Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.42
February 14, 2024
Returns processing is a necessary, tedious and time consuming operation. Hence why it's it a prime candidate for robotic systems. In 2023, $743 billion in retail merchandise was returned - about 14.5% of sales - according to a National Retail Federation (NRF) and Appriss Retail report. The NRF also reported a full-year retail sales increase of 3.6% from 2022 to 2023. These hefty dollar amounts showcase just how necessary reverse-logistics operations remain as part of an organization's customer service process. Bedford, MA-based Berkshire Grey develops robotic sortation systems for retail and e-commerce distributors. In its “2022 State of Retail &…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.40
August 19, 2023
Editor’s note: This is the first of two columns on the reinvention of Macy’s retail supply chain. In this one, we look at the department store leader’s focus on inventory productivity. Can a 165-year-old department store chain evolve to meet today’s retail shopper and compete with fast fashion, off-price, and pure e-tailers? And, if so, what is the role of supply chain in that transformation? Those are questions that Macy’s Inc., which had annual net sales of more than $24 billion in fiscal year 2022, began to answer before COVID-19. That’s when it launched the reinvention of the supply chain…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.40
July 02, 2021
Swisslog Holding AG last week said that Toyota Motor North America will install a goods-to-person automation system that includes Swisslog's CarryPick storage and order-picking system in its facility in Hebron, Ky. The goal is to increase flexibility and efficiency, as well as enable continued growth to keep up with demand in the automotive spare parts market, according to the companies. “Swisslog is excited to work with Toyota to bring flexibility and efficiency to its spare parts fulfillment process,” said Markus Schmidt, president of Swisslog Americas. “Swisslog's CarryPick allows the company to quickly and easily deploy a flexible and modular approach…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.38
April 27, 2021
Plus One Robotics, which provides vision software for logistics robots, today said it has raised $33 million in Series B funding. The San Antonio-based company said the funding will support its ongoing expansion in the U.S. and Europe, as well as continued product development. “We’re fortunate to work with customers at the leading edge of warehouse automation who share our values of 'Robots Work, People Rule,'” stated Erik Nieves, co-founder and CEO of Plus One Robotics. “Like our clients, our investors have a global footprint representing Asia and the EU, as well as North America. This potent combination sets Plus…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.37
February 15, 2019
Automation and Artificial Intelligence The Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program released new research that analyzes the impacts of automation on the American workforce, examining data focused on the mix of industries, geographies, and demographic groups across the U.S. The report, titled Automation and Artificial Intelligence: How machines are affecting people and places, offers projections for how automation and artificial intelligence will impact the American economy over the next few decades, looking at the susceptibility of tasks in occupations that are potentially automatable. The authors, Mark Muro, Robert Maxim, and Jacob Whiton, focus on areas of potential occupational change rather than net…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.37
March 19, 2019
RightHand Robotics (RHR), a leader in providing integrated robotic piece-picking solutions, has partnered with PALTAC Corp., Japan’s largest wholesaler of consumer packaged goods. The collaboration will introduce RightHand’s newest piece-picking solution to the Japanese market, with multiple workstations to be installed in PALTAC’s newest facility, RDC Saitama, opening later in 2019 in Sugito, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Japan represents a huge and growing market for automation as the world’s second-largest retail sector, with annual sales exceeding $1.3 trillion. As the country’s leading wholesaler of cosmetics, daily necessities, and general pharmaceutical products, PALTAC sought a robotic piece-picking solution to further automate operations…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.36
January 05, 2022
As automation adoption continues across supply chains, robotics suppliers and systems integrators are partnering and consolidating. Material handling integrator Hy-Tek Holdings today said it has acquired Advanced Handling Systems LLC, or AHS. The merged company now operates as Hy-Tek Material Handling LLC. Terms were not disclosed. “Hy-Tek’s acquisition of AHS broadens our offerings as the predominant player in material handling and integrated systems,” said Sam Grooms, CEO of Hy-Tek Holdings. “With AHS robotic solutions, Hy-Tek delivers cutting-edge technology that optimizes fulfillment, speeds distribution, and addresses labor shortages within a challenging supply chain. Committed to growth through acquisitions, Hy-Tek always is…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.36
September 24, 2021
When Modern Materials Handling (a sibling site to Robotics 24/7) is interviewing companies for a “System Report,” one of the questions we always ask is: What were your goals for the project? After all, most distribution teams have a bulleted list of three or four high-level goals for a project or a new facility. Typically, they are along the lines of increase productivity without increasing headcount or improve order fulfillment times by 25%. Every now and then, we come across a company with a far-reaching vision for its operations that extends beyond pick and error rates. For instance, we covered…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.36
December 22, 2023
GreyOrange Inc. recently announced the first close of its Series D funding, securing $135 million. Led by Anthelion Capital (formerly Cowen Sustainable Investments), the Atlanta-based company plans to use the investment to reinforce its approach to transforming warehouse and retail store operations through a hardware-agnostic software platform and a dynamic range of certified robotic and sensing technologies. “As we scale our technology and enhance customer experiences and operational efficiency, we recognize that keeping the needs of our customers at the center of our product and solution roadmap has proven essential for our customers’ success, as well as our own,” said…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.35
September 07, 2018
Warehouse automation has evolved over the past few decades - from the use of sortation systems to conveyors/AGV’s to RFID systems to complex WMS and WCS systems. In recent years, the focus on being able to profitably cater to customer’s preferences and omnichannel fulfillment strategies has led companies to aggressively seek advanced automation and robotics solutions. The pressure of managing labor shortages in concert with wage hikes while improving speed and accuracy of operations to increase productivity per square foot are driving organizations to look at advancements in technologies to help them control the three big costs—labor, time and real…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.33
December 07, 2022
Tecsys Inc. yesterday said that it has partnered with SVT Robotics Inc. to develop and launch an “out-of-the-box” integrated connection between its Elite supply chain software and SVT's SOFTBOT platform. The company said the integration will provide its customers faster deployment and lower complexity without the need for lengthy custom code development often involved in multi-system automation and robotics deployments. “A company's automation strategy and equipment should be tailored to their specific use case, never throttled by the software, and that is exactly what this SVT partnership makes possible through rapid integration,” stated Peter Brereton, president and CEO of Tecsys.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.32
October 06, 2020
Seegrid Corp., a provider of self-driving industrial vehicles for material handling, today announced that it acquired Box Robotics, a mobile robotics startup bringing high-definition maps, three-dimensional lidar, and deep learning to the warehouse and manufacturing automation space. According to Seegrid, the acquisition will help accelerate next-generation perception and more human-like, situational awareness technology to Seegrid’s vision-guided vehicles (VGVs), making manufacturing, distribution, and e-commerce fulfillment facilities even more productive as the demand for automation increases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial terms are not being disclosed. The Philadelphia-based Box Robotics, led by the former Love Park Robotics principals Tom Panzarella and John…
