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July 26, 2021

Top 3 Ways AMRs Increase Warehouse Productivity and Efficiency

Author Icon Kary Zate, Senior Director of Marketing Communications

Top 3 Ways AMRs Increase Warehouse Productivity and Efficiency

With online sales increasing dramatically each year, warehouses have become overwhelmed with high order volumes. Along with the increase in online sales comes a shortage of warehouse workers. By 2028, it is expected that there will be a 6 million worker deficit* in the U.S. alone, making it challenging for warehouses to meet high consumer demands. With the introduction of autonomous mobile robots (AMR), warehouses are able to sustainably complete a higher volume of orders. There is a reason many global brands continue to incorporate robotics into their warehouse operations. Here are the top three ways AMR increase productivity and efficiency within the warehouse.

Increase work capacity of existing workforce

Increasing e-commerce fulfillment can be as easy as one step when using AMRs. Whether they are being added to a new or old warehouse, bots are bound to increase productivity rates, and warehouses can get more volume out of the same existing footprint. The bots utilize optimized order processing methods that lead to a decrease in walking time and increase in worker capacity. Human warehouse associates are physically able to do more with the help of bots. Because their walking time is decreased, associates are able to stay on track and make more picks in a shorter amount of time. At Locus Robotics we have experienced major productivity increases with our customers. LocusBots improve fulfillment activity by 2x-3x in warehouses worldwide. Bots can be integrated into a warehouse almost immediately and do not require any complex training, eliminating the need for specialized staff training.

Simplify workflow

Without any infrastructure change to a warehouse, Autonomous mobile robots can be integrated into warehouse operations, keeping the original warehouse workflow and without changing the infrastructure. The collaboration between robot and associate is done simply and effectively using easy to use interfaces. Bots provide training for associates that can be implemented in multiple languages. Not only do bots benefit associates by making their job simpler and safer but the bots also provide insightful data on warehouse operations. Productivity of the bots and human associates can be monitored closely by warehouses to optimize workflow and increase operational efficiency.

Increase and enable flexibility

The ability to scale up and scale down for little capital investment is made simple using AMRs. During a period of high order demands, AMRs allow any warehouse system to quickly add additional bots. This can be done seamlessly and, in some cases, bots can be up and running in a warehouse system within just 15 minutes. This quick ramp-up time allows for flexibility of warehouse associates as well as the number of bots needed for a rise in e-commerce order volume. Because the bots are so simple to use, anyone can use them, which allows for a wider pool of applicants to choose from when staffing.

AMRs allow warehouses to efficiently operate and meet rising consumer demands, while doubling workforce productivity immediately after bot implementation. Workflow becomes simplified and optimized with easy to use bot interfaces that provide an influx of insightful data. When there is a sudden increase in customer orders, Robots as a Service (RaaS) allows more bots to be added to an existing warehouse and then removed without any hassle. For more information on how you can optimize your operation with robotics technology, tell us more about your challenges.

*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the Author

Kary brings more than 25 years of B2B and B2C product, software, and technology marketing, public relations, and communications expertise to drive the strategy and execution of Locus’s communications. He has developed successful and engaging integrated marketing programs for startup companies as well as global Fortune 500 companies, reaching enterprise customers, industry partners, analysts, and investors. Kary holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Arts and Sciences from Michigan State University.

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