Warehouse Software: Discerning The Differences Between WMS, WCS And WES
Not so long ago, the softwares that governed the operation of warehouses, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers were fairly delineated in their functions, with each handling a different aspect of a facility such as inventory, equipment, or employees. Today, however, ...
Mobile Robots Support Safer Fulfillment Environments During Pandemic
One of the many well-documented effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been consumers’ shift to shopping online instead of in-store. The result has sent warehouses and distribution centers into a frenzy as they attempt to meet the rapidly rising demands ...
Software + Machines + Workers = Highly Efficient, Real-Time Decision ...
Achieving a fully optimized warehouse — one that is highly efficient because it leverages data that enables management to make informed decisions in real-time — requires more than just software and controls, hardware solutions, and trained workers. Rather, it is ...
Three Ways Robotic Solutions Are Addressing COVID-19 Supply Chain Challenges
Although there have been concerns over the years that robots will ultimately replace humans — and take their jobs — in manufacturing, distribution and order fulfillment, their availability during the shutdowns associated with COVID-19 has helped numerous facilities maintain productivity. ...
Converting Equipment From Manual To Autonomous Operation? Ensure All Affected ...
To increase throughput without adding more labor or square footage, many facilities are retrofitting manual equipment to provide automated operation. Post-retrofit, it might be tempting to only test one updated unit in a fleet of multiple upgraded systems in an ...
Three Ways To Improve The Human-Robot Working Relationship
Historically, industrial robotic automation used in manufacturing and distribution applications required perimeter guarding and other safety mechanisms to prevent contact between personnel and the robot. Not anymore, however. With advances in sensor technologies and programming interfaces that make it much ...
How Software Makes Automation Even More Effective
As noted by the 2020 MHI Annual Industry Report, “Embracing the Digital Mindset: Connecting Data, Talent and Technology in Digital Supply Chains,” released at MODEX 2020, the top supply chain challenge continues to be extreme competition for talent (with 57 ...
Don’t Replace Employees With Robotics; Increase Their Value Instead
A recent video produced by MHIView explores “Designing Robotics with the Workforce in Mind,” a delve into how today’s collaborative robotic solutions are being engineered and programmed to support an existing labor pool — not to replace them. That’s because ...
How MODEX’s Flexible Automation Solutions Maximize Investment, Process Adaptability
If you’re among the 45,000-plus attendees expected at MODEX 2020, March 9-12 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center, you’ll be seeing a lot of flexible automation solutions in the displays of the more than 1,000 exhibitors. And that’s no surprise, ...
Want Higher Performance Rates? Add Robotics To Human Workforce
The collaborative robot market will grow from $710 million in 2018 to $12,303 million in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.1%, according to research from Markets and Markets. And while that may cause some workers concern ...