“ ROBOTS CAN TAKE ON JOBS THAT ARE REPETITIVE AND LOW-SKILLED , WHICH HELPS WITH STAFF RETENTION ”
TECHNOLOGY & AI
“ ROBOTS CAN TAKE ON JOBS THAT ARE REPETITIVE AND LOW-SKILLED , WHICH HELPS WITH STAFF RETENTION ”
AKASH GUPTA CO-FOUNDER & CTO , GREY ORANGE
Then of course there is Covid , and the problem of staff shortages due to illness and self-isolation .
Staffing issues have hit businesses of all sizes Such staffing issues aren ’ t just affecting smaller retailers either , because industry giants such as Amazon are also struggling to hire warehouse workers . In a bid to compete for a limited labour pool , many companies have increased their hourly warehouse rates , and are also offering signing-on bonuses , flexible working and even transport-to-work schemes .
But is it enough ? No , says Harrison , who explains the problem has been compounded by the pandemic-fuelled growth in e-commerce , which has seen businesses increase the size of their warehouse operations .
“ Because these warehouse processes are largely manual , rather than automated , warehouses need more workers than ever , and there simply aren ’ t enough to go around .”
Although the labour problem is widespread , its severity varies from country to country , something Harrison says can be explained by differences in “ warehouse culture ”.
“ In the UK for instance we don ’ t always treat warehouse workers with the respect they deserve . supplychaindigital . com 109