Category Archives: Automation

For many people, automation is scary. At the extreme end, some fear the rise of killer robots, but most of the concern centres on the anxiety of immediate job losses and replacement. This comes as no surprise.

A recent report fromMcKinsey Australiaindicates that anywhere between 3.5 million and 6.5 million full-time jobs will be displaced by 2030 through automation.

While fears over job losses are understandable, that same fear can lead to inaction and businesses becoming irrelevant and extinct which is a far worse result for employees. Practically speaking, losing a percentage of staff is better than losing everyone.

Kodak infamously developed and soon dropped the digital camera in 1975, fearing it would cannibalise its photographic film business. This failure to innovate meant the company missed out on the digital and mobile photography revolution, and it has shed more than 100,000 jobs since that decision.

Right now, Australian companies across the board are risking the same fate by failing to innovate particularly in the area of automation and artificial intelligence (AI).

As an alternative or accompaniment to automation, many companies go down the offshoring route.

Market research firmIBISWorldbelieves offshoring is increasing in Australia, particularly in legal, accounting, IT, finance, engineering and customer services roles. In the past year alone, weve seen announcements from major companies across the industry spectrum announcing new jobs abroad while culling local employment.

Australias high wages and a range of nearby nations with quick and easy access to cheap labour make a compelling case for companies to offshore particularly in head count-intensive areas such as call centre support, accounting and credit management.

However, this is short-term gain for long-term pain.

Offshore providers are renowned for poor working conditions, glaringly low wages and often unpredictable domestic interruptions. The result is a conveyor belt of employees who arent in a position to meet the needs of their Australian clients.

The telecommunications industry is a classic example. Offshoring customer service roles has been par for the course with major telcos, and many believe it to be a major contributor to the high levels of dissatisfaction consumers and businesses have with the industry.

Worse still, once the decision has been made to offshore, it can be incredibly difficult to reverse. Telstrarecently admittedit would now be too costly to bring offshore call centres back to Australia, presenting a serious challenge to improving customer service in an industry ripe for disruption.

Automation is fast becoming a need for todays businesses. Australia has a reputation of being a digital-hungry, early adopter and leader of new technology. Its only natural we maintain this position and reputation when it comes to automation.

Automation is the clear winner over offshoring. Not only does it typically lead to only a percentage of a department being cut rather than the whole team, but it can actually be a catalyst for job growth and professional development in the long term.

The McKinsey report indicates that automation and AI present an enormous opportunity for national and personal income growth, potentially adding up to $4 trillion to Australias economy in the next 10 years.

One of the key benefits of automation is its capacity to take away the grunt work the no job is perfect aspect every role has. Doing so frees up remaining staff who by definition will be the most experienced and top-performing to expand their roles and deliver more business value.

This professional expansion within a collective group of employees elevates the role of that department to another level. Its no longer just a business process, but a business-generating and customer-focused element of an organisation. This improved customer service can lead to expansion and innovation, creating more demand for the enhanced department and leading to further job growth within it.

Changing that perception can make a business click and enables customers to view the department in a completely different way.

Yes, theres a journey with automation, and some hard readjustment to be realised, but innovation stops for no-one. Its important that we see past the early pain automation can bring and look toward the value it can ultimately deliver.

The alternatives offshoring or businesses letting themselves drift towards their own Kodak moment do no-one any good. They deliver no jobs, innovation or economic growth to Australia. Automation, on the other hand, can stem the flow while improving business and customer outcomes alike.

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The decision between offshoring and automation is a no-brainer - SmartCompany.com.au

What is becoming increasingly evident is that the choice is not between the alleged neutrality of the impersonal machine and the errors and finiteness of human moderation, as both work in tandem.

December 12, 2019 by APC Leave a Comment

Content moderation online is currently done by most social media companies through a mix of automation (or what is sometimes referred to as artificial intelligence or AI) and human moderators. Automation deals effectively with certain kinds of content such as sexually explicit images, child pornography, terrorism-related content but it is not a foolproof system. Here human intervention and oversight are needed, especially when it comes to the meaning of what is being said in comments or conversations online.

What is becoming increasingly evident is that the choice is not between the alleged neutrality of the impersonal machine and the errors and finiteness of human moderation, as both work in tandem.

Cheap female labour is the engine that powers the internet Lisa Nakamura

social media platforms are already highly regulated, albeit rarely in such a way that can be satisfactory to all. Sarah Roberts

What makes any content platform viable is directly linked to the question of whatmakes you viable as content. Sarah Roberts, through a series of articles, shows how the moderation practices of social media giants all operate in accordance with a complex web of nebulous rules and procedural opacity. Roberts describes content moderation as dealing with digital detritus and also compares cleaning up the social media feed with how garbage is dumped by high-income countries on low- and middle-income countries (for instance, the dumping of shipping containers full of garbage by Canada onto the Philippines). She adds that there has been significant equivocation regarding which practices may be automated through artificial intelligence, filters and others kinds of computational mechanisms versus what portion of the tasks are the responsibility of human professionals. Roberts also adds that in May 2017, Facebook added 3,000 moderators to its global workforce of 4,500 already.

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Are We Any Better at Judging Right from Wrong? Automation in Content Moderation - The Good Men Project

DUBLIN, Dec. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Analysis Report By Component, By Product (Facility Management Systems, Security Systems), By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global intelligent building automation technologies market size is expected to reach USD 105.2 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 7% from over the forecast period.

Rising awareness regarding sustainability in the wake of increasing effects of global warming is expected to drive demand for intelligent building automation technologies (IBAT) over the forecast period. In addition, technological advancements such as internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to boost market growth.

Growing awareness regarding workplace safety and security, a shift toward green and smart buildings, and improving comfort level of the occupants are major factors that are expected to fuel demand for IBAT. Increasing demand for automated HVAC and safety in the healthcare and hospitality industries is also boosting market growth. Intelligent building automation technologies assist various industries in the optimization of energy usage and reducing its operating expenditure.

Rising establishment of smart infrastructure across the globe is expected to contribute significantly to market growth. Various factors such as increasing green building initiatives, development of cloud-based IoT platforms, and growing environmental concerns are expected to boost market growth over the forecast period. Surging energy prices and urgent need to manage them also serve as key driving factors.

Prominent players are emphasizing on new product launches in order to combat increasing competition. They are also focusing on acquiring a larger market share through inorganic growth strategies like mergers and acquisitions. For instance, Honeywell International Inc. completed the acquisition of Transnorm, a warehouse automation solutions provider, in September 2018. This enabled the former to expand its customer base across Western Europe.

Further key findings from the study suggest:

Key Topics Covered

Chapter 1 Methodology and Scope

Chapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market - Industry Snapshot & Key Buying Criteria, 2014 - 20252.2 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market, 2014 - 20252.2.1 IBAT market, by region, 2014 - 20252.2.2 IBAT market, by component, 2014 - 20252.2.3 IBAT market, by product, 2014 - 20252.2.4 IBAT market, by application, 2014 - 2025

Chapter 3 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Industry Outlook3.1 Market Segmentation and Scope3.2 Market Size & Growth Prospects3.3 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market - Value Chain Analysis3.3.1 Vendor landscape3.4 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Dynamics3.4.1 Market driver analysis3.4.1.1 High level of awareness for energy efficiency3.4.1.2 Growing demand for enhanced safety and security3.4.1.3 Increasing government initiatives3.4.2 Market restraint analysis3.4.2.1 High capital investment3.5 Penetration and Growth Prospect Mapping3.6 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market - Company Ranking, 20183.7 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market - Porter's Five Forces Analysis3.8 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market - PESTEL Analysis

Chapter 4 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Component Outlook4.1 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Share by Component, 2018 & 20254.2 Hardware4.3 Software4.4 Service

Chapter 5 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Product Outlook5.1 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Share by Product, 2018 & 20255.2 Security Systems5.3 Life Safety Systems5.4 Facility Management Systems5.5 Building Energy Management System

Chapter 6 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Application Outlook6.1 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Share by Application, 2018 & 20256.2 Residential6.3 Commercial6.4 Industrial

Chapter 7 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Regional Outlook7.1 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Share by Region, 2018 & 20257.2 North America7.3 Europe7.4 Asia-Pacific7.5 Latin America7.6 MEA

Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape8.1 ABB Ltd.8.2 Azbil Corporation8.3 Eaton Corporation8.4 General Electric8.5 Honeywell International, Inc.8.6 Hubbell, Inc.8.7 Ingersoll-Rand plc8.8 Johnson Controls8.9 Rockwell Automation Inc.8.10 Schneider Electric8.11 Siemens AG8.12 United Technologies

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Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT): Worldwide Industry Analysis 2014-2019 and Forecast to 2025 - PRNewswire

The Albertsons Cos. andWaltham, Mass.-based grocery technology company Takeoff Technologies have formed a strategic partnership to drive the future of ecommerce with automatedmicro-fullfillment capabilities.

The first of two pilot micro-fulfillment centers (MFCs) for the grocer opened Oct. 23 at a Safeway in South San Francisco, with another slated to open at a Safeway in San Jose, Calif., before the end of the year.

The model brings the brick-and-mortar store's proximity to customers, with the automation of a large warehouse. The centers typically hold about 15,000-18,000 of the grocer's most popular SKUs.

The micro-fulfillment center model is a key element in the store of the future, said Vivek Sankaran, Albertsons' president and CEO. It combines the efficiency of automation with the ease of meeting customers when and how they want to shop. In working with Takeoff, we can evolve how the MFC ties into our store and ecommerce ecosystems and accelerate our path to best serve our customers.

Albertsons and Takeofffirst announced their partnership in 2018, but plans for market expansion continue.

In collaborating with Takeoff, were able to leverage their thought leadership in ecommerce fulfillment with our expertise in running great grocery stores that meet customers everyday needs, and thats exciting turf for us, said Chris Rupp, EVPand chief customer and digital officer at Albertsons. By placing an MFC in an existing store close to customers, we can carry a diverse and locally relevant selection of products, with the friendly touch of our local team to service the customer.

Other grocers working with Waltham, Mass.-based TakeoffincludeWakefern Food Corp. banner ShopRite, Canadian grocer Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Ahold Delhaize USA's Stop & Shop,and Hispanic grocer Sedano's Supermarket.

Boise, Idaho-basedAlbertsons Cos.operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaws, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs, as well as New York-based meal-kit company Plated. The companyis No. 3 onProgressive Grocer's2019 Super 50 list of thetop grocers in the United States.

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Albertsons Invests Heavily in Automated Micro-Fulfillment Centers - Progressive Grocer

GERMANY: DB Netz has selected Nokia to trial what the telecoms group calls the first standalone 5G system for automated rail operation.

The trials will form part of DBs programme to automate part of the Hamburg S-Bahn, which it is undertaking in partnership with Siemens. The 60m project aims to have four trains operating automatically on a 23km section of Route 21 between Berliner Tor, Bergedorf and Aumhle by the time the city hosts the World Congress for Intelligent Transport Systems in October 2021.

A driver would be retained, but would only intervene in the event of irregularities. Trains would also operate unattended for around 1000m when entering and leaving a siding near Bergedorf station.

The proof of concept will test whether 5G technology is mature enough to serve as the connectivity layer for future digital railway operations, Nokia says. Under the pan-industry Future Railway Mobile Communications System programme, 5G has been identified as the most likely successor to the GSM-R technology widely used today.

We are very pleased to be DBs partner, bringing digital technology to the forefront of the Hamburg S-Bahn network and rail system. Together, we have worked to research, develop and deliver the worlds first 5G-based communication system for automated rail operation, said Kathrin Buvac, President of Nokia Enterprise & Chief Strategy Officer.

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Nokia to trial 5G in Hamburg S-Bahn automation programme - Railway Gazette International

Home > Robotics > GreyOrange updates fulfillment automation platform with trio of robots

Robotics December 11, 2019

AI-driven "Ranger" bots are designed to boost DC efficiency for omnichannel, store replenishment, and e-commerce, firm says.

By DC Velocity Staff

Warehouse automation and robotics vendorGreyOrange todayreleased an update to its robotic fulfillment technology, saying the new platform is designed to modernize distribution centers for improved omnichannel, store replenishment, and e-commerce operations.

The release is the latest move by GreyOrange to gain traction in the booming e-commerce fulfillment market since the firm said in August that it had contracted eight U.S.logistics solution providers to help sell, deploy, andservice the company's tech. Those partners include: AvikServices, Bricz, Hy-Tek, Info-Sun, McCombs-Wall, S&HSystems, TREW, and UST Global.

Atlanta-based GreyOrange has now unveiled the newest version of its Fulfillment Operating System (FOS), driven by the firm's GreyMatter Artificial Intelligence integrated with its Ranger Series mobile robots. Together, those units enable efficient store replenishment strategies based on how individual stores prefer their inventory packed, to reduce the time and labor required to move stock from receipt to shelf, the firm said.

GreyOranges's system includes three types of robots: the Ranger GTP, a goods-to-person unit formerly named Butler that can carry 220 to 3,500 pounds of inventory; the Ranger Mobile Sorter (formerly known as Flexo) that operates in fleets to fluidly move parcels from receiving through dispatch to avoid sortation bottlenecks; and the Ranger Picking bot (formerly called PickPal) that works in tandem with goods-to-person robots to either assist humans with picking orders or to pick orders autonomously.

According to the company, the latest enhancements to its artificial intelligence platform are centered on the ability of mobile robots to operate at scale across a distribution center, including retrieving and placing inventory racks on multiple floors or mezzanines using elevator access. Together, GreyMatter and Ranger robots comprise a system designed for fast-paced, high-volume, high-product-variety operations.

GreyOrange says that tightly integrated approach is different from existing systems that comprise disparate hardware and software solutions interfaced together in a complex technology system.

"Many companies are struggling to keep up with expectations for same-day and next-day delivery along with store replenishment runs that are required two to three times per week or even daily," GreyOrange CEO Samay Kohli said in a release. "They are trying to meet modern fulfillment demands using software and hardware built for a time before Amazon changed the game for everyone by accelerating collective expectations. The idea that software and robots built together using the same intelligence is required in a modern Fulfillment Operating System is unique to GreyOrange, and represents the only solution built specifically to address modern fulfillment challenges."

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GreyOrange updates fulfillment automation platform with trio of robots - DC Velocity

PUNE, India, Dec. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest business intelligence report Published byData Bridge Market Research with titled "Global Sales Force Automation Software Market" Presents you with you global Industry Analysis, Size, Shares, Growth, Trends, revenue, cost, gross Margin and forecast 2020 2027.

The Sales Force Automation Software Market report also provides a deep insight into the activities of key players such as Oracle, SAP, Salesforce, SugarCRM, Microsoft, Infor, Pegasystems, Aptean, Creatio, and Others. This comprehensive report gives better market perspective in terms of future events, sales strategies, Investments, business marketing strategy, future products, new geographical markets, customer actions or behaviours with the help of 100+ market data Tables, Pie Charts, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages for easy understanding.

Visit Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-sales-force-automation-software-market

Sales Force Automation Software Market is expected to reach USD 11821.24 million by 2027 witnessing market growth at a rate of 11.05% in the forecast period 2020 to 2027. Growing demand for lead management and rising demand from BFSI sector are the factor for the market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027.

Free | Get Exclusive Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts here https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-sales-force-automation-software-market

Rising demand for tracking mechanism and growing need for streamline in the sales processes are the factor for the market growth. Advancement in the field of mobile telecommunication technology will also drive market. Increasing popularity of cloud based CRM technology will also affect the growth of the market positively. Growing demand to decrease the duration of the sales cycle is also anticipated to enhance the market growth. There is also growing demand for business intelligence & insights, which will also affect the growth of the Sales Force Automation Software Market in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027.

Major Industry Competitors:Sales Force Automation Software Market

The major players covered in the Sales Force Automation Software Market report are Aptean, Creatio, Infor, Oracle, Pegasystems Inc., SAP, Salesforce.com, inc., SugarCRM., Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd., Bullhorn, Inc., Microsoft, Technology Group International., ACG Infotech Ltd., Ayoka, L.L.C, Consensus Sales, Inc., eLeader., Senior Software, TechManyata Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd., among other players domestic and global. Market Share data is available for Global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America separately. DBMR analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately.

Thinking One Step Ahead

In today's competitive world you need to think one-step ahead to chase your competitors, our research offers reviews about key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies to present better insights to drive the business into right direction

The 2019 Annual Sales Force Automation Software Market offers:

Key Segmentation: Sales Force Automation Software Market

Rapid Business Growth Factors

In addition, the market is growing at a fast pace and the report shows us that there are a couple of key factors behind that. The most important factor that is helping the market grow faster than usual is the tough competition.

Market Scope and Market Size

Sales Force Automation Software Market is segmented based on application, deployment type, industry vertical, organization type, and software. The growth among segments helps you analyse niche pockets of growth and strategies to approach the market and determine your core application areas and the difference in your target markets.

Sales Force Automation Software Market competitive landscape provides details by competitor. Details included are company overview, company financials, revenue generated, market potential, investment in research and development, new market initiatives, regional presence, company strengths and weaknesses, product launch, product width and breadth, application dominance. The above data points provided are only related to the companies' focus related to Sales Force Automation Software Market.

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Some extract from Table of Contents

Table of Contents Is Available Herehttps://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-sales-force-automation-software-market

Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe, MEA or Asia Pacific.

Why Is Data Triangulation Important In Qualitative Research?

This involves data mining, analysis of the impact of data variables on the market, and primary (industry expert) validation. Apart from this, other data models include Vendor Positioning Grid, Market Time Line Analysis, Market Overview and Guide, Company Positioning Grid, Company Market Share Analysis, Standards of Measurement, Top to Bottom Analysis and Vendor Share Analysis. Triangulation is one method used while reviewing, synthesizing and interpreting field data. Data triangulation has been advocated as a methodological technique not only to enhance the validity of the research findings but also to achieve 'completeness' and 'confirmation' of data using multiple methods

An absolute way to forecast what future holds is to comprehend the trend today!

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Sales Force Automation Software Market Will Grow Rapidly Due to Rising Demand for Tracking Mechanism and Growing Need for Streamline in the Sales -...

Modular Automation has announced plans to create 100 jobs by 2023 as it expands its facility in Shannon in Co Clare.

The expansion of the company, which sells automation solutions to the medical and technology sectors, is supported by Enterprise Ireland.

It is buying eight acres of land for future development and has 60,000 square feet of ready to go production space to support immediate capacity requirements.

The company's customer base includes Johnson and Johnson, Stryker and Boston Scientific.

Ireland is the second-largest exporter of medical devices in Europe and nine of the 10 worlds' top MedTech companies are based here which means Modular is perfectly placed to serve their automation needs.

"Our team has doubled in the past five years to over 170 employees and due to growing demand, we now plan to create another 100 jobs over the next three years," Vivian Farrell, CEO of Modular Automation, said.

"We are also investing to substantially expand our facility to give us the capacity to deliver more for our customers both at home and across the US," she added.

Enterprise Ireland's Stephen Creaner said Modular Automation is a great example of an Irish company with a clear global ambition that is building its scale and expanding its reach internationally and growing its base of new high-quality jobs in Ireland.

"Through its commitment and investment in innovation, the company has successfully positioned itself to be a global leader in automation solutions for the growing MedTech sector," he added.

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Modular Automation to create 100 jobs in Shannon - RTE.ie

Scooptram Automation Total available from Epiroc, launched in 2019, offers one of the highest levels of loader automation, bringing new standards of productivity and safety to underground mining.

Epirocs traffic management system is at the core of EpirocsScooptram Automation Totalpackage. This system operates the fleet and eliminates the risk of collisions in common drifts.

Read more about Epiroc

The automation area is fully isolated with safety barriers that shuts off the system if personnel or unauthorised vehicles accidently enter.

This article first appeared inMiningReview Africa Issue 12, 2019Readthefull digimaghereorsubscribe to receive a print copyhere

It is possible to bring new vehicles into the area and add them to the traffic management system without stopping the production, using the check-in/check-out procedure.

"We are proud to release this new offering. This is a great step forward in our development of world leading automation and information management solutions. Scooptram Automation Total is a game changer when it comes to increasing safety for underground operators and at the same time levelling up efficiency, says Vladimir Sysoev, global product manager: automation at Epiroc.

Epirocs Scooptram Automation Total is a state-of-the-art technology that takes safety, productivity and cost effectiveness to another level and makes superior performance a reality.

From a safe distance in a comfortable operator station, an operator can easily control and monitor the vehicles progress throughout the mine.

The new system is part ofEpirocs 6th sensetransport offering which sets out to optimize the companys customers' value chain by offering interoperability solutions that connect automation, system integration and information management to unlock the full potential of production gains at lower operating costs.

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Epiroc: Setting the standard in loader automation across the globe - Mining Review

Market trends have shifted over the last decade in a big way toward e-commerce. As online sales have grown, the demand is driving much of the developments related to warehouse automation and altering the way companies handle order fulfillment, industry suppliers say.

The lead times and order profiles are becoming more and more aggressive with shorter fulfillment windows and quicker delivery times, says Michael Pietras, executive sales manager at SSI Schaefer Systems. Customers are creating the need for larger stock selection, more unique item offerings and more convenience.

Pietras says tech and retail giants such as Amazon and Walmart have changed the landscape and, as a result, affected how automation providers adapt solutions to the market.

It used to be that we were fulfilling orders for items going to retail establishments, Pietras says. More and more the shift is going direct to customers. Instead of an order of several cases of a particular product going to a store, now its a single piece or a couple of pieces going directly to a customer. Lead times are cut to 24 to 48 hours to get it to the customer, meaning the number of packages and orders to be fulfilled has increased dramatically. To do that fulfillment, the engines in the automation space have to be more robust and more intelligent.

Tom Rentschler, head of marketing, Americas, for Swisslog Logistics Automation, notes that the market is shifting away from what has traditionally been considered warehouse automation. An earlier wave of automation was primarily mechanization featuring systems with miles of conveyers, sortation systems bolted to the floor, and long lead times designed for a well-defined volume of throughput. The reason those systems were popular is that most companies could reliably predict the growth of their business.

Whats disrupted that, and whats caused the adoption of true automation, is the explosion of e-commerce, Rentschler says. Its the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. economy and elsewhere in the world. E-commerce introduced extreme unpredictability, which proved problematic for mechanized distribution centers and their fulfillment of orders. Most companies did a poor job of understanding the effect that the growth of e-commerce was going to have on their business. We have seen retail businesses, in some cases, wiped out or lose shareholder value. The mega-trend is for flexibility and scalability for both distribution systems and automated warehouse systems. The key is adaptability, how to adapt to changing demand, whether its up or down.

"There is growing demand in micro fulfillment for grocery chains, providing an evolutionary online grocery shopping experience for customers."

Norman Leonhardt, director of business development at Witron, says there is a new trend in automation every year, but not all are developed. Last year it was automatic truck loading; this year it is micro-fulfillment centers. He says robotic picking may become a trend at some point.

There are a lot of partial solutions that do not fully satisfy customer needs, he says. Anything thats reliable and eliminates high labor costs is the next step in warehouse automation. Another trend is on the packaging side. Packaging is more designed for the customer, with transparent packaging or shiny images of the product. As we see online ordering increase, theres less relevance in package appearance or in-store displays. Therefore, packaging could be more conducive to robotic picking.

Pietras recalls that 10 or 15 years ago, automated technology catered to trains and carousels, which are still reliable for certain markets. However, e-commerce has driven a shift toward shuttle systems, matrix systems and pocket rotation systems.

From our side, the main focus is providing hardware that supports these large systems, and the software that manages the orders, he says.

For example, Pietras points to a recent e-commerce warehouse automation installation. A customer in the apparel industry wanted to grow its e-commerce channel and design a building to house 1 million SKUs, handle 1 million units per day during its peak season and fit it all into 1 million square feet.

Traditional solutions in automation would move specific pieces to a specific tote and then route that tote to shipping, Pietras says, but when youre moving a million units a day, the number of packages going out would be too much for the system. Whether its the workstations or the conveyance around the workstations, or supporting the infrastructure of the system, you need to get more intelligent with how you fulfill orders.

So, the next logical step would be to do a pick and sort, where items would go into batches of totes for order consolidation. That reduces the number of packages going out at one time and allows you to fulfill more orders in a shorter time frame. The issue with pick and sort options is that you have to pick, sort, consolidate and packfour touches. The next advancement in the revolution of automation would be to go to a system that allows only two touches and still does fulfillment.

Pietras says SSI Schaefers solution was to go to an uber head sortation system and consolidate the number of touches from four down to two.

We implemented a large shuttle system that did pick and sort, and now we are working on what we call pocket sort and pack. Thats where we stand today.

Pietras says there is growing demand in micro fulfillment for grocery chains, providing an evolutionary online grocery shopping experience for customers. The apparel industry, also faced with shorter lead times, is another big driver, as is the pharmaceutical sector. The challenges ahead include continually adapting to changing demands, either from the economic or customer landscape, and the way technology drives society.

We have more conveniences that have become an integral factor to customers, Pietras says. We need to keep up with changing trends and how technology affects customershow they interact with each other, how they interact with products, and how they acquire products.

Rentschler says that software has become almost more important than hardware. Hardware to some degree has been commoditized. All of the major providers of material handling automation have similar systems and the performance characteristics of those systems are not all that different.

Its very unusual for one company to have a true technological edge over another, says Rentschler. Whats really differentiating is the software, and the ways that it can orchestrate the movement of product and process and peopletogether into one well-oiled machine. The hardware is a big part, but the software is really the brains. Its how operators can mine not just data but intelligence out of their systems.

Rentschler says with the advent of Industry 4.0, because of the sensors that are placed throughout distribution centers, there is an ability of subsystems and software to communicate in real time.

Were heading toward systems that can self-optimize. The system will understand how to improve itself because of the continuous communication that is taking place from the equipment level up through the host WMS ERP, he says.

Swisslog is owned by German robotics manufacturer, Kuka, which makes robots primarily for manufacturing.

"Were heading toward systems that can self-optimize. The system will understand how to improve itself because of the continuous communication that is taking place from the equipment level up through the host WMS ERP."

We are starting to bring robots into picking operations in warehouses, Rentschler says. By combining the Kuka robot arm with a customized vision system, it can pick an item the same way a human could. It is able to recognize and pick different items. Thats a way for companies to augment and address the labor shortage that everyone is faced with right now.

Grocery chains are really looking at automation for their new trend of e-grocery fulfillment. A lot of these companies are doing a combination of curbside delivery and home delivery, and all the major chains are looking into how to automate that unit of operation as it grows.

Weve got systems that are being implemented for a major grocery chain. Its probably the hottest segment of the industry right nowe-grocery or micro fulfillment, Rentschler says. Some grocery chains are thinking about putting actual automation inside the store, keeping the fresh items around the perimeter of the store, but in the center have fulfillment of non-perishables and hard goods with something like an Autostore in the middle of the store.

Leonhardt says developing fully-automated warehouses have become Witrons bread and butter the last few years.

This is a warehouse where there is no touch necessary, the only time anyone is touching any product is when something gets stuck on the conveyer belt, says Leonhardt. Operations managers will correct some faults. Sometimes there needs to be some kind of manual de-palletization to remove product in poor condition. All the steps from receiving to shipping are automated. Its our main technology, called order picking machinery (OPM), along with our multiple other technologies for piece picking, traditional catalog fulfillment and now e-commerce fulfillment.

Leonhardt says many of Witrons customers are looking at automation as a way to achieve labor reduction.

Companies are looking for the accuracy of the picking, to make sure at least 99.9 percent of the shipments are correctly done, he says. A lot of companies are seeking to change packaging. Nowadays it seems like we are shipping a lot of air, because small packages get put into bigger packages. That is another factor people are looking for right now.

Transparency throughout the supply chain is another. To know where item x is right now. Is it at the supplier, is it at the warehouse, or is it on the way to the customer? If an item is not at the store to be picked up, when can it be at the store, when is the next delivery of these items happening? Knowing that data is a major factor nowadays.

See more here:

The Next Wave of Warehouse Automation - Supply and Demand Chain Executive