Research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan today awarded inVia Robotics Inc. this year's “Best Practices Technology Innovation Leadership Award” in the North American goods-to-person robotics market. Westlake Village, Calif.-based inVia supplies automation for e-commerce fulfillment.
“We’re honored to receive this recognition and award for our technology that is solving the pressing issues facing warehouse employees and businesses on a daily basis,” stated Lior Elazary, co-founder and CEO of inVia Robotics. “We recognize that e-eommerce demand is continuing to rise, and warehouse workers are still facing immense pressures to fulfill orders quickly.”
“Our mission is deeply rooted in creating an environment where people can do fulfilling work, and in order for us to ensure this happens, we are committed to improving the technological offerings that our customers require,” he said.
inVia's system uses autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and AI-driven warehouse orchestration software to help e-commerce businesses and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) automate and optimize material flow across fulfillment centers. The company offers its automation services as a subscription, and it said it has built its systems for quick deployment without disruption to existing operations.
inVia claimed that it can increase productivity by four to five times and improve accuracy to 99.9%—at a fraction of the cost of traditional automation.
Frost & Sullivan recognizes RaaS offering
inVia claimed that its robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model beat out category competitors because it provides retailers and 3PLs with a flexible, cost-effective system. It noted that its RaaS model allows customers to pay for the productivity of its robots and software in comparison with competitors that lease or sell robots.
The subscription service covers all system updates and includes 24/7 monitoring and support through inVia’s Robotics Operation Center (ROC). A team of robotics experts is dedicated to each customer to oversee fulfillment operations and troubleshoot any problems, often fixing them before they are even visible.
inVia said its model “democratizes automation, making it available as an operating expense to businesses of all sizes, versus traditional equipment that was capital-intensive and expensive.”
“Frost & Sullivan applauds inVia for maximizing worker productivity and providing e-eommerce organizations with an attainable entry point to introduce autonomous mobile robots and the PickerWall into their businesses,” stated Sankara Narayanan, industry principal at Frost & Sullivan. “The company’s RaaS model, ROC, and quick deployment further enhance its customer value proposition.”
For six decades, Frost & Sullivan said it has helped investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, megatrends, new business models, and companies.
inVia picking as a differentiator
Another key differentiator that inVia credited for its award was the inVia PickerWall. The company said the product demonstrates its unique workflow that removes interdependencies between robots and people, unleashing productivity rates at a time when warehouse labor is hard to find. The inVia PickerWall helps companies manage higher order volumes without having to increase labor, enabling fulfillment centers to be 10 times more productive, asserted inVia.
Most importantly, the PickerWall leverages the strengths of both people and robots, according to the company. Robots work nonstop doing repetitive tasks like traveling and picking, allowing people to do higher-order tasks like sortation and a variety of work in bursts. Workers enjoy more stimulating working conditions, and businesses can consistently meeting service-level agreements (SLAs) without dips in productivity, said inVia.
Frost & Sullivan also recognized inVia Picker robots for solving one of the most challenging e-commerce problems: quick and easy access to a wide variety of stock-keeping units (SKUs). E-commerce warehouses are often 250,000 sq. ft., comparable to three football fields—and they may have 100,000 SKUs.
inVia's robots are completely autonomous and eliminate the need for people to travel across a facility to retrieve inventory and deliver it to the packing station. In addition, inVia Pickers are mobile, unlike traditional shuttle systems, and they can be moved to work in different zones or in other locations. The company said this eliminates the need for re-engineering facilities, allowing inVia to adapt to different environments.
The Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies across the globe for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. inVia said it was awarded based on its commitment to innovation, creativity, and application diversity to meet ever-evolving customer needs.
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