Continued investment in proven technology

Rising demand and the labor shortage are changing the face of warehouses, and the shift towards mechanization is already well underway, according to logistics consultants at Groenewout. Yet despite the robotization trend, in practice companies are still primarily investing in proven technology.

Although there is much talk of warehouse robotization, our own research shows that – so far – it is rarely chosen as the winning design. “Robotization is not yet being implemented on a large scale, first and foremost because of the investment involved. Needless to say, it’s going to happen in the longer term as prices come down,” she predicts. “Concepts such as shuttle systems, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and AutoStore still often win the vote at the moment. These are all proven systems that generate significant productivity gains. This allows companies to make tangible progress while continuing along a relatively safe path.”

Click here to read the full article, which was published in the November edition of Online Retailer (in Dutch only).