Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.15
March 20, 2022
…Those requirements have always existed, but labor shortages, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rising costs of energy and materials have contributed to a shifting business environment. “We have always been focused on creating customer value through the total cost of the system, transforming business processes, improving service, and driving growth and change,” said Kevin Coleman, co-CEO of CJ Logistics America. “Today, our customers are asking us how we can challenge the status quo to deal with the changes in consumer demand patterns.” Part of that shift is a change in focus from handling at the lowest unit cost within a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.15
February 08, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic is arguably the most prolonged and harshest disruption the supply chain industry has seen in the last few decades. It has been quite a journey for businesses and warehouses from reacting to the situation, navigating operational changes through the lockdown, such as social distancing, and preparing along the way for the eventual re-opening as vaccine trials raise the hope of the end to the pandemic. As we begin to turn a corner, it is paramount for business executives and supply chain leaders to envision with sufficient clarity what the next normal will look like. They must plan…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.14
December 22, 2021
…come. After nearly two years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain snafus, and shifting demand, multiple industries are looking to robots and automation to improve efficiency and mitigate widespread labor shortages. Robotics 24/7 asked the following thought leaders among robotics associations, end users, and suppliers about their thoughts: Susanne Bieller, general secretary of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) Tom Ryden, executive director of MassRobotics Suzy Teele, vice president of strategic initiatives and outreach at the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute Aaron Prather, senior technical advisor at FedEx Express Fergal Glynn, vice president of marketing at 6…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.14
September 24, 2021
…to visit to participate in the design; then came COVID-19. From then on, that work took place remotely using video chats. Finally, the team established milestones to audit the performance of the system, such as the ability to pick representative SKUs before going live. Addressing those issues during a pandemic, even with video chats, wasn’t easy, especially those related to quality. Along with the pandemic-induced separation, the SBR and Berkshire Grey teams had to contend with time differences, as well as language and cultural differences. Okabe said he believes the rapport his team established with the robotics supplier allowed them…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.14
December 17, 2021
…“That was a challenge for the five years before COVID-19.” Cartons are conveyed to a palletizing cell. Source: NorthShore Care Supply Robots grow with inventory Fast forward to July 2021, when I toured the Green Oaks facility once again. The AMRs were still traveling through the aisles, associates were busy picking to the robots and moving product through the packing stations, and lift truck operators were moving pallets to replenish pick locations. I saw two big differences: Significantly more inventory was in the warehouse than in July 2020, and at the receiving dock, two associates were unloading cartons onto a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.14
February 19, 2021
…observed the ubiquity of ecommerce brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. At this juncture, that is not news. Well, how about this: According to IBM’s U.S. Retail Index, the coronavirus accelerated the shift toward online shopping - and away from brick-and-mortar - by about five years. This news may be good for a company’s top line; however, many supply chain leaders are struggling to cope with the tremendous pressure this surge has put on their internal operations, customer service, and delivery partners. “Both manufacturers and retailers, faced with ecommerce volumes that no one anticipated until 2025, are trying to meet…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.13
June 20, 2024
…with regards to communicable diseases, such as with the COVID-19 pandemic, monitoring health conditions can help airports prevent further spread. Dynamic assignment can provide wholesome ROI A cloud-based scheduler assigns orders to each robot. Vijay said the scheduler accounts for the battery charge levels, which robots are in closest proximity, and maximum utilization of onboard space. With multiple lockers on each robot, Ottobots can perform multiple deliveries during the same trip through order batching. Vijay said the top platform of Ottonomy’s robots can be customized for each application, allowing specialized equipment or different compartments to be added. When equipped with…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.13
December 01, 2021
…goal was to go live in March 2020. Then, COVID-19 intervened. The teams at Top Notch and 6RS worked remotely to build the application programming interface (API) and integrate the systems. Initial deployment done in phases The project got under way in May 2020. When the robots arrived in Carson City, 6 River Systems gave the Top Notch maintenance team remote instructions on how to set them up. The Nevada facility went first because Top Notch was in the midst of moving into its new DC in Missouri. The rollout took about three weeks because of the pandemic, according to…
