Geekplus Technology Co. yesterday announced that it has partnered with global logistics provider GEODIS to deploy its robots at the Yuen Long Warehouse Distribution Centre, or YLDC, in Hong Kong. The distribution center will have an exclusive operating area for mobile robots using artificial intelligence.
“Our investments in this AI-driven automation system brings substantial value to GEODIS' e-commerce and retail customers by addressing some of the key challenges they face today,” said Onno Boots, regional president and CEO of GEODIS Asia-Pacific. “These solutions not only bring long-term cost-savings, operational efficiencies, and safety, but [they] also enable us to maintain high-quality control standards while providing customers greater speed and flexibility of movement of goods.”
GEODIS said it provides transport and logistics services across all continents. The company has direct presence in 67 countries and a global network covering 120 countries.
GEODIS to use high-density storage buffer
The initial autonomous mobile robot (AMR) deployment project at GEODIS includes customized storage racks and shelves that do not require aisles in between while parked, said Geek+. The company said this high-density storage buffer allows it to maximize storage capacity and improve customer fulfillment processes.
GEODIS will also use robots for locating, tracking, and moving inventory as part of Geek+'s goods-to-person system. This method allows orders to be delivered directly to pick-and-pack stations, eliminating any movement time needed by operators to search for items, said the partners.
In addition to improved real estate utilization, AMRs can minimize manual labor and reduce the risk of human error while also improving picking accuracy and reducing inventory count errors, said Geek+. Robots can also mitigate some of the challenges brought on by COVID-19, such as social distancing protocols in warehouses.
GEODIS said that the Geek+ system advances its digital-first outlook and its goal of boosting its smart logistics portfolio. The automation also provides a competitive edge to meet the rising demands for agility and accuracy amidst soaring demand in the e-commerce and retail segments, claimed the companies.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates GEODIS’ continued commitment to innovation and its momentum in addressing the increasingly complex production and challenges in the Hong Kong contract logistics landscape in the last two years,” said Chris Cahill, managing director for the North Asia sub-region at GEODIS. “In the long run, digital solutions and technologies like robotics and AI give us more data and insights so we can continue to finesse our operations to fulfill the needs of our customers.”
Geek+ serves global market
“The announcement reveals Geek+'s determination to support companies worldwide with technologies that can streamline operations, transforming the global supply chain to address increasingly complex logistics challenges,” said Lit Fung, vice president and managing director of Asia-Pacific, the U.K., and the Americas at Geek+. “We will continue to help GEODIS better manage changes in demand, quickly scale in line with business growth, and provide customers with better products and service capabilities.”
Geek+ was founded in 2015 and said it has more than 1,500 employees worldwide. The Beijing-based company said it has 300 global customers and has deployed more than 20,000 robots worldwide.
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