DHL Supply Chain Signs Framework Agreement with Locus Robotics

DHL Supply Chain plans to deploy up to 2,000 picking robots from Locus Robotics worldwide by 2022, making it the largest customer of Locus. DHL Supply Chain is further digitizing its supply chain processes. By 2022, the logistics specialist plans to use up to 2,000 Assisted Picking robots in its warehouses worldwide.

(Bonn) DHL Supply Chain, the contract logistics division of Deutsche Post DHL Group, announces a framework agreement to expand its collaboration with Locus Robotics. After initial investments in Assisted Picking robots have proven successful in commercial operations, the company now plans to deploy up to 2,000 of these picking robots worldwide by 2022. This will make the logistics specialist the largest customer of Locus Robotics globally. The Assisted Picking robots will primarily be used in e-commerce and consumer goods warehouses to assist with picking and restocking. This can increase efficiency and accelerate delivery processes.

“It is particularly important for us to consistently optimize our supply chains. Picking robots are very effective in this regard,” says Markus Voss, Global CIO & COO of DHL Supply Chain. “So far, over 500 of these Assisted Picking robots are already in industrial use in our warehouses in the USA, Europe, and the UK. By the end of 2021, an additional 500 robots are expected to be added at more than 20 locations.

The overall potential is even greater

This collaborative picking technology has already proven its effectiveness and reliability in modern warehousing. For the remaining robots that we will roll out by the end of 2022, locations and specific implementation plans have already been identified. However, the overall potential for these robots in our DHL warehouses is even greater. Therefore, we are confident that we will achieve the goals we have set together with Locus Robotics.”

This extensive implementation is another step in the digitalization strategy of DHL Supply Chain. Assisted Picking robots help reduce the time spent picking with hand trolleys in warehouses, thereby reducing physical strain and increasing efficiency. The items to be picked are displayed on a screen, and the robots calculate the optimal routes through the warehouses. Additionally, they are very easy to operate and can be quickly integrated into the existing system landscape via the Robotics Hub of DHL Supply Chain. Employee acceptance of the robots is high. Thus, the technology also provides an optimal solution during peak operations, as additional robots can be quickly and easily integrated into the existing fleets to expand picking capacity.

Accelerating new technologies for automation

“This expansion of our partnership with DHL reflects the increasing global demand for digitalization solutions in warehouses to better address today’s challenges in e-fulfillment,” says Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “Locus is proud to offer such an effective technological resource that supports DHL in the strategic implementation of digital transformation.”

The pandemic has further accelerated the booming trend of online commerce, making the labor-intensive picking process in e-fulfillment play an even greater and more critical role in meeting customer demands. This trend has accelerated the adoption of new technologies for automation across various industries, particularly in warehousing. DHL Supply Chain continuously reviews which of the technologies deployed will also have a lasting presence in the warehouses to further optimize processes. In addition to tangible robotic solutions, DHL Supply Chain also relies on software and cockpit solutions that provide real-time information about the status of the global service logistics network. Access to the pool of big data and the implementation of algorithms and artificial intelligence have proven to be a “game changer” in global supply chain planning and will continue to be rolled out.

Photo: © DHL