Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.31
February 19, 2021
…popularity for both traditional and D2C retailers is the micro-fulfillment center (also referred to as urban distribution centers). Buy Online, Pick-Up In-Store Buy online, pick-up in-store (BOPIS), and the more social distancing-friendly adaptations like “curbside pickup” have seen wider adoption in recent years, but particularly since the start of the pandemic. BOPIS is relatively inexpensive for traditional retailers as the last mile delivery cost is split with the customer. There are various ways to implement this approach. Some retailers like Walmart and Kroger use defined pickup windows to manage staffing and navigate peak hours, whereas Target fulfills an order within…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 29.09
February 16, 2021
…digital, e-commerce and commercial engine, today announced a new micro-fulfillment technology pilot with The GIANT Company in the Philadelphia market. Part of an e-commerce fulfillment center (EFC), the pilot leverages Swisslog’s solution which includes AutoStore technology empowered by Swisslog’s SynQ software, as well as Peapod Digital Labs’ proprietary manual picking capabilities. The pilot launches as Ahold Delhaize USA companies continue to expand e-commerce fulfillment capabilities as part of readying an omnichannel supply chain and supporting the U.S. brands as they pursue their ambitions of becoming the leading omnichannel grocery retailer in their markets. “Over the past year, all Ahold Delhaize…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 37.06
January 26, 2021
Attabotics, a 3D robotics company that offers micro-fulfillment center automation, and FoodX Technologies, one of the leading eGrocery Management Solutions (eGMS) providers, today announced a North American joint market offering. By combining Attabotics’ robotics fulfillment system with the FoodX eGrocery software platform for front-end e-commerce, delivery routing, inventory management, fulfillment and reverse logistics, retailers can improve unit economics, increase speed to market and reduce capital expenditure, according to the vendors. Requiring upwards of 85% less space than typical warehouse storage and fulfillment infrastructure, Attabotics solution transforms the rows and aisles of a typical warehouse into a single, vertical storage structure…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 47.16
January 12, 2021
…that is gaining a lot of attention is the micro-fulfillment center. Micro-fulfillment centers are a simple and compact last-mile delivery solution that can be quickly deployed anywhere, especially where real estate space is limited or cost-prohibitive. While they are generally smaller in size than regional or metro-fulfillment centers, they can be virtually any size, providing the needed flexibility to meet customer needs and fit nicely into a wide range of supply chain strategies. Micro-fulfillment featuring AutoStore Micro-fulfillment centers can be built as a standalone facility, or built inside or bolted onto an existing location to expand fulfillment capacity, especially within…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 38.30
December 30, 2020
…thrive in 2020. Ship-from-store and curbside pickup have pushed micro-fulfillment centers—smaller sites that leverage goods-to-person automation to fill online orders closer to customers—from a fringe concept to mainstream. Warehouse/DC operations and materials handling automation providers are not standing still. Starting on page 26, senior editor Roberto Michel takes a closer look at the supply chain challenges brought on by micro-fulfillment as well as how automation vendors and warehouse/DC operations are working to meet this new, complex demand. “The thing that strikes me is that the trend involves much more than whether or not one can ‘shrink down’ goods-to-person automation for…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.34
July 22, 2020
…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 between speed of delivery and a model that spreads inventory across dozens of locations.” That balance helps merchants control inventory carrying costs while providing fast access to customers. “Speed of delivery is important, but so are predictability, reliability, and visibility,” Clements says; “That’s why we are linking our distribution network to our transportation network.” A great example of this is UPS eFulfillment, which can reach almost all of the United States in two…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 30.29
April 15, 2020
…It offers the densest storage on the market; serves micro-fulfillment centers up to large regional hubs; and—with the addition of the Black Line robots—delivers up to 650 bins per hour with a 99% uptime. As a global integrator, we’re excited to leverage our experience and successes in North and South America for our clients on an international scale. Q: What’s new in material handling technology? A: The optimization of warehouse execution software (WES) that operate goods-to-person technologies. For example, AutoStore Black Line has been on the market for about a year now. Bastian Solutions has been fortunate to integrate several…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.09
April 07, 2020
…Robotic Put Modules automate eCommerce fulfillment in distribution centers, micro-fulfillment centers, and back-of-store environments. • Robotic Parcel Sortation systems enable logistics providers and retailers to sort and consolidate small parcels generated by ecommerce operations into bags and containers to enable efficient network handling and zone skipping. “We speak with customers daily who are under stress in normal times due to demand uncertainty, labor availability, and competitive pressure,” said Steve Johnson, President & COO of Berkshire Grey. “Those customers need business partners who can help them alleviate that stress now more than ever. RaaS is one way to make positive impact…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 19.95
February 04, 2020
…about to disappear into the back room. It’s called micro-fulfillment, and it’s poised to explode in grocery as well as general retail. That’s all very attention getting, but we haven’t even mentioned robots yet. Look for them to stoke the fires of change in order fulfillment for years to come. The story is compression All of that said, take a deep breath, please. Yes, retail is changing. Rapidly. But it is not the end of consumer buying. We need to get past words such as “apocalyptic” and “retail vortex.” Those are nothing more than click bait. What is happening is…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.90
January 08, 2020
…design and optimization of processes. The growing trend of micro-fulfillment could fundamentally change how we think about supply chains. Small and automated facilities close to customers are an enticing solution to last-mile challenges, but require enterprise-wide visibility and nimbleness. Software of all kinds increasingly leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to self-improve. It’s one thing to use this data to optimize the movement of goods, materials and assets, but it’s another to consider what a fully-automated facility could achieve when it is constantly teaching itself. The future is thrilling, but 2019 was no snooze. Here is a sampling of the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.20
December 02, 2019
…visibility, inventory visibility and optimization, real-time manufacturing asset intelligence, micro fulfillment, efficient last mile delivery and dynamic demand and supply synchronization are some of the major benefits of a digital supply chain. According to the report, the proliferation of technologies and opportunities around the digital supply chain means companies need to look seriously at outsourcing these functions. This is going to be a major shift towards a new business models as supply chain as a service (SCaaS), the report’s authors noted. In the report, titled “Next-Gen Supply Chain Market – Global Forecast to 2030,” this market is likely to reach…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.63
September 26, 2019
…Downsizing the Downtown Core Can Future-proof Ecommerce Distribution New! This white paper explains how hyperlocal fulfillment, also known as micro-fulfillment, works and detail the benefits as well as some of the risks, you will have a better understanding of whether it might be a solution for your operations. Download Now! More Resources from C3 Solutions
