More and more warehouses are deploying robots for order picking, but this is less and less often leading to fear among warehouse workers. "Robots do not eliminate jobs, they transform jobs," stated robot expert Peter Mohren at the opening of Exotec's new headquarters. "Productivity, quality and job satisfaction increase. That only leads to more growth and more jobs."
Renault's French parts warehouse has had a robotic system from Exotec in place since the end of 2024. The system has 67,000 storage locations and 14 workstations. Nearly 200 robots climb the racks to pick up stock bins of parts and bring them to the order pickers. "Thanks to this system, order picking time has dropped from two hours to 15 minutes. This has allowed us to put the cut-off time an hour later," says Xavier Lhors, supply chain director of Renault's after-sales division.
3.5 million order lines
Lhors shares his experiences at Exosummit, the seminar to mark the opening of Exotec's new headquarters. He lists further advantages of the robot system. For example, error rates have been reduced by two thirds, while the compact storage method allows Renault to process 50 per cent more orders without having to expand the warehouse in Villeroy. "We processed 3.5 million order lines last year," Lhors knows. "And we recouped the investment within two years."
The experiences in Villeroy are so positive that Renault will now also use the robot system for order picking in its German parts warehouse in Brühl. That system will soon accommodate 25,000 different parts, which will be transported by 85 climbing robots. One thing Lhors will do differently: there will be more focus on change management in Germany. "We underestimated that in Villeroy. The arrival of robots caused a lot of unrest among employees. By now, everyone is very proud of the system. Everyone wants to work with it."
Physical strain in order picking
The days when warehouse people saw robots as a threat now seem to be over. Nicolas Hunsinger of Exotec regularly asks whether people want to go back after implementing a robot system. Invariably, the answer is no. "Research shows that people are three times more willing to work in a warehouse with robots than in a warehouse without robots. Robots reduce the physical strain in order picking." He is joined by Peter Mohnen, former CEO of robot manufacturer Kuka: "Robots do not eliminate jobs, they transform jobs. Productivity, quality and enjoyment increase. That ultimately only leads to more growth and therefore more jobs."
Mohren makes it clear during the seminar that the development in robot technology is not over for the time being. "People and robots used to work side by side, but with a big fence between them. When robots got cameras and sensors about 15 years ago, humans and robots could also work together and pick orders safely. As we add more and more AI, robots are developing the ability to respond to conditions and optimise processes in real time."
Acceleration in innovation
The new headquarters should help Exotec accelerate innovation. The French company moved from Paris to Lille a decade ago, but the headquarters started to get too small four years ago. "At the end, our people were scattered in seven different buildings. That hindered the mutual exchange of ideas and information. That slowed down our growth," explains Romain Moulin, CEO and co-founder of Exotec.
A completely new 25,000-square-metre building with lots of brick and glass has been built in Lille. For the round contours in the facade, the architect took inspiration from the curves of climbing robots. Inside, the building is fully equipped, including a basketball court and gymnasium. From the central atrium, a large glass wall offers a view of the production floor. "We have housed all activities in this building, from product development to assembly department," says Renaud Heitz, Exotec's other co-founder. "Since we moved here at the end of December, we have noticed change. The willingness to cooperate is increasing."
Humanoids for order picking
In the coming years, the focus will largely be on the processes outside the robotic system. "Ultimately, it is not about our robots, but about loading the right boxes into the right truck at the right time. This is why we want to deliver not just robots, but complete warehouses," says Moulin, citing Pepsico's new warehouse in the United States as an example. For that, Exotec provided not only the robot system for order picking, but also pallet storage, de-stacking products and replenishing storage bins. "We have gone from being a robot manufacturer to a system integrator," he says.
In such warehouses, humanoids are unlikely to be used for order picking, for example. Exotec's founders don't believe so much in these human robots. "If you want a car to drive fully autonomously, you don't do it by putting a humanoid behind the wheel. It is much cheaper to make the car autonomous yourself," Moulin argues. Heitz adds: "Our robot has only six motors. A humanoid needs 48 motors just to walk sideways. That makes a humanoid incredibly complex and prone to failure. For now, therefore, I don't see humanoids climbing into 14-metre-high scaffolding like our robots."
