Ryder deploys Fetch robots in
"smart warehouses"
Showcase sites support three consumer brands with robotics, autonomous vehicles,
sensors and wearable technology, Ryder says.
Fleet management and transportation giant Ryder System
Inc. has partnered with logistics technology providers such
as Fetch Robotics to launch three "showcase sites" that
demonstrate its use of advanced automation and real-time
visibility in warehouse applications, the firm said today.
Miami-based Ryder opened the facilities in the Miami, Dallas,
and Chicago markets. The sites feature advanced automation,
such as state-of-the-art robotics; autonomous vehicles and
drones; sensors and automatic identification tools; and
wearable technology, like smart glasses and ring scanners.
According to Ryder, the investment is already paying off, as
the company described improved statistics in several key
performance indicators (KPIs):
• Robotics - The implementation of robotics throughout
a Ryder-managed warehouse produced a 25-percent
increase in productivity and 20-percent operating savings,
simply by reducing travel time in the warehouse, which
can account for 30 percent of an employee's shift. A video
showed the robots working a warehouse floor.
• Drones - At a Ryder customer warehouse, drones
successfully scanned pallets and locations in 20 minutes,
compared to a manual scan which took 90 minutes.
Additionally, a cycle count on the entire warehouse took
just three hours versus two days. The drone can also
identify available pallet locations and verify product
placement.
• Sensors - Identification tools provide real-time asset
location and enable performance management. When
implemented throughout a Ryder facility, productivity and
cost savings increased more than 25 percent.
• Wearables - When Ryder deployed smart glasses at a
customer warehouse to improve picking processes, the
time it took to pick and scan inventory decreased by five
to seven seconds per item and improved efficiency by 33
percent
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The warehouses were established for "three leading
global consumer brands," Ryder said, and are designed to
bring together innovative startup technologies and smart
capabilities customized to optimize operations and best serve
customer needs.
"We are evaluating advanced technology and automation
solutions that require minimum investment but deliver
maximum return," Steve Sensing, Ryder President of Global
Supply Chain Solutions, said in a release. "We focus on
technologies that are mobile, flexible, and scalable, so they
can flex with changing demands. As Ryder customers continue
to face increasing omni-channel fulfillment demands, rising
consumer expectations, and a nationwide warehouse labor
shortage, we will continue to innovate and automate the parts
of the process that make sense."
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www.ryder.com