DHL Supply Chain, together with fulfilment and AI specialist Blue Yonder, has developed a new software platform for the integration of warehouse robots. The 'plug-and-play' platform, it says, has saved DHL 60 per cent of time in 'onboarding' warehouse robots.
DHL Supply Chain has more than two thousand operational sites and is experiencing there how costly and complex the integration of new robots is. Especially when different types of robots or suppliers are involved, integration into existing systems is a time-consuming task.
The new software platform, built on Microsft Azure, allows DHL Supply Chain to connect separate technologies. DHL Supply Chain tested the software platform at a facility in Madrid, where it is deploying robotics from 6 River Systems. Blue Yonder's platform reportedly provided DHL with time savings of 60 per cent. DHL Supply Chain expects this could eventually increase to a 90 per cent time saving.
The 'plug & play' platform accelerates the integration of a robot system into a warehouse management system. In addition to saving time, this gives customers more flexibility in selecting and integrating different suppliers into a single system. This can be particularly useful during peak season, says Girish Rishi, CEO of Blue Yonder. "A company can use robotics temporarily to support staff and increase capacity."
