April, 2018 9logisticstechoutlook.comThe advancement and emergence of new warehousing solutions such as robotics and augmented reality, have led logistics providers to test run and evaluate these solutions in the warehouseMichael Schoenfeldrobots into an environment that would clearly benefit from automation. "We're not 100% there yet, but we're pretty far along the path to having a turnkey robotic, item-level picking solution for the market," Dematic's Mike Khodl told Modern Material Handling, with the key focus right now on making robots that can differentiate specific items, pick them, and then place them into an order. Driven in part by the tight labor market, all companies are looking for ways to replace and/or augment human capabilities with more automated systems. At Schenker, we're exploring numerous automated picking solutions that work side-by-side with people, and that don't need to take breaks or sick days. More and more, we're seeing that these solutions truly pay for themselves and provide high ROI in the warehouse environment. Virtual Reality as a Training Tool Already in use for gaming and entertainment, virtual reality (VR)--or the complete immersion in a virtual world--is making its way into warehouses and DCs. Early adopters are using it to train and onboard employees who would otherwise need time-intensive sessions to get up to speed to handle, say, a temporary/seasonal job picking and packing in warehouse. We've been experimenting with and doing some consultations on the use of VR with one large, global electronics company. Is it inconceivable that we create forklift training simulators much like a flight simulator? These efforts are still in the early stages, with much of the focus on invasive video and gamification concepts (i.e., operators can earn badges as they advance to higher levels in the training process), but the technology is gaining momentum in the DC. We're folding these concepts into our WMS training, knowing that VR will really take the experience to a whole new level and even work its way into the material handling training process over time. Readapting on the Fly with Artificial Intelligence An area of computer science that emphasizes the creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans, artificial intelligence (AI) is helping companies readapt and reconfigure their warehouses in new and innovative ways. Schenker is working on an application right now, for example, that will allow a WMS to learn about slotting and then reconfigure the DC picks lot locations using an AI engine. And at our UC Irvine IT office, a team of interns are working on a number of projects focused on incorporating AI onto our current capabilities--right down to simple processes like hooking a voice-command utility like Alexa into our WMS applications. Ask a question like, "Alexa, what's my inventory position right now on XYZ?" for instance, and you'll get all of the information you need to make important decisions. Most of these activities are in the experimental phase, but they will all go a long way in improving the largely manual processes that many warehouses have used traditionally. As warehouses and DCs continue to play an increasingly critical role in supply chain management and distribution, these technologies will continue to shape the organizational vision of the "warehouse of the future." The advancement and emergence of new warehousing solutions such as robotics and augmented reality have led logistics providers to test run and evaluate these solutions in the warehouse and DC with potential to see greater deployments in the future.
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