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Day: 30 April 2021

Interoperability solves robot fleet communication issues

Posted on by David Priestman

Meili Robots has created a report to explore the robotics market, highlight the pain points of robotic fleets becoming more diverse, and propose a universal solution as interoperability issues seem to be arising more frequently across industries.

As robotic fleets become more diverse and autonomous in both industrial settings and public spaces, it is now more important than ever to raise awareness of the wide variety of issues that can arise due to the lack of interoperability.

Along with increased robotics implementation and automation comes an extended focus on a number of technologies – such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, Industry 4.0 – which will continue to drive the robotics market growth.

The report covers the trends that are currently shaping the market, how certain technologies are influencing the robotics industry, how robotic fleets are becoming more diverse and autonomous, and what role interoperability plays in all this.

What You Will Learn:

  • Everything you need to know about interoperability
  • The most interesting trends in the robotics industry
  • What industry experts are saying about interoperability
  • Attractive opportunities and major challenges in the market
  • A case study about Project START

Click here to download the report.

Interoperability solves robot fleet communication issues

Posted on by David Priestman

Meili Robots has created a report to explore the robotics market, highlight the pain points of robotic fleets becoming more diverse, and propose a universal solution as interoperability issues seem to be arising more frequently across industries.

As robotic fleets become more diverse and autonomous in both industrial settings and public spaces, it is now more important than ever to raise awareness of the wide variety of issues that can arise due to the lack of interoperability.

Along with increased robotics implementation and automation comes an extended focus on a number of technologies – such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, Industry 4.0 – which will continue to drive the robotics market growth.

The report covers the trends that are currently shaping the market, how certain technologies are influencing the robotics industry, how robotic fleets are becoming more diverse and autonomous, and what role interoperability plays in all this.

What You Will Learn:

  • Everything you need to know about interoperability
  • The most interesting trends in the robotics industry
  • What industry experts are saying about interoperability
  • Attractive opportunities and major challenges in the market
  • A case study about Project START

Click here to download the report.

The future of retail

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Kate Lester, founder and CEO of bespoke logistics solutions provider Diamond Logistics, offers a fearless opinion on the future of retail.

We can see light at the end of the tunnel. Shops are opening, but the reality is retail habits have changed forever. As a class A shopaholic, I will be first out of the blocks. But shopping habits have undoubtedly changed.

Some people will never go back to shopping the way they used to. The elderly, infirm or very time pressed. There is gold in these markets if you target them in a way that is attractive.

Commodities or specialist goods are perfect for online. Household product sites like www.webother.co.uk makes it very easy to order bulky and cost-effective goods direct to your home. Equally specialist goods – like www.SacredGin.co.uk – are easier to source online as there are very few stockists of this premium product.

It’s the stuff you want to try on, touch, feel or see – like furniture – that will drive retail moving forward.

For example, buying shoes online is very hit and miss, as is buying furniture. The look, feel and weight of shoes is a touch-based experience.

A lot of people like their Saturday food shopping – I can’t see this being eroded entirely – and substitution is annoying. But shopping at Waitrose for a few key products – and getting the bulk on Ocado – is a way of mixing modes of purchase and retaining the best bits for the consumer. And who wants to lug huge bags of shopping when you can get it delivered for £5? And, also, it’s those last-minute things – the capers and anchovies you decide you need for your dinner party – that your local delicatessen will always be strong at supplying.

There’s also a trend for convenience and local.  My grocery preference at the moment is Co-op or Sainsbury’s Local – with a weekend top-up at Waitrose and M&S – spreading the pounds dependant on need.

Big retailers

Retailers have to embrace multi-modal experiences – click & collect, home delivery and retail experiences.

Retail experiences will continue to be a thing, but it will be a big day out so they have to be fun and engaging. You won’t just pop to the shops; there will have to be further motivation. Ikea has this nailed, albeit their delivery items online aren’t great at present. (Ikea, if you need a hand, you know where we are!).

Ikea is a great day out. They not only showcase all their products in enviable showrooms so you can aspire to creating that space in your home, they offer a crèche and canteen – not to mention the inimitable meatballs – all of which make a great trip for the family.

Some key purchases will always be more aligned to a shop purchase. Car, furniture and carpet textiles for example, because the online experience is either slow (if you ask for samples and have to wait for them to be despatched for example). Whereas if you go to John Lewis Home, you can see, touch and feel your purchase on the same day.

There will be more showcasing in retail, whilst ordering will still be online. And customers will seek goods on multiple platforms – sale items on eBay and retailer sites with enhanced search facilities. It still staggers me that when you search for some standard items you can’t find them on Google search. Retailers have to really master their digital marketing to stay ahead.

Small retailers

Small retailers need to build their brand and a local following for a dedicated audience. They are going to have to drive loyalty to win custom.

Use multiple platforms and a united inventory system to enable customers to buy from you and use the power of these platforms’ search engines to drive sales. It’s more likely eBay and Etsy will pip them to the post, rather than their own SEO.

Utilise Google Shopping – it still gobsmacks me that it’s (mostly) cheap importers which have mastered this. Quality products are underrepresented.

Drive traffic through audience building on social – build that loyal base and push offers out which lead to a shop experience for upselling opportunities.

You still have to bat above your average in terms of delivery, shop experience or online (either own site or marketplace).

Experiential retail will drive customers, a day out not a pop to the shops. Other retail will become either a client loyalty-driver – small, boutique, specialist, local – or simply a showcase.

Keep up with consumer demand – driving faster and faster deliveries. Same-day fulfilment is just around the corner and this will be a great step forward on the multi-modal retail revolution.

The future of retail

Posted on by David Priestman

Kate Lester, founder and CEO of bespoke logistics solutions provider Diamond Logistics, offers a fearless opinion on the future of retail.

We can see light at the end of the tunnel. Shops are opening, but the reality is retail habits have changed forever. As a class A shopaholic, I will be first out of the blocks. But shopping habits have undoubtedly changed.

Some people will never go back to shopping the way they used to. The elderly, infirm or very time pressed. There is gold in these markets if you target them in a way that is attractive.

Commodities or specialist goods are perfect for online. Household product sites like www.webother.co.uk makes it very easy to order bulky and cost-effective goods direct to your home. Equally specialist goods – like www.SacredGin.co.uk – are easier to source online as there are very few stockists of this premium product.

It’s the stuff you want to try on, touch, feel or see – like furniture – that will drive retail moving forward.

For example, buying shoes online is very hit and miss, as is buying furniture. The look, feel and weight of shoes is a touch-based experience.

A lot of people like their Saturday food shopping – I can’t see this being eroded entirely – and substitution is annoying. But shopping at Waitrose for a few key products – and getting the bulk on Ocado – is a way of mixing modes of purchase and retaining the best bits for the consumer. And who wants to lug huge bags of shopping when you can get it delivered for £5? And, also, it’s those last-minute things – the capers and anchovies you decide you need for your dinner party – that your local delicatessen will always be strong at supplying.

There’s also a trend for convenience and local.  My grocery preference at the moment is Co-op or Sainsbury’s Local – with a weekend top-up at Waitrose and M&S – spreading the pounds dependant on need.

Big retailers

Retailers have to embrace multi-modal experiences – click & collect, home delivery and retail experiences.

Retail experiences will continue to be a thing, but it will be a big day out so they have to be fun and engaging. You won’t just pop to the shops; there will have to be further motivation. Ikea has this nailed, albeit their delivery items online aren’t great at present. (Ikea, if you need a hand, you know where we are!).

Ikea is a great day out. They not only showcase all their products in enviable showrooms so you can aspire to creating that space in your home, they offer a crèche and canteen – not to mention the inimitable meatballs – all of which make a great trip for the family.

Some key purchases will always be more aligned to a shop purchase. Car, furniture and carpet textiles for example, because the online experience is either slow (if you ask for samples and have to wait for them to be despatched for example). Whereas if you go to John Lewis Home, you can see, touch and feel your purchase on the same day.

There will be more showcasing in retail, whilst ordering will still be online. And customers will seek goods on multiple platforms – sale items on eBay and retailer sites with enhanced search facilities. It still staggers me that when you search for some standard items you can’t find them on Google search. Retailers have to really master their digital marketing to stay ahead.

Small retailers

Small retailers need to build their brand and a local following for a dedicated audience. They are going to have to drive loyalty to win custom.

Use multiple platforms and a united inventory system to enable customers to buy from you and use the power of these platforms’ search engines to drive sales. It’s more likely eBay and Etsy will pip them to the post, rather than their own SEO.

Utilise Google Shopping – it still gobsmacks me that it’s (mostly) cheap importers which have mastered this. Quality products are underrepresented.

Drive traffic through audience building on social – build that loyal base and push offers out which lead to a shop experience for upselling opportunities.

You still have to bat above your average in terms of delivery, shop experience or online (either own site or marketplace).

Experiential retail will drive customers, a day out not a pop to the shops. Other retail will become either a client loyalty-driver – small, boutique, specialist, local – or simply a showcase.

Keep up with consumer demand – driving faster and faster deliveries. Same-day fulfilment is just around the corner and this will be a great step forward on the multi-modal retail revolution.

project44 expands network coverage in China

Posted on by Keith McKinley

project44, a leader in advanced visibility for shippers and logistics service providers, will expand its real-time shipment tracking services in China, giving clients the same transportation visibility it offers across mature markets such as North American and Europe.

This expansion will focus the company’s resources on Asia-based visibility to fulfil its vision for global end-to-end visibility across all modes of transportation.

With logistics events in Asia continuing to send shockwaves across western markets, the opacity of Asia’s trucking markets has emerged as a weak link in global supply chains. As the economic recovery picks up pace, global supply chains are under pressure to improve agility, predictability, and efficiency.

At the same time, truckload markets in Asia have been modernising rapidly as old trucks go out of service and China continues to incentivise the scrapping of old trucks. Newer trucks are equipped with electronic logging devices, paving the way to connect these trucks (with necessary data privacy provisions) to supply chain networks. These developments allow project44 to provide the foundational data needed to translate early indicators into important levers for supply chain resiliency.

The move by project44 to ramp up visibility in China has garnered broad support across the industry: “Over the past year, Gartner has seen a dramatic increase in interest for Real-Time Transportation Visibility (RTTV) in the Asia Pacific,” said Bart A. De Muynck, Research Vice President, Transportation Technology at Gartner.

“The sheer size of the Asia Pacific region combined with the diverse cultures spread across it creates unique challenges for transportation. Organisations that operate complex global supply chains often favour visibility solutions that can be implemented and utilised worldwide.

“project44 is recognised as a leader by Gartner for its strong presence in both North America and Europe. Enterprise shippers that operate in Asia will benefit from project44’s expanded carrier coverage in China.”

“Building a more predictable global supply chain to increase on-time delivery and customer satisfaction is key to Lenovo’s business strategy,” said Renée Ure, Chief Operating Officer, Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group. “It’s critical to understand when materials are arriving from our suppliers to our factories across the world. project44’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region will give us further end-to-end visibility into our global supply chain to help us deliver on our promises to our customers.”

“CNHi is a truly global company in 180 countries. The recent state of global transportation has proven challenging, in part because it is difficult to manage our supply chains that span so many countries when disruption is high and visibility is so fragmented,” said Dror Noach, Vice President of Global Logistics, CNH Industrial. “Gaining better visibility of both domestic and inbound flows going into our Asian manufacturing plants, especially China, could be quite beneficial for us. We believe project44’s efforts to expand coverage in this region can help us improve assurance of supply and increase our efficiency.”

project44’s best-in-class network already connects truckload carriers on every continent and nearly all containerised ocean freight moving between them, however, getting visibility into Asia’s trucking market remains a challenge for shippers. Its increased focus on Asian markets allows project44 to increase saturation outside of mature transportation markets and into Asia’s ground transportation networks.

“At project44 we want to be wherever our customers need us, which means being connected to carriers all over the globe. For the first time ever, shippers can have a true global view of their supply chain network in a single platform”, said Jett McCandless, CEO and Founder of project44. “With our expansion into the Asia Pacific, we are considering the capabilities, regulations, and intricacies within each country which is key to delivering value to our current and future customers.”

By expanding visibility in Asian markets, project44 will help buyers of Asian goods increase the resiliency of their supply chains. And in the process, project44 will extend visibility to domestic Asian shippers and logistics service providers who demand the same real-time transportation visibility enjoyed in western markets.

project44 expands network coverage in China

Posted on by David Priestman

project44, a leader in advanced visibility for shippers and logistics service providers, will expand its real-time shipment tracking services in China, giving clients the same transportation visibility it offers across mature markets such as North American and Europe.

This expansion will focus the company’s resources on Asia-based visibility to fulfil its vision for global end-to-end visibility across all modes of transportation.

With logistics events in Asia continuing to send shockwaves across western markets, the opacity of Asia’s trucking markets has emerged as a weak link in global supply chains. As the economic recovery picks up pace, global supply chains are under pressure to improve agility, predictability, and efficiency.

At the same time, truckload markets in Asia have been modernising rapidly as old trucks go out of service and China continues to incentivise the scrapping of old trucks. Newer trucks are equipped with electronic logging devices, paving the way to connect these trucks (with necessary data privacy provisions) to supply chain networks. These developments allow project44 to provide the foundational data needed to translate early indicators into important levers for supply chain resiliency.

The move by project44 to ramp up visibility in China has garnered broad support across the industry: “Over the past year, Gartner has seen a dramatic increase in interest for Real-Time Transportation Visibility (RTTV) in the Asia Pacific,” said Bart A. De Muynck, Research Vice President, Transportation Technology at Gartner.

“The sheer size of the Asia Pacific region combined with the diverse cultures spread across it creates unique challenges for transportation. Organisations that operate complex global supply chains often favour visibility solutions that can be implemented and utilised worldwide.

“project44 is recognised as a leader by Gartner for its strong presence in both North America and Europe. Enterprise shippers that operate in Asia will benefit from project44’s expanded carrier coverage in China.”

“Building a more predictable global supply chain to increase on-time delivery and customer satisfaction is key to Lenovo’s business strategy,” said Renée Ure, Chief Operating Officer, Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group. “It’s critical to understand when materials are arriving from our suppliers to our factories across the world. project44’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region will give us further end-to-end visibility into our global supply chain to help us deliver on our promises to our customers.”

“CNHi is a truly global company in 180 countries. The recent state of global transportation has proven challenging, in part because it is difficult to manage our supply chains that span so many countries when disruption is high and visibility is so fragmented,” said Dror Noach, Vice President of Global Logistics, CNH Industrial. “Gaining better visibility of both domestic and inbound flows going into our Asian manufacturing plants, especially China, could be quite beneficial for us. We believe project44’s efforts to expand coverage in this region can help us improve assurance of supply and increase our efficiency.”

project44’s best-in-class network already connects truckload carriers on every continent and nearly all containerised ocean freight moving between them, however, getting visibility into Asia’s trucking market remains a challenge for shippers. Its increased focus on Asian markets allows project44 to increase saturation outside of mature transportation markets and into Asia’s ground transportation networks.

“At project44 we want to be wherever our customers need us, which means being connected to carriers all over the globe. For the first time ever, shippers can have a true global view of their supply chain network in a single platform”, said Jett McCandless, CEO and Founder of project44. “With our expansion into the Asia Pacific, we are considering the capabilities, regulations, and intricacies within each country which is key to delivering value to our current and future customers.”

By expanding visibility in Asian markets, project44 will help buyers of Asian goods increase the resiliency of their supply chains. And in the process, project44 will extend visibility to domestic Asian shippers and logistics service providers who demand the same real-time transportation visibility enjoyed in western markets.

MSK conserves packing resources

Posted on by David Priestman

Industrial packing solutions provider MSK is looking at ways to help reduce the amount of plastic used when wrapping goods for storage and transportation.

The use of film to secure loads on pallets is still frequently the packing solution that is the most economical and gentle on the environment. Nevertheless, it is possible to achieve considerable savings in material and costs with the choice of the suitable method.

That is why, through the choice of the right method, packaging unit costs can often be kept stable or even reduced, even with rising film costs. MSK has specialised in individual, comparative tests of different packaging methods as well as transport simulations with customer products from a wide range of industries.

Customer test centres set up specifically for this allow fact-based decisions related to film needs and load stability. It is also often possible to realise noticeable savings in the primary packaging through the optimisation of the secondary packaging.

Aside from the choice of packaging method (shrinking, hood stretching, or spiral stretching) another decisive factor is the choice of the packaging material – the film. Often it is possible to use thinner films or even films made of recycled material. For example, pallet loads have been packed on MSK packaging machines with films made of 98% bio-based materials – a milestone in the reduction of the CO2 footprint.

MSK consistently uses innovative technology and patented methods on its machines that allow the use of the thinnest of films with minimum film consumption.

Compared to most other pallet securing alternatives, film packaging is 100% recyclable, and is usually completely recycled in closed-loop systems. In terms of climate impermeability, film packaging is second to none: compared to packaging made of any kind of paper, film alone offers 6-sided tight moisture protection for the product.

Sustainability is increasingly made possible through the digitalisation of processes. Through MSK’s digital EMSY products, it is possible to continuously monitor and analyse MSK systems with the help of live figures and statistics, and promptly optimise them in terms of energy and film consumption.

Environmentally friendly machine concepts, saving energy and materials, minimising emissions, and making responsible use of human resources are goals which will continue to define the development and production processes of the MSK Covertech Group in the coming years.

For example, the mean energy consumption of an MSK shrink frame was 10% below the average and was reduced another 13% with the latest new development in 2020.

MSK conserves packing resources

Posted on by David Priestman

Industrial packing solutions provider MSK is looking at ways to help reduce the amount of plastic used when wrapping goods for storage and transportation.

The use of film to secure loads on pallets is still frequently the packing solution that is the most economical and gentle on the environment. Nevertheless, it is possible to achieve considerable savings in material and costs with the choice of the suitable method.

That is why, through the choice of the right method, packaging unit costs can often be kept stable or even reduced, even with rising film costs. MSK has specialised in individual, comparative tests of different packaging methods as well as transport simulations with customer products from a wide range of industries.

Customer test centres set up specifically for this allow fact-based decisions related to film needs and load stability. It is also often possible to realise noticeable savings in the primary packaging through the optimisation of the secondary packaging.

Aside from the choice of packaging method (shrinking, hood stretching, or spiral stretching) another decisive factor is the choice of the packaging material – the film. Often it is possible to use thinner films or even films made of recycled material. For example, pallet loads have been packed on MSK packaging machines with films made of 98% bio-based materials – a milestone in the reduction of the CO2 footprint.

MSK consistently uses innovative technology and patented methods on its machines that allow the use of the thinnest of films with minimum film consumption.

Compared to most other pallet securing alternatives, film packaging is 100% recyclable, and is usually completely recycled in closed-loop systems. In terms of climate impermeability, film packaging is second to none: compared to packaging made of any kind of paper, film alone offers 6-sided tight moisture protection for the product.

Sustainability is increasingly made possible through the digitalisation of processes. Through MSK’s digital EMSY products, it is possible to continuously monitor and analyse MSK systems with the help of live figures and statistics, and promptly optimise them in terms of energy and film consumption.

Environmentally friendly machine concepts, saving energy and materials, minimising emissions, and making responsible use of human resources are goals which will continue to define the development and production processes of the MSK Covertech Group in the coming years.

For example, the mean energy consumption of an MSK shrink frame was 10% below the average and was reduced another 13% with the latest new development in 2020.

GreyOrange forms UK partnership with Logistex

Posted on by David Priestman

GreyOrange, a global software and robotics provider that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimise fulfilment operations, has partnered with Logistex, a provider of automated materials handling and WMS solutions for warehousing operations. The strategic partnership leverages Logistex’s influence in the UK market to support GreyOrange robotics-enabled fulfilment technology offerings in the region.

“Logistex has a long-standing history of supporting UK supply chain operations with technical expertise, operational support and a range of other supply and distribution solutions, making them the perfect partner to help GreyOrange drive UK operations and sales,” said Jeff Cashman, Chief Operating Officer, GreyOrange.

The partnership delivers solutions that combine Logistex’s LWS Reflex software with GreyOrange’s industry-leading AI-enabled software GreyMatter and Ranger series robots to expand both companies’ customer bases. LWS Reflex seamlessly unifies point automation into an integrated solution, providing management teams with clear, real-time visibility of overall operations and comprehensive management information through its complementary Business Intelligence system Analytex.

“As a global leader in robotics technology, GreyOrange in partnership with Logistex can provide UK customers with leading edge robotics solutions,” said Jerry Woodhouse, Managing Director, Logistex. “This is a strategically important development that meets the needs of UK warehouse operators facing the combined challenges of a rapidly moving ecommerce marketplace, rising costs and a reducing pool of available labour.”

The GreyMatter Fulfillment Operating System uses advanced fulfilment science to instantaneously evaluate order data and compose the best decisions in real-time to efficiently orchestrate people, processes and robots. The result is a fast, agile and precisely tuned operation equipped to perpetually meet the what-when-where expectations of every growing marketplace. GreyMatter rapidly responds to real-time exceptions and events, prescribes actions, and orchestrates integrated and frictionless performance across every fulfilment node.

As GreyMatter continuously assesses distribution centre performance, it deploys intelligent Ranger robots that are purpose-built to work with each other and people to handle a range of tasks across the DC, including transporting inventory to eliminate heavy-lifting and mile-walking for warehouse associates, supporting associates with picking and order consolidation, conveying inventory and packages, sorting packages by destinations, and transporting packages, pallets and trolleys.

 

GreyOrange forms UK partnership with Logistex

Posted on by David Priestman

GreyOrange, a global software and robotics provider that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimise fulfilment operations, has partnered with Logistex, a provider of automated materials handling and WMS solutions for warehousing operations. The strategic partnership leverages Logistex’s influence in the UK market to support GreyOrange robotics-enabled fulfilment technology offerings in the region.

“Logistex has a long-standing history of supporting UK supply chain operations with technical expertise, operational support and a range of other supply and distribution solutions, making them the perfect partner to help GreyOrange drive UK operations and sales,” said Jeff Cashman, Chief Operating Officer, GreyOrange.

The partnership delivers solutions that combine Logistex’s LWS Reflex software with GreyOrange’s industry-leading AI-enabled software GreyMatter and Ranger series robots to expand both companies’ customer bases. LWS Reflex seamlessly unifies point automation into an integrated solution, providing management teams with clear, real-time visibility of overall operations and comprehensive management information through its complementary Business Intelligence system Analytex.

“As a global leader in robotics technology, GreyOrange in partnership with Logistex can provide UK customers with leading edge robotics solutions,” said Jerry Woodhouse, Managing Director, Logistex. “This is a strategically important development that meets the needs of UK warehouse operators facing the combined challenges of a rapidly moving ecommerce marketplace, rising costs and a reducing pool of available labour.”

The GreyMatter Fulfillment Operating System uses advanced fulfilment science to instantaneously evaluate order data and compose the best decisions in real-time to efficiently orchestrate people, processes and robots. The result is a fast, agile and precisely tuned operation equipped to perpetually meet the what-when-where expectations of every growing marketplace. GreyMatter rapidly responds to real-time exceptions and events, prescribes actions, and orchestrates integrated and frictionless performance across every fulfilment node.

As GreyMatter continuously assesses distribution centre performance, it deploys intelligent Ranger robots that are purpose-built to work with each other and people to handle a range of tasks across the DC, including transporting inventory to eliminate heavy-lifting and mile-walking for warehouse associates, supporting associates with picking and order consolidation, conveying inventory and packages, sorting packages by destinations, and transporting packages, pallets and trolleys.

 

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