Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your warehouse could boast a rate of 100 percent accuracy when it came to picking? Or a 0 percent rate of worker injury? Or claim a 100 percent increase in productivity?
Statistically, that’s impossible, but putting Goods to Person (G2P) Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) to work in your facility is the closest you’ll get to perfection.
As those of us in logistics and ecommerce know, warehouses are the backbones of the supply chain, ensuring that goods move swiftly from storage and picking to transporting and delivering products to customers as promised.
However, warehousing methods are changing rapidly and many of the traditional solutions are quickly becoming obsolete. This is where G2P Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) come in. With their ability to transform the landscape of warehouse operations, they can provide the speed expected—and often demanded—by customers.
What Are Goods to Person AMRs?
Goods to Person (G2P) AMR systems have become the cutting-edge solution to streamline the order fulfillment process within warehouses. Unlike traditional methods where workers must walk to retrieve items from static shelving, AMRs bring the items directly to the workers.
How Do AMRs Work?
Order Management
When an order is received, the facility’s warehouse management system (WMS) determines the ideal picking strategy based on factors such as inventory status, item location, and order priority.
Robot Dispatch
Once the optimal parameters are selected, the WMS transmits instructions to the robots and automatically dispatches them to the designated storage location. Check out our video to see our Pallet AMRs in action!
Item Retrieval
Upon reaching the storage location, the AMR utilizes various mechanisms (e.g., grippers, suction cups) to pick up the item. Since the process is tailored to the pick, all box sizes, totes, and cartons are accommodated, whether they are single or double deep.
Transportation
Once the item is loaded onto the AMR, it’s transported to the designated picking station or consolidation area where warehouse personnel can fulfill the order expediently.
Return to Base
After completing the task, the AMR returns to its charging station or stands by for the next order in the fulfillment cycle.
Advantages for Warehouse Operations
- Equipped with advanced navigation and picking capabilities
- Move seamlessly through the warehouse environment, guided by sensors, cameras, and mapping technologies
- Navigate around obstacles using optimized routes and obstacle detection
- Adapt to dynamic changes in the warehouse layout, ensuring efficient and safe operation
- Collaborate with the human workforce to ensure efficiency
- Operate concurrently with other robots to optimize the overall workflow
Additional Ways AMRs Can Overhaul Your Fulfillment Processes
Space Optimization
Traditional shelving systems require aisles for human access. Robots navigate in 3D space, maximizing storage capacity.
Scalability
G2P AMR systems are highly scalable, allowing warehouses to adapt to fluctuations in demand without major infrastructure changes. During peak seasons or periods of growth, additional robots can be deployed as needed.
Error Reduction
Automated picking processes minimize the risk of human error; this reduces returns, improves customer satisfaction, and enhances overall operational reliability.
Safety
AMRs replace the need for repetitive and physically demanding tasks, which improves employee satisfaction and reduces the risk of workplace injuries. Our robots offer a safety perimeter, audio safety alarm, emergency stop button, anti-collision capabilities, and lifting fall protection. They are also UL and CE Certified.
Conclusion
With 100 percent perfection off the table, warehouses that utilize AMRs can still rise to the top and beat out their competitors by offering superior service to customers. As technology continues to evolve, warehouses that rely on the old ways will only fall further behind. If you think your warehouse is ready to take the next step, schedule a call with us today!
Want to Learn More?
Check out our Case Study on WINC, a large office supply e-commerce company with products ranging from furniture to paper clips, for a total of 12,000 SKUs with 920,000 pieces over a 6000 square meter facility. Their pickers were walking up to three miles a day, wasting energy and time. See how our AMRs helped increase their efficiency so they could honor their customer promise to have all in-stock items delivered the next day.