Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.22
September 16, 2020
…different manual warehouses in Northern Europe, all operated by 3PLs. While the supply chain had evolved over the years, it had become too complex and inefficient to address Varner’s changing needs. What’s more, Varner did not have the level of control it wanted over its supply chain. “Fashion retailing is a highly competitive business, so you have to constantly cut costs and improve your quality and control in the supply chain,” Eriksson notes. The idea, then, for the new facility was to bring all of Varner’s distribution, including e-commerce order fulfillment, under one centrally located roof that would enable efficient…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.28
September 11, 2020
…kit. That is especially true in the third-party logistics (3PL) industry, where Modern has featured AMR implementations at industry leaders like DHL, GEODIS, Rakuten Super Logistics and, in the July issue, UPS. See a detailed inside look at the moving parts of the NorthShore Care distribution center. Those articles highlighted some of the leading AMR solution providers that are now becoming household names, including Locus Robotics, inVia Robotics and 6 River Systems. While each of those providers brings different strengths and strategies to the table, what they share in common is the problem they aim to solve: A more efficient…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.61
August 25, 2020
…continues to be the most rapidly growing third-party logistics (3PL) segment. “With COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns, Value-Added Warehousing and Distribution (VAWD) had significant growth in business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce fulfillment activity during the first half of 2020, while business-to-business (B2B) activity waned.,” says A&A’s president Evan Armstrong, DHL Supply Chain has announced a number of investments in technology and infrastructure in 2020 that are targeted in particular at the retail and life sciences and healthcare industries. In March, it committed to expand its fleet of LocusBot collaborative robots to 1,000 by the end of the year in order to…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.13
July 22, 2020
…its multi-client facilities, UPS, like other third-party logistics providers (3PLs), relied on conventional warehousing and fulfillment processes. The rapidly growing e-commerce space is upending that strategy. In response, UPS is re-imagining its e-fulfillment processes, inside and outside the warehouse. It Starts with the Network of Fulfillment Locations UPS operates an extensive network of fulfillment locations, including some 900 forward stocking locations used to pre-position critical inventory for high tech and medical equipment. There has been some discussion about leveraging those facilities as micro-fulfillment centers for same-day and next-day e-commerce fulfillment, but, Clements points out, “We have to find a balance…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.05
July 10, 2020
…pandemic has yet to realign the current third-party logistics (3PL) marketplace. But when it does, shippers may expect far greater reliance on innovative technologies requiring substantial capital investment. “Given the massive coronavirus windfall for omni-channel and e-commerce companies, some might think that 3PLs have a tremendous opportunity,” says Michael Gravier, associate professor of marketing and supply chain management at Bryant University. “Even before this disruption, the world was a volatile place with tariffs and raw material costs fluctuating as quickly in response to Twitter blasts. And it was pushing companies to focus more on innovation based on core competences and…
Found in Robotics Companies & Businesses, with a score of 12.50
June 26, 2020
6 River Systems (6RS) is a leading fulfillment solutions provider for 3PL, multi-channel commerce, retail and B2B companies worldwide. With Chuck, the most flexible and configurable collaborative robot in the industry, 6RS empowers operators to transform the entire fulfillment workflow from putaway, to picking, sorting and packing. The 6RS solution fulfills millions of units each week for companies across North America and Europe, including DHL, ACT Fulfillment, Office Depot and XPO Logistics.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.39
April 07, 2020
…stayed steady, even after last year’s increased indications around 3PL services. Spending on some traditional equipment categories such as lift trucks and dock equipment stayed steady or grew, while several information systems (IS) categories saw declines. The answers related to robotics were less bullish than last year, but still, 9% said they currently use robotics, and 19% will consider them during the next 24 months. Respondents projected a growing need to automate the measuring of cycle time performance. Respondents also foresee the need for more automation in the way they gauge issues such as on-time shipping and dock-to-stock cycle time.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.25
March 10, 2020
…warehouse robotics solution provider for retailers and third-party logistics (3PL) operators worldwide that are looking to meet the shifting demands of the booming e-commerce market. Global e-commerce sales are expected to top $4.2 trillion (U.S.) in 2020 and reach more than $6.5 trillion by 2023, with more than 2.1 billion shoppers are expected to purchase goods and services online by 2021, according to Statistica. Locus said its collaborative robots work safely with human employees, driving productivity to ensure that retail companies and 3PLs can keep up with higher volume and increasing consumer demand, despite the widespread scarcity of warehouse labor.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.17
March 03, 2020
…freight management challenges by C.H. Robinson, a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, according to Tim Gagnon, VP of analytics and data science for the company. “We have effective AI solutions embedded in our pricing, tender acceptance, freight matching and visibility services,” says Gagnon, who heads up C.H. Robinson Labs, an innovation incubator for the company. Gagnon explains that AI capability can learn from the data and processes it analyzes, and be used within a control tower. “What excites us most about these solutions is that they can effectively learn from millions of decisions and outcomes to develop more effective judgements of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.37
February 21, 2020
…and processes that promote efficiency, productivity, and savings. Fortunately, 3PLs, including Cerasis, have spent years developing new capabilities within SaaS platforms to offer a bigger, better, and more effective way to approach logistics management. Ironically, that fact alone is part of the reason why outsourcing is now the go-to best practice for freight management. Related Article: Top Six Supply Chain Technology Trends for 2020 Related Papers 2020 Strategic Freight Management Trends In this educational and informative white paper, you will learn about the top freight, logistics, and supply chain trends affecting the industry and how they will shape the year…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.92
February 05, 2020
…become the cornerstone of successful management throughout 2020. Forward-thinking 3PLs need to leverage the voluminous information flowing through their supply chains to make informed decisions, better predict future demand, isolates trends and potential problems, and manage workflows to meet such demands. Unfortunately, some supply chains continue operating with an antiquated processing model, using paper. Who needs paper in today’s age? 3PLs that wish to stay relevant must evolve their operations beyond the nuances of paper-based tracking and deploy newer systems. According to Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index, more than 2760 parcels are shipped every second in the global supply chain,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.42
February 04, 2020
…sure to please no one,” says Tompkins. Wulfraat sees 3PLs in particular building out networks of small (250,000 square feet and smaller) in locations closer to consumers. “I call that a CFC or customer fulfillment center,” Wulfraat told Modern Materials Handling in October of 2019. Retailers themselves are in the thick of this shift, especially grocery. And suddenly, all those brick-and-mortar stores are proving to have unexpected value. “The challenge is to get inventory as close as possible to the consumer,” says Mitch Hayes, Swisslog’s vice president of e-commerce and retail. That’s the cue for micro-fulfillment. The idea is simple—pull…
