STORAGE OPTIMISATION u PRIME VISION Warehouse staff and robots work I
Implementing automation in warehouse logistics always used to be about reducing costs and increasing throughput. However, labour shortages have meant many are adopting robots and computer vision systems to meet growing order volumes without putting extra pressure on staff. This change in warehouse infrastructure has
shown that instead of automation taking jobs, the technology is crucial for improving working conditions and employee satisfaction, and in turn, overcoming staff shortages.
PROBLEMS FINDING AND KEEPING THE RIGHT PEOPLE Staff shortages are nothing new in logistics. A survey of warehouse executives revealed that the number of applicants they received per job fell from between 6-10 in 2013 to 2-5 by 2018. These conditions were greatly exacerbated
by the pandemic, with many workers retiring or otherwise leaving the sector. Aging populations combined with a lack of enthusiasm for warehouse work amongst younger generations has compounded the issue. In the USA, a report by trade group MHI and consultancy Deloitte found that 57% of participants said that: “Hiring and retaining qualified workers was the biggest supply chain challenge. The Chartered Institute of Logistics and
Transport (CILT) in the UK conducted a survey of its membership, discovering that 86% of companies had faced staff shortages in the past two years. Staff retention is another big issue.
Traditionally, warehouse work has been strenuous and boring. Manually moving heavy parcels for miles every day or engaging in mind-numbing repetitive processes are not conducive to job satisfaction. The result was high staff turnover. Hiring and training new replacements is a massive investment for a warehouse operation, and doubly difficult during a labour shortage.
All this is taking place in an era of continual e-commerce growth and its associated high order volumes. Attracting and retaining staff has become imperative for warehouse managers, as otherwise, they simply won’t have enough workers to meet demand and secure profitability. However, investing in automation is
24 September 2023 Irish Manufacturing proving to be a solution. conditions.
hand in hand to meet demand Dirk van Lammeren, chief commercial officer, Prime Vision, explains why automation is becoming an established method for retaining existing staff
ROBOTS JOIN THE TEAM Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are becoming a cornerstone of modern warehouse operations, moving parcels across facilities with the utmost efficiency. Furthermore, they are scalable, allowing greater room for expansion than static conveyors. As well as smoothing operations, robots are also making a large contribution to improving warehouse working
It used to be the case that Prime Vision
would need to demonstrate to customers’ employees, unions and stakeholders that robots could work with staff without taking their jobs. In the past five years, perceptions have completely changed. Robots have officially become part of the team. Robots can take on the strenuous work of moving heavy 30 to 40 kg parcels to different
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