With logistics being a core business since the springing up of e-commerce, it is necessary to weed out some inefficiencies and solve challenges in logistics management. Fortunately, thanks to the continuous efforts of people, AMRs, one of the best solutions widely used in the logistics industry, have become efficient and cost-effective assistants to solve many challenges logistics companies face.
Common Challenges of Logistics Companies
Some of the most common pain points faced by many logistics companies include the following:
- Low Efficiency
Following traditional or total manual logistics management may lead to inefficiency. For example, traditional or manual delivery route planning and parcel sorting, compared with AMR solutions, are more time-demanding and require staff to spend more effort to complete tasks. And business owners may need more time to deploy tasks, track inventory, and deliver net ROI without the help of modern AMR solutions, slowing down the business and affecting customer loyalty and satisfaction.
- High Operating Costs
If a logistics company were to shift towards a fully automated logistics management system backed by automated sorting of parcels, it would ultimately lead to a significant increase in operating costs. The need for expertly skilled labor to handle back-end systems, the cost of bringing in new equipment, and implementing traditional automation solutions would all add up to make a hefty sum.
- Inability to Accommodate Peak Order Volumes
As more individuals prefer to shop online, e-commerce has seen rapid expansion over the past few years. A common challenge for logistics companies is to scale up when needed to meet peak order volumes, especially during special sale periods such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Traditional logistic machines can no longer handle such a large influx of order volumes.
- Safety Considerations
Traditional machines cannot identify obstacles or staff in the process of completing tasks, which may lead to the phenomenon of the machine colliding with products or people. However, AMRs that meet safety standards can avoid collisions by slowing down, changing direction, or stopping to ensure staff safety and successful mission completion.
AMR solutions are key to combatting all of these challenges mentioned above. What does AMR stand for? AMR stands for Autonomous Mobile Robots, which are manoeuvrable robots to automatically transport target products from one position to the next within the warehouse or between facilities.
AMR Solutions for the Logistics Industry
- Increased Efficiency
AMRs in logistics can help improve overall productivity and efficiency. They work much more quickly, bringing higher efficiency and reducing overall transport times and function with fewer errors. Furthermore, AMRs can operate automatically with less human intervention and are easier to scale up and down, saving a lot of workstation space.
- Reduced Input Costs
Relying on AMRs for logistical operations can also decrease the total input costs in both the short and long term. They will support existing labor to work more efficiently and productively, saving input costs in the long term.
For example, The RaaS (Robot-as-a-Service) model from ForwardX, a quite low-cost and low-risk automation option, shows an ROI (Return on Investment) gained within 5 to 9 months. In addition, a RaaS service essentially allows clients to pay for robots leased or rented out for a period.
- Flexibility in Application
AMRs can bring flexibility to logistics companies. Except for the ability to adapt to various scenarios and places, AMRs can easily scale their operations up or down according to the volume of incoming packages or goods. For instance, during special sale periods such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, AMRs can increase the number of vehicles needed to handle the operations.
ForwardX’s Reliable AMR Solutions: Your Ideal Choice
AMR logistics are now in demand as logistical management systems have to navigate through varying order volumes. AMR solutions can heavily simplify how people run operations at the logistics warehouse and increase working efficiency significantly.
If you are unsure where to source AMR solutions, check out ForwardX, a world-leading supplier of end-to-end logistics AMR solutions. Our AMR solutions are designed to help take over complicated and work-intensive operations in warehousing and manufacturing workshops to ensure our clients get a more productive and reliable experience. For more information on our AMR solutions, check out our website!
