Many managers in the fields of trade, manufacturing, and logistics services are now considering the possibilities of automation and robotization. In industrial manufacturing, a number of companies have already implemented some form of robotization, but if we focus on logistics, automation has not yet made an impact there.
When we talk about automation in logistics, most managers think of automatic forklifts or pallet, box, or goods stackers, which represent investments of tens of millions of crowns. But the deployment of these automated devices has its limitations; they have twice the operating speed and up to twice the purchase price. And the return on investment is pushed back to five or more years.
However, it is surprising how Asia, and especially China, has surpassed us in this regard in recent years. A country that for many years was synonymous with cheap labor for us has invested heavily in automation and robotization, leaving most European companies miles behind.
Our company is working hard to deploy modern logistics robots in projects for mySTOCK WMS, which will significantly automate warehouse processes, by 200–300%, with a return on investment of one to two years. Those are completely different numbers!
What exactly does this involve? These are systems in which robots transport goods directly to the worker (G2P – goods to person) using mobile racks. Or, instead of automatic lift systems for boxes, robots are used to transport specific boxes to the dispatch zone, and the warehouse worker operates in a minimal space.
I am convinced that you will be hearing a lot more about these systems in the coming months. Everything is just getting started in Europe, but only those companies that quickly understand how to use robots in logistics will have a chance to remain competitive in the coming years. This is because logistics chains are already changing and logistics costs are rising at such a rate that they can only be reduced through robotization.
Article written for MM Průmyslové spektrum https://www.mmspektrum.com/clanek/prichazi-revoluce-v-logistice-roboty
