Vecna Robotics, the leader in flexible material handling automation solutions, has officially announced the launch of CaseFlow, which happens to be an end-to-end solution for case picking operations.
Going by the available details, this case picking solution comes decked up with an ability to leverage pallet-handling robots for up to 90% of warehouse travel. This it does alongside directing workers in the context of dynamic and guided zone picking, thus more than doubling site performance and improving worker satisfaction and safety.
Before we get any further, though, we need to acknowledge the data provided by Logistics Management and Warehouse & Distribution Science, data which says that case picking comprises nearly half of all work in warehouse and distribution facilities. The stated lowdown also reveals how up accelerating this particular operation, via automation, can make 90% of the whole work more efficient.
Complimenting the same is a 2020 study in Forbes which revealed that nearly 45% of warehouse operators are looking to automate case picking right now.
In response, Vecna Robotics CaseFlow brings to the fore a solution which is geared towards serving mid- to high-volume warehouse operators in retail, 3PL distribution, consumer packaged goods, food and beverage, and medical supplies space. Using a fleet of Vecna Robotics CPJ pallet jack to do the job, the solution takes care of directing the humans part by equipping them with connected wearable. Furthermore, it would also bank upon the site’s existing Warehouse Management System (WMS) to generate tasks.
Moving on, powered by Vecna’s cutting-edge Pivotal orchestration software, CaseFlow can continuously prioritize orders, as well as optimize robot routes and picking tasks. All in all, requiring far fewer workers than traditional manual operations, CaseFlow makes it possible for you to dynamically adjust worker picking zones to keep goods flowing, and therefore, maximize units picked per hour (UPH).
“The warehouse segment is facing chronic labor shortages, and case picking is the most labor-intensive operation at many of our sites,” said Andy Johnston, Senior Director of Innovation at GEODIS. “By implementing CaseFlow with Vecna’s robots, we were able to increase picking efficiency by over 100% while improving worker retention and overall safety. We look forward to scaling this solution across our network and continuing to collaborate with Vecna Robotics on automating our most critical workflows.”
Taking an even deeper view of the proposition here, we begin from Caseflow’s promise to cut down on the time needed to generate a return on your investment. You see, by cutting down on picking workforce required to handle daily volumes, the solution pushes the user’s ROI below the mark of 12 months. Not just that, it also applies innovative Robots as a Service pricing to achieve the given objective.
Next up, we must get into solution’s fast implementation potential, with smaller room for disruption. Basically, CaseFlow takes no more than 4 weeks to fully implement, and at the same time, it also allows you to achieve a 50% reduction in new employee training time (vs. traditional operations). Running on swappable robot batteries to maintain continuous goods movement, the solution also ensures there is no disruption across your existing operations. In case that wasn’t enough, then we ought to mention that it requires minimal upfront investment.
Then, there is the prospect of full-site control, which the user can realize through CaseFlow Console. You see, the stated Console delivers real-time telemetry and performance data for empowering operations managers to monitor order releases, associate behaviors, and robot status in real-time. Alongside that, it also enables industrial engineers and site managers to identify bottlenecks for future optimizations.
Moving on to CaseFlow’s WMS interoperability, it is rooted in its compatibility with leading WMS’ from Manhattan Associates, Korber, Blue Yonder, SAP, Oracle, Tecsys, and others.
Markedly enough, the solution also offers improved safety, something which it does by eliminating the need for associates to get on and off trucks, and instead, having them focus exclusively on picking-to-order.
Another detail worth a mention here stems from CaseFlow’s remote monitoring feature that is accessible around the clock.
