Walmart recently expanded its commercial agreement with Symbiotic, an A.I.-powered supply chain technology company, to implement Symbiotic’s robotics and automation platform in all of Walmart’s 42 regional distribution centers, updated from the original plan to roll this out to 25.
The platform supports Walmart’s goal to modernize its supply chain network and allows the company to transform its regional distribution centers to improve the response to store orders, inventory accuracy, and capacity for receiving and shipping freight. Material handling, one of the most difficult supply-chain-related tasks, is made easier by the platform’s ability to get products onto shelves, according to Symbiotic.
“The need for accuracy and speed in the supply chain has never been more visible, and we’re confident that now is the time to move even faster by scaling Symbotic’s technology to our entire regional distribution center network,” said David Guggina, senior vice president of innovation and automation at Walmart U.S, in a statement. “Using high-speed robotics and intelligent software to organize and optimize inventory, the Symbotic system helps us get products to our customers quickly and seamlessly by revolutionizing how we receive and distribute products to stores.”
The retrofitting process of enabling all 42 distribution centers with this technology is expected to take over 8 years to complete.
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