Taking the plunge into automation can be difficult; there’s a lot to think about in terms of workflows, technology application fit, integration, site readiness, change management- the list can be overwhelming. Even with the execution hurdles, automation remains at the forefront of organizations minds. According to market research, 65% of warehouse operating budgets are made up of labor costs and the labor pool continues to tighten, there’s clear value to be had.
For years most approaches to automation in the warehouse, distribution, or manufacturing space have required significant rework of your facility, whether it is creating space for monument automation like conveyor or pick modules, or its designating specific zones and rigid travel paths for AGV’s. In a brown field or retrofit environment this can be a major disruption to even the most well oiled operations.
However, with recent improvements in compute power, sensors, networks, and software, we’ve seen collaborative robotic technology taking center stage in the form of robotic arms and AMR’s. These products have shown without a doubt that humans and robots can work together seamlessly.
While these solutions tackled the growing E-commerce space, it didn’t address the nearly 2 billion pallets in use within the U.S and the accompanying inventory movements.
This is where Third Wave’s solution can help.Not only are we able to deploy autonomous forklifts in your current or future facility, we’re also designed to operate around people, other forklifts, and existing fixed infrastructure within the facility. As a result, we don’t need to go through the traditional warehouse segmentation that’s still commonplace with pallet moving automation. This enables customers to implement various solutions sizes ranging from adding to your throughput capacity with a few additional autonomous vehicles to a full fleet replacement. Regardless of your deployment size, you’ll benefit from the full Third Wave solution toolkit.
As part of Third Wave’s solutioning process we’ll work with you to determine the appropriate fleet size based on your specific challenges, capacity, workflows, and facility. Next, we’ll co-develop a project implementation plan to minimize any disruption and risk to your business execution.
Written By: Michael Myers, Director of Product Solutions