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Tag: Geek+

Shelf-To-Person Robots Deployed for Order Fulfilment

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+ has been awarded the contract by UK-based warehouse automation integrator Logistex, to deploy 165 Shelf-to-Person robots at Yusen Logistics’ 1.2 million square foot distribution centre in Northampton (UK). The project marks a major milestone in warehouse automation for the 3PL industry and it’s designed for B2B and B2C multiuser operations for chilled and ambient activities.

The scalable solution will be implemented in two different phases to ensure business continuity throughout the transformation. Geek+’s P800 V6.0 solution – for pallets and shelves movement – significantly enhances picking efficiency, inventory accuracy, and space utilisation — key advantages for third-party logistics providers facing growing customer demands.

“This project demonstrates the power of flexible automation,” said Simon Houghton, Sales Director UKI at Geek+ . “Our Shelf-to-Person system enables scalable growth without disruption. We’re proud to support Yusen Logistics in their first of this kind automation project in the UK but also in the Europe region”

For Yusen Logistics, the deployment aligns with a broader digitalisation strategy aimed at increasing efficiency and responsiveness across its operations.

“By integrating Geek+’s robots, we will be able to improve accuracy, agility, and throughput,” said Ben Bird, Business Development and Solutions Design Director at Yusen Logistics. “The system will give us the flexibility to scale alongside our customers’ evolving needs while gaining a great customer experience”.

The implementation will be delivered as part of a wider warehouse automation project led by Logistex, ensuring seamless integration with Yusen’s infrastructure and business processes.

“It’s a pleasure working with Yusen and Geek+ on such a forward-thinking project,” said Justin Saw, Business Development Director at Logistex. “Together, we look forward to delivering a future-ready solution with immediate results.”

The project highlights how Goods-to-Person robotics are reshaping the logistics landscape, offering 3PLs fast ROI, reduced labour reliance, and high safety standard. With this deployment, Yusen Logistics is well-positioned to lead in a rapidly changing market.

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Fulfilment Service gets Robots to Boost Warehouse Efficiency

Posted on by David Priestman

THG Fulfil, THG Ingenuity’s fulfilment and courier management service, has enhanced its warehouse automation capabilities with the addition of a fleet of Geek+ Goods-To-Person robots at its Omega facility in Warrington, UK.

The addition of Geek+ to its repertoire will enable THG Fulfil to improve warehouse performance, enabling faster delivery times and higher customer retention as artificial intelligence and automation technologies drive significant advancements in warehouse efficiency. The expansion enables THG Fulfil to support palletised items of any size through its automation solutions, pushing 95% of all units sold through a form of automation within its fulfilment journey.

The investment in Warrington adds to THG Fulfil’s existing automation capabilities at its 780,000 sqf ft ICON facility in Manchester. As a result of the speed at which it can now pick and dispatch orders, THG Fulfil upgraded 4.2 million standard delivery orders to next-day delivery in 2023, at no extra cost to customers, helping to drive a 4% rise in customer retention rates. THG Fulfil’s average delivery time has also been reduced to just 1.45 days in the UK, significantly better than the industry standard of 3-5 days.

Now approximately 50% of total customer orders globally are handled by automated systems. Real-time data analytics have also played a pivotal role in THG Fulfil’s operational strategy, enabling the identification that 27% of UK consumers shop online between 10 PM and midnight. This insight has led to the extension of cut-off time for Next Day Delivery orders to 1 AM. THG Fulfil is the only online brand or retailer in the UK providing such a late cut-off for next-day deliveries

Tom Killeen, COO, THG Ingenuity commented: “THG Fulfil’s investment in AI and automation is not just about improving efficiency; it’s also about redefining what’s possible in e-commerce logistics. In a rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape, the demand for hyper-efficient and reliable operations is more important than ever. THG Fulfil is poised to disrupt and redefine the future of warehousing and logistics, by understanding the needs of the end consumer and delivering high-quality, laboursaving services to clients and setting new standards in the industry.”

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Apparel Distributor Expands use of Robotics Solutions

Posted on by David Priestman

S&S Activewear, a leading apparel distributor, has announced the expansion of its partnership with Körber Supply Chain and the deployment of Geekplus robotics solutions at three warehouse sites across the Americas. The collaboration enables S&S to optimize on-site staff, order quality and delivery efficiencies to meet the surging demands of a rapidly evolving market.

“Innovation is a core tenet of S&S’s decades-long history in the apparel industry. Advancing our warehouse operations with Körber and Geekplus’s robotics and automation expertise has been a natural and impactful evolution in our technology journey,” said Brian Beale, CTO for S&S. “Our customers deserve a seamless experience from order to fulfillment and we’re excited about the increased efficiencies we’re already seeing through our collaboration with Körber.”

The partnership commenced with the deployment of 340 Geekplus robots at a single 750,000 sq. ft. S&S site in Lockport, Illinois, marking the largest collaboration in Körber’s robotics portfolio. This signifies a major commitment to pioneering solutions within the apparel industry.

“Warehouse solutions are a core area of Körber’s expertise, and we look forward to expanding our partnership with S&S,” said Sean Elliott, CTO and Acting CEO Software, Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “Our robotics offerings are designed to scale with the speed and size of business, optimizing warehouse operations so organizations can focus on value-driven activities to support the larger overall goals.”

A key aspect of this expansion is the implementation of Geekplus’s PopPick robotics solutions aimed at optimizing warehouse processes. These advanced robots play a crucial role in efficiently moving inventory stored in totes to pick stations. The system incorporates autonomous mobility and slotting of inventory, facilitating a seamless and efficient flow within the warehouse environment.
Since the inception of the partnership, S&S Activewear has witnessed impressive successes. The system, designed to support more than 4,500 lines per hour through 24 picking stations, has proven its effectiveness in enhancing speed and efficiency in warehouse operations, order fulfillment, and quality assurance.

“Our longstanding partnership with Körber has been crucial in bringing our revolutionary solutions to a wider audience,” said Randy Randolph, director of channel partner sales at Geekplus. “This deployment with S&S highlights the huge impact of our mobile robots in helping retailers meet the crush of e-commerce orders while improving quality and efficiency.”

Supply chains are growing more complex by the day. Körber uniquely provides a broad range of proven end-to-end solutions tailored to help manage the supply chain as a competitive advantage. Fitting any business size, strategy or industry, our customers conquer the complexity of the supply chain thanks to a portfolio of software, voice, and robotics solutions – plus the expertise to tie it all together.

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Körber Celebrates Milestone with Geek+

 

Fortna and Geek+ Partner for Order Fulfilment

Posted on by David Priestman

FORTNA, a leading automation and software company for the full logistics value chain, is thrilled to announce a global strategic partnership with Geek+, a leader in mobile robotics solutions for logistics. The partnership marks a significant milestone in the industry, as two industry leaders join forces to transform the way companies approach order fulfilment, bringing the revolutionary goods-to-person and mobile sortation systems developed by Geek+ to FORTNA customers.

FORTNA is collaborating with Geek+ to create customized solutions tailored to the unique needs of their customers. This partnership will empower businesses to streamline operations, reduce costs and enhance overall efficiency in order fulfilment.

Through the global partnership, multiple projects are already in different stages of deployment in both the United States and the EMEA region, including major robotic installations for several large retailers in the sports and home appliances sectors as well as innovations in goods-to-person sortation systems. These robotic systems enable customers to add flexibility to their operations while increasing throughput and creating a more positive workplace for their warehouse employees.

Key benefits of this partnership include:

1) Enhanced Efficiency: FORTNA’s extensive industry knowledge will be complemented by Geek+’s state-of-the-art robotics technology, creating highly efficient and adaptable automated solutions. Mobile robotic systems have more than double the average order picking and sorting throughput.
2) Scalability: The collaboration will offer businesses scalable solutions that can grow with their needs, ensuring they remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace.
3) Optimized Warehouse Operations: By integrating advanced robotics into warehouse operations, customers can significantly improve order accuracy, storage utilization and reduce labor costs. Integrated directly into FORTNA WES™ software, Geek+’s robotics offerings now benefit from order priority adjustments in real-time, enabling businesses to adapt to operational changes more effectively. By coordinating work activities in concert with Geek+’s offerings, FORTNA WES™ is also able to assign tasks to the best-fit automation at the optimal time for further throughput improvements while reducing the cost to pick.
4) Increased Customer Satisfaction: Faster and more accurate order fulfillment will lead to improved consumer satisfaction, loyalty and retention.
5) A Better Workplace: Mobile robotics allow employees to focus on less strenuous tasks in a safer work environment, supporting businesses’ ESG commitments.

Both FORTNA and Geek+ are committed to innovation, sustainability and delivering solutions that align with the latest industry trends and regulations.

“Together with Geek+, we provide our customers with a competitive edge through the seamless integration of automation and robotics into their supply chain operations,” said Robert McKeel, Chief Executive Officer, FORTNA. “The partnership between FORTNA and Geek+ aims to accelerate supply chain automation, making it more efficient and cost-effective and increasing the timely delivery of goods to consumers.”

In a rapidly evolving e-Commerce landscape, the demand for efficient and scalable order fulfilment solutions has never been greater. FORTNA and Geek+ are dedicated to addressing these challenges head-on by combining their expertise to design, develop and implement cutting-edge automated robotic solutions.

Lit Fung, Vice President and Managing Director for International Business Geek+, also expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “The FORTNA and Geek+ partnership signifies another milestone in the robotics shake-up of order fulfilment automation. Companies seeking to enhance their supply chain operations can now leverage the combined expertise of these two industry leaders to achieve greater efficiency and competitiveness in the global marketplace.”

Körber Celebrates Milestone with Geek+

Posted on by David Priestman

Körber and Geek+ are celebrating the third anniversary of their strategic partnership. Geek+ is one of Körber’s trusted global robotic partners, making this anniversary an important milestone in Körber’s journey to provide businesses worldwide with efficient, scalable and sustainable end-to-end logistics solutions.

With more than 30 implementations in eight regions and thousands of bots successfully deployed, Körber and Geek+ continue to revolutionise warehouse operations through an extensive portfolio of Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) solutions. Through this partnership, customers have seen productivity gains in excess of 100%, accuracy improvements of up to 99.99% and a reduction in walking distances of up to 82% across the warehouse.

Customers throughout Europe, America and Asia Pacific are currently advancing their supply chain operations with flexible automation solutions from Körber and Geek+, relying on the combined expertise of a global leader in AMR technology and Körber’s broad capabilities in end-to-end consulting, conceptualisation, integration and support. By increasing picking accuracy, reducing labour costs, and improving productivity and efficiency, robotics also help create safer and more ergonomic workplaces where warehouse associates can avoid tedious and risky tasks, focus on more value-added activities, and enjoy a more collaborative and satisfying work environment.

One example includes the implementation of a highly innovative logistics software and automation landscape for the biggest 3PL eCommerce warehouse in Eastern Central Europe, run by 3PL logistics start-up Boxy. András Táncsics, CEO of Boxy, stated: “Relying on cutting-edge technology provided by Körber, together with partners like Geek+, has helped us to maintain an efficient flow of goods, enhanced shipping performance, and reliability in light of the steady growing pressure of customer demands. We truly believe that these types of automation and software solutions are the future of the industry and our competitive edge on the market. Therefore, we keep a close eye on these technologies together with our partners and always try to be in the forefront of innovation.”

Recent customer successes also include one of the largest AMR deployments in Eastern Europe at DB Schenker, one of the leading global logistics service providers. In Australia, Körber and Geek+ have collaborated with leading Australian retailers such as Officeworks. In North America, S&S Activewear, a leading wholesale distributor of apparel and accessories, will rely on a high velocity picking system from Geek+ with Körber’s expertise in the design, deployment and support of this transformative system to meet evolving demand and optimize fulfilment.

“The supply chain has undergone tremendous changes in recent years, with an ever-increasing demand for efficiency and productivity while continually requiring more sustainable practices. We need innovative solutions to answer new challenges to be cost-efficient and competitive while also sustainable. Driven by huge developments in AI and machine learning, robots can help by addressing these challenges, at scale,” said Lit Fung, VP and Managing Director, Overseas Business at Geek+.

“Particularly in the growing eCommerce segment, robotics continues to be a true gamechanger for the logistics landscape to introduce greener, safer and more ergonomic operations,” said John Santagate, Vice President Robotics at Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with one of the leading global AMR providers, helping companies worldwide optimise their operational success and conquer their supply chain complexities.”

Geek+ entered its first global partnership with Körber in 2020, with expansion rapidly accelerating since then – showcased by 30,000 robots deployed that helped save 140,000 tons of carbon emissions and 16 million KwH in energy in 2022. Together with Geek+’ growing portfolio of robotic solutions, Körber continues to enhance access to an unparalleled breadth and depth of supply chain solutions, spanning warehouse management, warehouse control, simulation and voice, to help those who move goods do good.

New Hybrid Picking Robots

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, supplier of mobile logistics robots, has released its latest solution, RoboShuttle Plus, achieving one-stop storage and picking of all types of goods and delivering higher throughput and flexibility. This marks a significant advance in the interoperability of Geek+’s various robot models and a stride towards full warehouse automation.

The upgraded solution fills the market gap for an all-in-one picking solution by coordinating of three types of robots around one centralized workstation: RoboShuttles handle vertical storage and retrieval of totes, P40 picking robots move smaller items, and P500 and P800 robots move medium to large items.

Totes and racks

Hongbo Li, Chief Technology Officer at Geek+, said: “The RoboShuttle series has been one of our most successful line of solutions enabling automated height storage for warehouses, and this latest version realizes the full potential of our technology as it adds more speed and higher throughput for customers. Entrusting all picking to RoboShuttle Plus allows businesses to centralize their operations and enables them to respond to business fluctuations quickly and easily.”

RoboShuttle Plus

Geek+’s warehouse management software coordinates the actions of all robots and optimizes the placement of goods in the inventory to ensure maximum efficiency and 99.99% picking accuracy. The solution makes full use of vertical warehouse space and removes the need for multi-zone operations by allowing items of all sizes to be handled by one solution at a centralized workstation.

Geek+ is a global technology company leading the intelligent logistics revolution. We apply advanced robotics and AI technologies to realize flexible, reliable, and highly efficient solutions for warehouses and supply chain management. Geek+ is trusted by over 700 global industry leaders and has been recognized as the world leader in autonomous mobile robots. Founded in 2015, Geek+ has over 1500 employees, with offices in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, and Singapore

Geek+ implements first moving solutions project in Italy

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a global AMR leader, and Italian third-party logistics provider Life365 have announced the deployment of moving robots to expedite operations. Based in Forlì, an important logistics hub in the heart of Romagna, Life365 has more than 20 years’ experience in the field. The company has chosen Geek+’s automation to advance its business and take on larger competitors.

The solution Geek+ developed to handle operations in Life365’s warehouse revolves around a fleet of M200C moving robots that transfer office supplies smartphones, and other high-tech products through the facility and on their way to customers around Italy. The M-series moving robots serve largely the same purpose as old conveyor systems, but have made these obsolete thanks to the far superior flexibility that AMRs provide.

Summer Su, project manager at Life365, said: “We are devoted to the best technology available and using it to the fullest. Geek+’s moving robots represent the leading-edge in their field and allow us to continue to provide top-level service to our clients. We believe warehouse automation is the logical next step for Life365.”

Xin Yang, Sales Manager Southern Europe at Geek+, said: “This set-up, involving so many of our moving robots, is the first of its kind in Italy and demonstrates the versatility of our AMRs. The rapid implementation and fast return on investment of our AMR solutions provide a useful leg up in booming industries like e-commerce, and we are delighted to help independent retailers like Life365.”

Life365’s success comes from building a bridge between Asia and Europe to furnish their clients with the most advanced technological products. Geek+ considers itself a natural partner in this mission and is proud to be part of that story and serve that purpose. Geek+ looks forward to pursuing its own mission of moving the world intelligently and helping Life365 and others like them achieve their goals.

Geek+’s RoboShuttle 8 wins SITL Innovation Award

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a global leader in robotics technology, has seen its commitment to innovation recognised yet again in the form of the prestigious Innovation Award from SITL (Semaine de l’Innovation du Transport & de la Logistique), France’s premier logistics technology exhibition.

Geek+ won the award in the Intralogistics, Robotics and Automation category for its next-generation goods-to-person solution, RoboShuttle 8, which makes possible high-density storage at heights of up to 8m.

At the awards ceremony, RoboShuttle 8 was singled out for praise due to the literal new heights of storage density that the AMR makes attainable. Geek+ continues to invest in innovation to stay ahead of the logistics challenges of tomorrow and develop cutting-edge solutions for customers today.

Jean-Daniel Cohen, Business Development Director France at Geek+ in Europe, said: “As innovation is one of the pillars of Geek+’s philosophy and our success, we are very proud and happy to have been recognised by the SITL jury. Geek+ would like to thank the jury and the organisers of SITL, and congratulate the other winners and nominees.”

In recent months, Geek+ has presented several new innovations including PopPick, a picking solution that can pick up to 650 totes per hour; a new cross-docking solution aimed at supermarkets; and Sky-Storage & Ground-Pick, a combined high-density storage and picking solution that allows pallet storage without sacrificing picking speed.

Geek+ will be at LogiMAT, Europe’s largest logistics trade fair (Hall 7 Stand D51, Stuttgart Messe, 31st  May – 2nd June), and will show the PopPick solution, as well as the RoboShuttle 8.

 

Geek+ and Bosch Rexroth extend robotics partnership

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a global AMR leader, and Bosch Rexroth, a world-leading provider of drive and control technology, have signed a strategic channel agreement for North America in March 2022. The partnership has already borne fruit in the form of a unique version of Geek+’s MP1000R moving robot augmented with the laser localisation software ROKIT Locator by Bosch Rexroth.

These robots could automatically distribute materials to production line in Bosch Rexroth’s plant in Changzhou, China. The software ROKIT Locator works in parallel with Geek+’s simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) technology and offers AMRs perfectly suited to manufacturing scenarios.

In view of the vast market opportunities, Geek+ and Bosch Rexroth have agreed to facilitate resource sharing, deepen cooperation, and create more intelligent logistics solutions for their customers.

Emil Hauch Jensen, General Manager, Smart Moving and Forklift Products, Overseas Business at Geek+ said: “We are very excited to unveil this new SLAM technology for AMRs jointly developed with Bosch Rexroth. The partnership will provide our customers with several products and solutions to accelerate the implementation of intelligent moving robots that will drive the intelligent transformation of the manufacturing industry.”

Armando Gonzalez , Business Leader AMR/Robotics at Bosch Rexroth, said: “The signing of this North American strategic channel agreement with Geek+ is another milestone in the cooperation between our two companies. We applaud Geek+’s brand concept, professionalism, and reliable products and solutions. From cooperation in product development to cooperation in the channel market, we firmly believe that our two companies’ innovativeness and expansion strength will be increased. We will work together to create more competitive world-class products and a complete ecological experience.”

In the future, Geek+ will continue to implement its ecosystem-enabling strategy and work closely with partners to promote the overall intelligent transformation of supply chain operations around the world, empowering global customers to respond quickly to market demands and promote business growth.

Decathlon appoints Geek+ as robotics partner

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a global leader in AI robotics technology, and Decathlon, one of the world’s largest retailers of sporting goods, have announced the successful deployment of hundreds of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in three key European distribution centres to automate Decathlon’s e-commerce logistics platform.

The modernisation of these three centres, located in Castelnau, France, Łódź, Poland, and Campania, Italy, leverages Geek+’s AMR technology to enable Decathlon to increase its storage capacity, streamline its logistics processes, and better serve its expanding online customer base across these countries.

The two companies have long collaborated to deliver outstanding logistics services in Asia, and this upgrade, achieved within the past six months, sees Decathlon similarly entrust the modernisation of several warehouses to Geek+. Geek+’s cutting-edge AMR and AI technology give Decathlon a high degree of flexibility.

Sébastien Alcasena, Logistics Transformation Manager at Decathlon, said: “The past two years represent a turning point in how people engage with e-commerce, and we have to provide service of the highest quality. In Geek+, we have found a great partner with a flexible and scalable robot-based solution to meet our customers’ expectations. We look forward to continuing our logistics transformation in Europe.”

New customer expectations for e-commerce – higher volumes of orders and returns, same- and next-day delivery, and near perfect accuracy – have brought new challenges for retailers and a need to address logistics bottlenecks. With 1045 stores in 25 European countries, Decathlon requires a highly flexible and fast supply chain, and has turned to Geek+’s goods-to-person solutions to optimise its B2C logistics.

Jackson Zhang, Vice President of Geek+ Europe, said: “Decathlon placed special emphasis on scalability at an international level when looking for an automation partner in their search for a solution that could cope with the rapid growth and the challenges of their e-commerce business. Geek+ is uniquely positioned to support this objective, having a successful track record of projects in China and the wider Asia Pacific region that have permitted double-digit growth in Decathlon’s warehouse flows.”

Geek+ tailor-made a new robotics solution for each distribution centre using hundreds of its P-series picking robots, as well as the RoboShuttle, Geek+’s next-generation tote-to-person AMR solution. The number and configuration of AMRs operating within Decathlon’s distribution centres can be easily adjusted to respond to fluctuations in order volumes during peak season. Unlike traditional infrastructure, the AMR systems allow for flexible maintenance and modification without any interruption of service.

The upgrades made to these three centres represent just the beginning of the collaboration between Decathlon and Geek+ in Europe. Given the rapid success of this project, the companies aim to identify other areas where Geek+’s AMR technology can help Decathlon deliver the world-class e-commerce service that has become its new standard.

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