When the Retail Warehouse is Automated
Michael Spencer
A.I. Writer, researcher and curator - full-time Newsletter publication manager.
In retail we talk about grab and go and how remote checkout will put many millions of cashiers out of a job (around 7 million), but that's not what should worry retail workers, read on.
Since the E-commerce trend is an increasing trend, the majority of new retail jobs are in Amazon like warehouses, but with the advent of the automated warehouse, those jobs are only temporary.
July 23rd #RobotPicker
With online sales doubling since 2011, to $390 billion last year, retailers have been grasping for people to pick the products off warehouse shelves and put them in boxes.
In this When Key Jobs go to Robots?
Now, developers say they are within a year of deploying robots to do at least some of that work — among the most labor-intensive in e-commerce.
The obstacle has been in creating the extensive databases of 3D-rendered objects needed for robots to know how to grip new objects, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Robot Economy is coming
As robotic factories are become more sophisticated, robots are being trained for new jobs. The robotic bank, the robotic restaurant, the robotic warehouse won't be far behind. It's actually more likely to happen sooner than we think.
- Puma is trialling a robotic warehouse in Germany
- Amazon can add thousands of jobs in the short-term, but those are exactly the sort of jobs that will first be automated.
- Nearly 1 million Americans work in retail warehouses, how long before the robots are ready to take over? Most believe it's around 3-5 years.
Robots could in theory do a lot of retail functions, from:
- Inventory
- Packaging
- Delivery
- Sales associates
The Automation Economy Will Shift Retail
To think retail robots will remain back end novelties forever, is naive. The social robots of the 2030s radically changes society and the smart city.
Robots do not stay at the level of children indefinitely, they evolve, and as they evolve they change everything.
If you thought an algorithm could change the world, wait until you see what robots will do to society.
If you Have to Compete with a Robot; you will Lose your Job
Minimum wage service jobs we've established will be the first ones to go and the most vulnerable. Having a robot driver in an autonomous vehicle go pick up your Amazon Fresh pickup groceries is not unforeseeable.
Some robotics companies say their machines can move gadgets, toys and consumer products 50% faster than human workers.
Not only this, the robots will be able to "collaborate" better as connected devices in the Internet of Things. No sick days, no rivalry, no problems with consistency, a much less chance than human error. Sounds inevitable right?
With labour shortages common during holiday rushes and with wages climbing, many companies are and will have to look into automation as a solution. This will influence millions of jobs that Americans do.
As there are an increasing number of robotics startup firms, and companies like Amazon perfect their own in-house and affiliated robots; grab and go shopping and robotics warehouses become the norm, rather than the exception.
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Will robots change the workforce in the near future? How is this a good or a bad thing.
Adept technology leader with over 35 years in public practice as an IT Strategist and Management Consultant focused on technology enabled business growth and process innovation. Opinions are solely my own.
7 年I was pondering this last night, standing in line at Canadian Tire to pay for a drill bit. I waited for one customer ahead of me, no worse of a line than the 4 self-serve checkouts I watched. I refuse to use them, and the more a retailer forces me to, the less I will shop there. They're taking out a tax paying job, and no one is offering me any value (discount, etc.) to do this myself. I've noticed IKEA having more self serves open, and various grocery chains, Walmart, etc. I can't quite get why consumers are so seemingly happy to do this themselves. It's not an innovation, it's a labour download to the customer to feed the bottom line of a retailer avoiding paying people. An innovation would be a smart cart keeping track of everything you're putting in it, perhaps causing customers to ask more often, "do I really need this?". As a futurist, I spend a lot of time thinking about these things and their unintended consequences,so on principle, until there is no other option, I won't use them. More workers, more jobs, more customers. When they're all self serve, I'll probably switch to online, and if others do so as well, what will they do with all those expensive stores?
Transcend statistics, increase belonging, and unlock higher performance ? Everybody Thrives Academy ? Author of "Unlock Your Executive Presence" ? Keynote speaker ? Podcast host
7 年Your article spot on. Winter is coming, and perhaps faster than we think. I think even many types of jobs done today which require more education will also be automated. If you think a degree is some sort of shield, you may be in for a rude awakening. Thanks for sharing!
Confidential
7 年The World's Nemesis ... Dr Evil The Lord and Master Of a Virtual Country called Amazon. ... has already hatched a fiendishly cunning plan for ... World Domination HoohooAhahahahaha ! (Dr Evil laugh with pinky finger at corner of mouth)
BI Developer
7 年Another reason this happens is due to competition. If it's Amazon vs. Alibaba for instance: https://www.techinasia.com/greyorange-robots-marching-into-warehouses