AI-powered supply-chain technology company Symbotic and retailer Walmart have announced an expanded commercial agreement to implement Symbotic’s robotics and software automation platform in all 42 of Walmart’s regional distribution centres in the USA over the coming years.
This is an expansion of Walmart’s prior commitment to deploy Symbotic Systems in 25 regional distribution centres.
According to Symbiotic, the end-to-end software-enabled high-density robotics platform will play a strategic role in supporting the retailer’s goal of modernising its supply-chain network and allows Walmart to transform its regional distribution centres to provide faster responsiveness to store orders, increased inventory accuracy and higher capacity for receiving and shipping freight to stores.
What’s more, the technology’s ability to build palletised loads of department-sorted inventory will enable Walmart to get products onto shelves at its more than 4,700 stores more quickly, while also making material handling safer and simpler.
It will reportedly also help create new, tech-enabled jobs, such as cell operators and maintenance technicians, which offer skills in robotics and technology.
“The need for accuracy and speed in the supply chain has never been more visible, and we’re confident that now is the time to move even faster by scaling Symbotic’s technology to our entire regional distribution center network,” said David Guggina, senior vice president of innovation and automation, Walmart US.
“Using high-speed robotics and intelligent software to organise and optimise inventory, the Symbotic system helps us get products to our customers quickly and seamlessly by revolutionising how we receive and distribute products to stores.”
Walmart has begun embedding Symbotic’s technology in select regional distribution centres throughout its network. The retrofitting process of all 42 regional distribution centres is expected to be completed over the next eight years.
