The New Warehouse Weekly Vol 45
The New Warehouse
Your source for logistics, distribution and transportation insights and ideas.
For all of the talk of robotics and automation, the human element is still ever-present in the warehouse industry. This is reflected in both of my podcast conversations from last week with Brett Wood and Erik Nieves.
While both Toyota Material Handling and Plus One Robotics are focused on automation at some level, they both still recognize that the human is going to be involved in the process. Brett and Toyota take a very human focused approach in how they innovate and think of ways to make the workers job more comfortable and safer. For example, they have brought to market their SEnS+ solution which helps forklift operators get alerted when they are in proximity of pedestrians and objects. On the Plus One front, Erik recognizes that there is no more flexible resource than people themselves but when you cannot get enough people to cover, robotics will come in to help augment your workforce.
Without a doubt, the widespread discussions of the "dark warehouse" or the "lights out" warehouse have died down immensely. When I first started the podcast, that seemed to be the big discussion but that discussion has shifted greatly to how we can use technology to better enable the people that do work in a warehouse to do more and have a better experience doing it. It is incredible to see some of the technologies that have been rolled out and how they are being applied in our industry but I'm still bullish on the need for human labor within the warehouse for multiple years to come.
What are your thoughts?
Have a great week and holiday for those celebrating the 4th!
Thank you,
Kevin
Monday's Episode:
“Safety needs to be part of a corporate culture… We start every meeting at Toyota no matter the topic, safety first,” - Brett Wood
Live from Modex 2024, The New Warehouse Podcast welcomes back Brett Wood , President and CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America. This insightful discussion dives into the transformative trends within the material handling industry, showcasing Toyota’s leading role. The conversation highlights key innovations, technological advancements, and industry shifts, mainly focusing on automation and electrification.
Wednesday's Episode:
“If you can get the labor you need to meet your volumes and your cutoff windows, please do. Because there is no more flexible, adaptable resource than people.” - Erik Nieves
In the latest episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, Kevin chats with Erik Nieves , CEO of Plus One Robotics . The company, known for integrating advanced robotics into warehouse operations, recently surpassed a significant milestone of one billion picks, marking a major achievement in warehouse automation. Tune in and hear how Plus One Robotics is addressing labor shortages and enhancing warehouse operations with its groundbreaking robotics and AI technology.?
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Interesting!