Logistics firm DHL Supply Chain will add a further 2,000 assisted picking robots to its global facilities, as it expands its partnership with Locus Robotics.
The multi-million-dollar agreement is designed to enhance DHL’s wider Accelerated Digitalisation Strategy and results in the logistics company becoming Locus’ largest customer.
According to the partnership, the assisted picking robots are mostly used in e-commerce or consumer warehouses to help with picking and inventory replenishment, thereby increasing efficiency and accelerating delivery processes.
“It is particularly important for us to be able to consistently optimise our supply chains – assisted picking robots are very effective in this respect,” says Markus Voss, global CIO & COO DHL Supply Chain.
“So far, more than 500 assisted picking robots are already in industrial use in our warehouses in the USA, Europe and the UK. By the end of 2021, another 500 robots are to be added in a total of more than 20 locations.
“The collaborative picking technology has clearly proven its effectiveness and reliability in modern warehousing. More locations have already been identified with concrete implementation roadmaps for the remaining robots, which we will deploy in 2022.
“However, the overall potential for assisted picking robots in our DHL warehouses is much bigger, so we are confident that we will meet the targets we have set ourselves together with Locus Robotics”.
Furthermore, the assisted picking robots are designed to help reduce time spent on manoeuvring pushcarts through warehouses, lower physical strain on employees, and increase picking efficiency.
The assisted picking robots display images of goods to be picked, calculate optimal navigation routes and reduce required training time. Also DHL added they can be swiftly integrated into the warehouse system landscape via its Supply Chain’s Robotics Hub and are well received by staff.
In addition, during peak operational periods the robots are designed to provide a solution for capacity expansion and DHL can swiftly bring in more robots with minimal onboarding effort to the existing fleet.
“Our expanded partnership with DHL reflects the increasing demand for warehouse digitalisation worldwide to meet today’s exploding fulfilment challenges,” said Rick Faulk, CEO, Locus Robotics.
“Locus is proud to be a valued technology resource that is helping DHL realise their strategic vision of digital transformation.”
