Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.57
February 12, 2019
…That’s how many units GEODIS, the global third-party logistics (3PL) provider, had picked to a fleet of mobile collaborative robots (Locus Robotics, locusrobotics.com) as of mid-December 2018. 175 and counting. That’s the number of cobots GEODIS had deployed across its North American facilities as of that date. 2x. That’s the productivity improvements that GEODIS realized since it first deployed a fleet of 21 bots in a facility outside of Indianapolis in January 2018 following a three-month pilot, according to Alan McDonald, senior director of continuous improvement, and Kevin Stock, the senior vice president of engineering. From left: Kevin Stock, senior…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.98
December 10, 2018
…don’t know about you, but I’ve never thought of 3PLs as innovators or early adopters of technology. Given the short-term nature of their contracts, the industry players focused on taking the fat out of processes and being great operators with conventional processes. Based on a few stories I’ve published in the last year or so, I think that’s changing. In Germany, for instance, Arvato SCM Solutions is utilizing pouch sortation and automated packaging technologies to optimize e-fulfillment and managing returns. GEODIS is utilizing mobile collaborative robots in its fulfillment operations. Last fall, DB Schenker announced that it is partnering with…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.40
September 10, 2018
…well. Brock Eckles, director of strategic solutions for the 3PL Geodis, noted that a large consumer electronics company that is one of his clients has made a decision to invest heavily in automation because they can no longer fight the war over associates. Ron Kyslinger, a former Walmart SVP, argued that automation should be looked at as create sustainable jobs, defined as “a job that someone wants to get out of bed in the morning for and is proud to do.” He noted that no one brags at Thanksgiving that they pack boxes in a distribution center, “but train them…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.55
August 02, 2018
…maintenance further contributes to the industry demand. The expanding 3PL sector globally is expected to witness a CAGR of over 6% in the material handling equipment market. The increasing complexity of supply chains is compelling businesses to turn towards 3PL service providers to ensure smooth and efficient operations. 3PL service providers are focusing on real-time systems for enhanced visibility. Furthermore, the flourishing durable manufacturing sector in countries including India and China is providing impetus to the market. The growing durable manufacturing industry adopting the latest technologies for production in countries including France and Germany will surge the demand for the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.92
July 09, 2018
…AMR term has emerged to describe this self-driving nature. 3PL RK Logistics is using Fetch Robotics’ AMRs for materials transport. The robots eliminate labor hours consumed pushing goods on a cart. The flexibility of today’s AMRs makes them suited to DCs, notes Sharma. “Logistics facilities are rapidly changing environments, especially warehouses run by third-party logistics (3PL) providers, who might be on three or four-year contracts,” he says. “They don’t want their automation to be fixed in a way that makes it difficult to expand or change.” For potential users of robotics, characteristics like flexibility and autonomy are a good thing,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.71
July 09, 2018
…into long-term relationships with carriers and third party logistics (3PL) partners is now imperative to gaining improved logistics efficiency. “And that is a paradigm shift for us,” she says. “We strive to be the shipper of choice for our carriers because we’re not in it for the short haul.” And while admitting that there can be tension with third-party relationships, Fouhy says that the key is getting 3PLs to fully understand her company’s needs and standards. “What we focus on is integrating J&J into the 3PL relationship to help alleviate tensions.” Joseph Ruddy, chief innovation officer for the Port of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.60
June 25, 2018
…operations for e-commerce, Retail, Manufacturing, and 3rd Party Logistics (3PL). Butler PickPal is the latest innovation from GreyOrange for high-speed auto-fulfillment. It unlocks the next levels of efficiency and cost savings as it revolutionizes the picking of high-mix SKU inventory in e-commerce fulfillment centers. Powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Vision, this collaborative robot works alongside a warehouse operator to increase throughput multifold. Talk to the Solution Experts from GreyOrange and Advanced Warehouse Solutions about these high-performance products and solutions at CeMAT Australia, Melbourne, on 24-26 July, at Stand A22, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Contact GreyOrange at [email protected]…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.29
May 21, 2018
…chain, it could include manufacturers, customs agents, shippers, regulators, 3PLs, carriers, and drivers. A chain may extend from raw materials to finished goods on a consumer’s table. A Bloomberg analyst called blockchain “the biggest innovation in the industry since containerization.” But many links in the supply chain aren’t fully onboard with blockchain - yet. As blockchain technology becomes more refined and prevalent, it will provide many benefits. Read: Why Every Company Will Be Using Blockchain By 2027 These questions are among the many that prevail in our industry. Their answers are temporal. As our dynamic changing and growing environment changes,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.36
May 17, 2018
…from the Tompkins organization. They include a third-party logistics (3PL) provider for e-commerce fulfillment, a robotics company and a sensor-based organization to develop the connected warehouse. Tompkins defines two types of innovation: Linear and exponential. “Linear innovation is just maintaining the pace of where we’re at,” he says, which would include improvements to existing solutions and technologies. “To do true innovation that results in exponential innovation, you have to move the pace of innovation.” To make that happen, he adds, requires a need in the market, competent people and resources. To that end, Tompkins created a 12-member innovation team that…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.29
April 09, 2018
…The first, MonarchFx, is an alliance of Tompkins with 3PLs, transportation and technology providers. The group has created a distributed logistics network of fulfillment centers to support retailers and brands shipping direct-to-consumer. “It gives these operations a way to deliver as quickly and as inexpensively as the very large online retailers,” he said. “As we got into MonarchFx, we explored a variety of technologies that would enable efficient and effective each picking. We found the answer in China, and have unveiled Tompkins Robotics, a unique sortation system that allows us to sort a batch pick into a unit pick, pack…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.27
April 09, 2018
…at a tipping point. The piece focused on how 3PLs like DHL, GEODIS and Quiet Logistics are deploying mobile collaborative robots in their e-commerce fulfillment operations. One of the things that struck me is that while the implementations we’re seeing are small, it feels as if the market for mobile collaborative robotics is at a tipping point in materials handling, and it feels as if the adoption rate, poised to become in the next three to five years just another tool in the tool kit. In the words of Stephen Stills, there’s something happening here. Last week, as I was…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.75
March 12, 2018
…DHL story was a case in point. That’s because 3PLs have historically avoided mechanical automation in favor of software, data collection and rigorous processes to drive productivity improvements. While Quiet Logistics was an early adopter of Kiva, it was both a startup and an outlier. Based on a conversation I had recently with Kevin Stock, senior vice president of engineering, and Alan McDonald, senior director of continuous improvement, at GEODIS, another global 3PL giant like DHL, I have another data point. GEODIS recently implemented 30 mobile robots from Locus Robotics in a 139,000 square foot area reserved for apparel fulfillment…
