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WAREHOUSING, HANDLING & STORAGE
AUTOMATION IS NECESSARY, BUT IT MUST BE IN PROPORTION
Sometimes, you might think you live in a parallel world. This is particularly the case when you hear industry visionaries discussing their plans to fully automate operations in the near future. The reality, however, is that only around a quarter of companies are currently implementing full automation, and even then, it is limited to specific areas. Most decision-makers see the interaction between people and machines as their top priority – and rightly so, as Axel Schmidt, principal communications manager at ProGlove explains...
A
survey commissioned by ProGlove of more than 1,000 warehousing and logistics executives in the US, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and the Nordic countries revealed that although artificial
intelligence (AI) has dominated the news agenda, less than a fifth of respondents currently use this technology in their warehouse. A similar picture emerges for the closely related
topic of full automation. Only 22 per cent have introduced a corresponding solution. However, this does not mean leaders dismiss plans involving AI and automation. In fact, further investments are already underway, with 34.5 per cent of companies currently utilising semi or partially-automated systems. Looking ahead, precisely 49.4 per cent of those surveyed are prioritising investment into such systems in the next five years. AI technologies
rank close behind at 46.9 per cent. But what do these numbers tell us? Firstly, the industry is already much further along than some believe. Industry leaders have yet to recognise that success is, above all, about having the right sense of proportion. The numbers also suggest that industry leaders have moved beyond black-and-white thinking on this topic. Man or machine? When asked, the thinking of the past reveals itself. Today, the priority has to be allowing people and machines to work together in the best possible way.
CHALLENGES AND LIMITS OF FULL AUTOMATION IN WAREHOUSE LOGISTICS Many people have come to the realisation that full automation is neither possible nor desirable in many areas. Different article formats, variants or ever shorter product cycles prove to be obstacles. But the investments required for this also noticeably slow progress. Ongoing costs for maintenance, repair and energy further compound these challenges. In addition, the technical complexity of commissioning, coupled with the risk of failure and the associated dependencies on suppliers, dampen full automation efforts. It must also be emphasised that full automation
16 APRIL 2024 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
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