How Much Can We Automate Warehouses?

Warehouse automation is transforming the supply chain, but how far can it go? More warehouse tasks can be automated today than ever before. However, there may still be some key tasks that require the skills and insights of a real person. What can and can’t be automated in warehouses?

What Can Be Automated in Warehouses?

Many aspects of warehouse operations can be fully automated today. Robots and automated equipment play a major role, but there are other forms of automation that primarily use software or AI.

Item Transportation

The most common application of automation in warehouses is transporting goods within a warehouse space. A wide variety of robots are available today for meeting specific item transportation needs. For example, autonomous guided vehicles, or AGVs, are basic warehouse robots that navigate using wires or magnetic strips on the floor. They can carry goods throughout a warehouse along repeatable programmed paths.

A more flexible alternative to AGVs are autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, which use sensors and cameras to detect their surroundings. They can be programmed to use customized routes, making them more flexible than AGVs. Both types of robots are perfect for automating the process of retrieving items from warehouse shelving and taking them to order packing stations.

Even large warehouse equipment can be automated. Forklifts are one of the most commonly used pieces of equipment in warehouses today. Fully automated AGV forklifts are on the market today. While forklifts always have some safety risks, automated forklifts can reduce risks related to poor driving behaviors.

Packaging

Thanks to pick-and-place robots, order packing can be partially or fully automated today. Humans may need to perform sorting duties or verify that the correct items are in a package, depending on the complexity of the specific warehouse. However, the process of moving items to boxes can be performed by robots.

Soft robotic grippers even make it possible for robots to handle delicate goods, such as food items. Warehouse managers have many options today when it comes to pick-and-place robots for packing and sorting tasks.

Quality Control

Quality control can be a highly time consuming process, making it an ideal candidate for automation. With AI-powered cameras, industrial businesses can fully automate the QC process. AI algorithms can be programmed for computer vision, which allows the algorithm to detect certain characteristics in images.

For example, a shoe manufacturer could train the algorithm to recognize correctly manufactured shoes in a certain style. As the shoes come down the assembly line, the AI-powered camera would take photos of the shoes. The algorithm could rapidly analyze these photos and flag units with anomalies, indicating potential defects.

Automated quality control is fast and effective. Businesses can use more QC checkpoints without compromising efficiency. This can help reduce production waste, which is important for manufacturers, warehouses, and other businesses that want to pursue sustainability goals.

What Requires Human Interaction?

Most physical everyday tasks in a warehouse can be automated. In fact, even back office tasks can be partially or fully automated using robotic process automation, sensors and AI. However, there are some specific tasks that do require human interaction.

Robot and Forklift Maintenance

Robots and robotic equipment like AGV forklifts can operate autonomously most of the time. They can’t perform maintenance tasks on their own, though. When a robot breaks down, needs a repair or simply needs a maintenance check-up, human interaction is required. Robot and equipment technicians should be available on a daily basis to monitor equipment performance and address any repair or maintenance issues.

Manual equipment maintenance is important for ensuring long-term performance from warehouse robots. For example, the average forklift battery lasts several years, but without proper maintenance and temperature regulation, it will burn out prematurely. Similarly, robots need to regularly have their sensors and emergency shutoff functions tested to ensure they can operate safely around humans.

Programming and Optimization

Any warehouse automation will require some amount of programming and monitoring. Researchers are developing innovative techniques for training warehouse robots using AI reinforcement learning, but this technology isn’t widely available yet. Most warehouse robots today need to have routes or tasks manually programmed in.

Additionally, monitoring and optimization need to be performed manually. Certain aspects of optimization can be automated, such as data collection or analysis. However, converting that data into productivity or efficiency gains requires human insight.

Safety and Security

Finally, every warehouse needs safety and security features. Deploying robots requires implementing safety measures to prevent robot-related accidents in the workplace. Employees also need training to ensure they know how to work safely around robots.

Cybersecurity is another aspect of warehouse operations that can’t be fully automated. Adequate security protocols are crucial for ensuring that automation technologies operate safely. Ransomware, device hijacking and data theft are all serious risks warehouses face any time they are using technology in the workplace. Humans need to step in to ensure that adequate cybersecurity measures are implemented alongside robots and automation.

Is Full Automation Possible?

Warehouses get more and more automated every year. However, millions of people are still employed in warehouses all over the world. While most physical warehouse tasks can be fully automated, there are still many things that require human intervention. Maintenance, security and programming are all critical to success in an automated warehouse and require the creativity and insights of a real person.