead, the robots work alongside warehouse associates to
make their jobs better and upscale their skills to help them have a safer and more enjoyable working environment. What competitive advantage can automation providers offer companies that operate at enterprise levels? For 3PLs, the biggest competitive advantage provided by automation is that they can offer automation as an added service to their customers. With automation, the cost to do business with a 3PL is significantly lower and comes with faster throughput, increased efficiency, and less errors. For a distribution center, the biggest advantage is to handle those peak season volumes without having to hire 25-100 temporary workers. The idea is to be better able to maintain and manage the volume changes as they go up or down and be able to better serve your customers. Automation makes your processes faster and more efficient. How does Locus Robotics help enterprise-level distribution centers handle their challenges? With Locus Robotics, our customers can take advantage of the benefits of automation from day one, and we can scale with you long-term. We’re not just a starter package of automation; you can start with 50 bots and go up to 500 bots on four mezzanines, for example, with our solution. Plus, we come from a logistics background so we fundamentally understand warehousing and logistics in a way that other robotics or automation providers may not.
Kaitlin Peterson Senior Director of Product Marketing Locus Robotics
What are the biggest challenges facing enterprise-level distribution centers today? The number one challenge today is labor, and it’s in a variety of forms that include labor shortage, absenteeism, and high turnover rates from walking 12 miles a day while dragging around a large, heavy cart. The second biggest challenge is the unpredictable nature of what’s coming in and leaving the warehouse. Containers are finally off the ships that were stuck in the water. Those products are now flowing through the ports and ending up in trailers or containers outside of warehouses because the warehouses don’t have the capacity to bring in that inventory and process it—making demand planning a lost cause.
Learn more about Locus Robotics. www.locusrobotics.com
November 2022 • Inbound Logistics 51
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