7 January, 2021

New Depths of Flexible Automation

Posted on 7 January, 202125 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Geek+, a global leader in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and warehouse automation, and Universal Logic, a world-leading pioneer of an AI/sensor/machine-control software ‘brain’ for robots, announce the beginning of a new partnership. Together, the two technology leaders declare a joint commitment to support the manufacturing and logistics industry with a paradigm-shifting goods-to-robot solution, for automating supply chain operations and elevating industry 4.0.

With large parts of the supply chain dependent on fixed automation and manual materials handling, the rise in demand for customization and made-to-stock capabilities have resulted in strained processes. In turn, it has generated a need for technologies that can automate the flexibility and precision of skilled labor and combine it with the throughput capacity of dynamic inventory control.

Randy Randolph, Senior Sales Manager of Geek+ US, says: “We are very glad to partner with Universal Logic and look forward to leveraging their extensive experience in automating dynamic robot behavior to realize the full potential of our intelligent mobile robotics solutions. By combining our advanced robotics hardware with Universal Logic’s unparalleled experience, we believe that this collaboration has the potential to transform the global supply chain and shape the future.”

The partnership will give Universal Logic access to Geek+’s wide range of robotics hardware for intelligent sorting and picking. Built on autonomous mobile robot technology and AI-driven software, Geek+ will provide Universal Logic with the flexibility to automate the entire chain from dynamic inventory control to pick & pack, expanding from goods-to-man to goods-to-robot solutions. Correspondingly, Geek+ will have access to Neocortex, Universal Logic’s AI platform featuring real-time and modular robot control for extended perception, direct grasping, and advanced robot guidance, enabling human-like flexible picking capabilities, to unleash the true potential of intelligent robotics for logistics.

Universal Logic CEO, David Peters, states: “The Geek+ mobile robot platform, dovetails perfectly with Universal’s dynamic robot control for picking and packing, providing our customers seamless automation capabilities, creating an end-to-end solution to meet current and future supply chain needs.”

Today, Geek+ and Universal Logic respectively serves a broad customer range including Fortune 500 Companies and regional businesses. The collaboration will enable them to strengthen their industry leadership and provide clients with flexible, adaptable, and efficient operations that can meet challenges associated with high mix/high volume applications in manufacturing, wholesale, and retail. By combining the efficiency and speed of robots with human-like precision and flexibility, it will allow businesses to realize stable and reliable supply chain operations and meet the challenges of tomorrow.

New Depths of Flexible Automation

Posted on 7 January, 202125 July, 2025 by David Priestman

CEVA Logistics Acquires ASTI Group in Morocco

Posted on 7 January, 2021 by David Priestman

CEVA Logistics has acquired ASTI Group in Morocco as part of its strategic expansion plan across the African continent. CEVA Logistics and ASTI have been long-term partners for more than two decades and have delivered a range of multi-modal services to customers across the North African country in that time.

Through acquiring the company, CEVA Logistics will expand its range of export capabilities, specifically reefer services – in cooperation with its parent company the CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics – and Contract Logistics activities in both Casablanca and the Tangiers Free Zone. The new operation will be looking to capitalize on the strength of the automotive industry in the country, a vertical in which CEVA Logistics is a market-leader.

ASTI is already a top ten logistics player in the Moroccan market with almost 100 full time staff members based at the two locations which will additionally offer air, ocean, ground (domestic and international), project logistics and Customs clearance services. ASTI is a Customs clearance expert in Morocco and is fully certified with the authorities and has a direct EDI interface with Customs.

Says CEVA Logistics’ CEO Mathieu Friedberg said: “The acquisition of ASTI further enhances our standing in the African market and shows our ambition for the continent as a whole. We believe there is enormous potential across a range of freight services and extending the CEVA brand in its own right in Morocco will set us on the road to further success”.

CEVA Logistics is a global business. Last month it announced the win of a major, five year contract with Pernod Ricard to provide the drinks manufacturer with warehousing and distribution support in South East Asia. For the full story click here.

CEVA Logistics Acquires ASTI Group in Morocco

Posted on 7 January, 20217 August, 2025 by Keith McKinley

Partnership for Robot Goods-To-Person Solution

Posted on 7 January, 202125 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Scallog, one of the leading suppliers of logistics robots in France, has signed an integrator agreement with Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics company, and a long-established intralogistics expert in the USA. The purpose of the agreement is to launch and market Scallog’s goods-to-person robotics solutions in the US. These solutions are designed to meet logistics challenges in a wide range of industries including food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, publishing and spare parts.

The acceleration of eCommerce and the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the supply chain mean that warehouses in the USA are speeding up the automation of their operations to gain agility, shorten delivery times and increase service quality. The North American market has great potential for Scallog as only 5% of warehouses are fully automated and 15%, semi-automated (according to DHL). The Scallog robotic solutions – which compete with Amazon’s Kiva robotic solutions – meet the challenges currently facing logistics operators of automating their order picking process rapidly and flexibly at the lowest possible cost and without affecting their current systems.

French innovation backed by a recognized intralogistics expert in the USA

Bastian Solutions has added Scallog’s robotized order picking solutions to its offering in order to meet the growing need for agility and resilience among its logistics operator customers. The benefits of the Scallog solution include an ROI of under two years and flexibility, scalability and upgradability. These were determining factors in Bastian Solutions’ choice of Scallog as its collaborator in the supply of robots to transport shelf units to operators. With Scallog, American logistics operators can now embark on, and grow, their warehouse automation to meet their evolving requirements, spreading their investment and continuing their operations and/or production uninterrupted.

The agreement with Bastian Solutions is part of Scallog’s strategy of phased international development. Joining forces with a well-respected local player such as Bastian Solutions gives Scallog more rapid access to the US market due to its partner’s understanding of local conditions and ability to provide local support and high-quality services. Bastian Solutions, an integrator ranked among the world’s top 20 suppliers of logistics automation solutions, employs 1,000 people in 20 national offices and its subsidiaries in Canada, Brazil, Mexico and India. Over 30 of Bastian Solutions’ employees have already been trained in Scallog solutions as part of a skills transfer, and co-marketing activities will begin in the first quarter of 2021.

“This collaboration illustrates a change in scale in our strategy of international expansion, in line with our ambitions for deployment and commercial presence in key markets. The United States represents a new Eldorado for logistics robotics, where our value proposition for the automation of order picking has everything required to meet the growing demand for efficiency, agility and resilience in American warehouses”, says Olivier Rochet, CEO of Scallog. “We are delighted to be associated with a recognized intralogistics expert such as Bastian Solutions, which represents the ideal American partner inasmuch as our offerings, expertise, services and values complement each other so well. Bastian Solutions’ position, experience and in-depth knowledge of automation will accelerate the bringing to market, adoption and development of our vertical robotics solutions for the warehouses of the future in the USA – connected, digitalized and robotized.”

“We must continuously add technologies that address the growing demand and changing landscape order fulfillment providers face. Scallog’s technology will help us continue providing our customers with the competitive advantage they need to stay ahead in today’s market. We’re looking forward to introducing Scallog to our global network of clients”, enthuses Marvin Logan, Vice President of Consulting and Integration at Bastian Solutions. The companies anticipate the first installations of Scallog solutions in the first half of 2021.

Partnership for Robot Goods-To-Person Solution

Posted on 7 January, 202125 July, 2025 by David Priestman

French innovation backed by a recognized intralogistics expert in the USA

2021 About Maximising e-commerce Experience

Posted on 7 January, 202129 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Warehouse management technology leader, SnapFulfil, is forecasting a new fulfilment year where companies still focused on retail locations and outlets will have to be nimble enough to grow e-commerce operations if they are to survive.

2020 already saw the guillotine come down on many established high street brands and unless companies step up their online presence with an adequate operations portfolio to augment B2B with inevitable B2C and D2C requirements, they will face a similar fate.

SnapFulfil CEO, Tony Dobson, explains: “The consumer market has shifted to an e-commerce focus much more rapidly than any analysts anticipated, due to mass stay-at-home online orders and the closing of sizeable retail outlets plus bricks and mortar shopping centres. Unfortunately, I don’t see how – or truly why – a return to traditional shopping habits will occur. However, I do think macro-economic improvements driven by vaccine introduction and the subsequent return to more ‘normal’ economic times post lockdown will improve consumer demand.

“The rash of business closings, due to nearly a year of economic strife, will also see the growth of smaller, more agile and dynamic 3PL service providers to fill the vacuum created. From a channel-specific standpoint, those operations will successfully chase new customers, but also need to hit the ground running with stable and reliable fulfilment operations.

“A pandemic dominated 2020 really challenged and changed the mix of demand between in person retail and online e-commerce. As economies recover, however, business leaders will increasingly turn to cloud based over on premise solutions to support the speed of that growth. Consequently, the more tech savvy elements of our supply chain industry should expect and plan for a steep increase in demand.”

Investing in cost effective infrastructure and technology that can quickly adapt and change with a business is more important than ever. The face of retail and city centres has changed for good and retailers will have to become genuinely omnichannel to provide the choice, value and convenience customers increasingly expect. Therefore, traditional stores may not disappear but evolve to become micro-fulfilment hubs in terms of click & collect and product returns, which are both vital components of the e-commerce offer.

Dobson adds: “Digital transformation is fundamental to survival going forward and as a driver of efficiency and accuracy will further streamline how e-commerce organisations operate, ultimately giving them a tangible competitive edge. Operational complexity means they will increasingly turn to more robust and flexible software systems – such as advanced, cloud-based WMS like SnapFulfil that benefits from remote implementation and self-configuration for even greater responsiveness, control and savings.”

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