Walmart is partnering with tech company Symbotic to implement an automated system at 25 of its 42 regional distribution centers.
According to the retailer, the system uses a complex algorithm to store cases like puzzle pieces using high-speed mobile bots that help to speed up the intake process and increase the accuracy of freight being stored for future orders. By using dense modular storage, it also expands building capacity. And by using high-speed palletizing robotics to organize and optimize freight, it creates custom store- and aisle-ready pallets, which take the guesswork out of unloading trucks.
“This first-of-its-kind tech when applied at our scale is revolutionary because it gets products onto shelves for our customers even faster, while saving time for our associates,” said Joe Metzger, executive vice president of supply chain operations at Walmart U.S., in a statement. “The new way of unloading store-friendly palletized trucks will make the process faster and simpler for our associates, allowing them to spend more time with our customers.”
Metzger continued, “Along with saving time, limiting out-of-stocks and increasing the speed of stocking and unloading, we’ll also have the chance to train associates on how to use the new equipment, creating new skills and preparing them for jobs in the future. And because the technology decreases the need for our associates to handle freight, it removes one of the toughest aspects of supply chain work in material handling.”
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