Research and consulting company Gartner has released a new report detailing how smart robots can be used to assist with supply chain disruption, caused by labour shortages and e-commerce demand.
The report, Hype Cycle for Consumer Goods, 2021 notes that consumer goods manufacturers are “facing direct-to-consumer sales, persistent restrictions in the supply chain, and increasing demands of product customisation and value-based buying patterns.”
The report also states that long-delayed digital initiative investments are coming to the forefront due to pandemic pressures.
Smart robot adoption is mentioned as a driver for innovation due to “their ability to capture and process large volumes of on-shelf data faster and in real time, enabling retailers to make agile and intelligent inventory decisions on the fly.”
Additional use cases driving adoption are also included in the report, it features supply chain processes such as picking and packing, handling and disposal of hazardous wastes, prescription filling and delivery, stock auditing, stock replenishment, order assembly, finished goods movement, e-commerce order fulfilment, and package delivery.
The report adds that beyond the initial opportunities for cost savings one impact from smart robots will result from transforming how people work. Workflow transformation will take place through the analysis of data collected by smart robots as well as offloading repetitive tasks from people.
GreyOrange, a provider of AI software and smart robots for modern fulfilment, is recognised in the report as a sample vendor supplying solutions to modern commerce needs.
“Automating with smart robots is proving to be instrumental in transforming business processes across industries,” said Akash Gupta, co-founder and chief technology officer, GreyOrange.
“Retailers and consumer goods companies alike can provide better experiences to their customers as well as better workplaces to their employees by modernising their operations utilising the latest fulfilment technology.”
