We’re at a tipping point where automation is about to be a mainstream focus of ecommerce fulfillment centers. But while automation may be a sensible investment for bigger players like Amazon, that doesn’t mean it will scale effectively to smaller operations. So, are fully automated facilities really the future, and if so, what will it look like?
Flexe, pioneer of he concept of warehouse on demand, has raised $70 million to build out its technology platform and facilities network connecting shippers with available space while also providing WMS and OMS capabilities. The company has increased its facilities base 50% to 1,500 in the past year as ecommerce demand has exploded.
From suppliers to logistics providers to manufacturers and retailers, the extended supply chain is pursuing omnichannel connectivity in an effort to deliver innovative customer experiences, streamline operations, reduce costs and improve flexibility and resiliency. But packaged commercial OTS software and data silos won’t cut it.
Walmart is launching 42 popup fulfillment centers within existing U.S. retail distribution centers to help handle the peak fulfillment load during November and December, leveraging technology to route orders for local fulfillment and handling up to 30% of its holiday volume.
Ecommerce fulfillment software and systems integration provider Vargo has partnered with robotics sortation and grasping robot maker Kindred and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) creator Fetch Robotics to help their systems better sync with order orchestration and workflows. This continues a recent trend of SI/robotics partnerships.
Warehouse employment is up 3.8% since the coronavirus lockdowns began in mid-March, one of the few bright spots in an economy that has seen an overall dip of 7% in payrolls during that period, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As ecommerce sales ramp up, especially heading into the holidays, merchants face growing pressure to deliver the perfect order. To meet customer expectations, you need to get the right product to the right customer at the right place and the right time. To do so, you need to establish meaningful key performance indicators (KPIs).
Picking errors have a very high cost to your ecommerce business in both actual costs and in lower customer satisfaction, lifetime value (CLV) and retention. These problems will erode your business’ profitability and damage the customer experience. We’ll help you identify the costs and share 6 ways to minimize picking errors.
French robotics firm Exotec, which lists Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo as a major client, has raised $90 million to power its global growth in ecommerce fulfillment. Founded in 2015, Exotec is built on a goods-to-person model with its Skypod bots which uses laser guidance to navigate a fulfillment center.
Ocado, the UK grocery concern that has struck deals with grocers around the world to use its robotic fulfillment center technology, is being sued by AutoStore for intellectual property theft – with AutoStore in turn being investigated by Ocado for patent infringement. AutoStore filed the lawsuits in London and New York.