As warehouses continue to struggle with staffing issues , an increasing number of businesses are turning to robotics and AI for solutions .
TECHNOLOGY & AI
As warehouses continue to struggle with staffing issues , an increasing number of businesses are turning to robotics and AI for solutions .
WRITTEN BY : SEAN ASHCROFT
The pandemic has posed many new problems for businesses , but it has also amplified a raft of issues that were already in evidence . Such as the shortage of warehouse staff .
Gavin Harrison is UK Sales Manager of Element Logic , which has been optimising warehouse performance for 30 years , offering robotics , software and consulting services .
Harrison says warehouse labour issues are so widespread he has “ not spoken to a single customer who has not raised it as an issue within the past 12 months ”. He quickly adds the issue “ has been looming for some time ”.
Part of the problem , he explains , is that an ever-increasing number of employees have realised warehouses can be a stressful and intensive working environment . “ The wages on offer aren ’ t really worth all of the hard graft involved ,” he says .
Warehouse location can be another issue , says Rick Faulk , CEO of Locus Robotics , a US-based business that offers warehouse robots to increase productivity and order-accuracy .
“ They ’ re often in semi-rural areas , making it difficult to recruit from the local community ,” says Faulk . supplychaindigital . com 107