Overcoming the limitations of time and space
How do you define success? It’s different for everyone. The right partner won’t just sell you a robot and then disappear. The right partner will take you where you want to go by translating complex success criteria into the most efficient processes to meet your strategic needs. They’ll find new ways to use technology to simplify complexity and create value.
Here’s an example. These are the success criteria we were given by a global online fashion retailer.
- No single point of failure.
- Consistently meet aggressive SLAs.
- Enable cost-efficient returns and order fulfillment.
- Give us room to grow, quickly and cost-effectively.
Sounds crazy, right? To deliver on this success criteria, the system architects imagined a more dynamic way of handling fulfillment.
Leaving linear logistics behind
Everything in the highly-automated fulfillment center is integrated, interconnected and intelligent.
- Every source is connected to every destination
- Dynamic buffering and process decoupling enable structural, process and orchestration agility
- Redundancy is built in at every step of the workflow, so there is no single point of failure
The entire system — from warehouse control and management to labor and transportation management — is driven by intelligent software and fueled by data.
- Decision-making is decentralized
- Challenges are rapidly detected and mitigated
- Systems are self-driving, self-adjusting, self-learning and self-optimizing
No Single Point of Failure
Dynamic Buffering
Process decoupling
Structural, process and orchestration agility
The online retailer’s fulfillment center leaves linear logistics behind with:
- Dynamic induction – Every inbound module is connected to every decanting station, return station and induction station, as well as to all storage locations. This interconnectedness accelerates processing of both orders and returns.
- Dynamic returns handling – Fully automated induction stations induct returns into pockets with patent-pending mechanisms that automatically open and close for faster putaway and one-touch picking when returns are resold.
- Dynamic storage – A shuttle system and a pocket buffer with a unique allocation matrix make it possible to change order and line item sequence based on virtually any criteria.
- Dynamic picking – Preemptive robotic picking and top-off for prime stock and returns enable one-touch picking from the automated pocket sorters and two-touch picking from the shuttles. The AI-enabled robots learn continuously and share learnings with other robots.
- Dynamic packing – Decoupling of induct and packing as well as order close and checking ensures pack stations have a continuous supply of complete orders. Pocketable parcels can be packed anywhere, which accelerates throughput.
- Dynamic pocket-into-packing – Single-item orders are auto-bagged, automatically dropped into chutes and auto-sequenced to outbound destinations. This is another no-touch innovation that increases speed and lowers costs.
- Dynamic sorting – All pocketable parcels go through an allocation matrix that sorts by carrier instead of by order. Centralized order pooling shortens lead time by enabling fast access to completed orders.
Building for today and tomorrow
