United Natural Foods, Inc. revealed today it will implement an A.I.-powered robotic automation system in its soon-to-open distribution center in Manchester, Pennsylvania. This system is part of the company’s commitment to improve its distribution center network, noted the wholesaler.
UNFI worked with robotics company Symbiotic on the technology.
Once installed, UNFI expects the system to enhance the customer experience, improve quality and service to customers, increase capacity within its facilities, and lower overall costs to fulfill customer orders.
“We always want to make doing business with UNFI easier for our customers and suppliers, and that means investing in ways to make our supply chain more effective and efficient,” said Erin Horvath, UNFI’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “Automating key distribution centers ... will help us improve order accuracy and deliver a better overall customer experience, while also reducing operating cost.”
UNFI’s Manchester distribution center is a 1.3 million-square-foot facility set to begin operation this summer. The facility will support customer growth across the Northeast.
Once completed, Symbotic’s technology will provide robotic case pack capabilities in Manchester’s dry grocery area, improve order accuracy for customers, and automate the assembly of customer order pallets. Part of the wholesaler's multi-year transformation plan, the technology is intended to improve the customer receiving and replenishment experience when the order is delivered to the store. It is expected to be fully operational by next spring.
The Symbotic warehouse automation system in Manchester is the same technology that is currently being deployed at UNFI's distribution center in Centralia, Washington. The Centralia system is on track to go live in the first half of this year.
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