It feels like the perfect storm for logistics operators. An increase in online shopping combined with consumer expectations for same-day delivery under the backdrop of an unprecedented labor shortage. Oh, and Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season in two weeks.
Fierce Competition for Workers
Even “The Big 3” are feeling the pressure. Perhaps you’ve noticed the advertising blitz surrounding Amazon, Walmart, and UPS. The shipping giants are essentially waging a war for workers offering unbelievable hiring incentives to be appropriately staffed for the holidays. Amazon is going as far as to offer paid college tuition, including books and fees, for its 750,000 hourly U.S. employees in its operations network after 90 days of employment.
Still, many workers say they’re hesitant to return to the warehouse following the pandemic. Some have described feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and unsafe. For logistics operators, this is clear signal labor woe will persist well into 2022.
No Time to Wait
With all signs pointing to an ongoing labor crisis, some companies simply cannot afford to wait for a change. The staffing crunch is accelerating investments in robots and automated storage and retrieval systems across largely manual warehousing and fulfillment operations, as companies girding for big seasonal spikes in volumetry to step up their ability to handle goods.
Automated Solutions to Supplement, Support & Incentivize
Unfortunately, robots and automated systems are sometimes perceived as being “bad for labor”. That’s simply not true.
Automation can take employees out of difficult or unsafe working conditions, make challenging tasks less cumbersome, decrease “burnout”, and workplace injury. When well-integrated into your existing labor force, automated systems can actually be a great incentive for workers to join your company.
McMurray Stern is an industry leader in helping companies better integrate automated systems into their workforce to cut costs and improve speed, safety, accuracy, and efficiency. Here are some of our most sought-after solutions that can help your organization weather the labor shortage this holiday season, and better manage the “tyranny of now” for years to come.
Robots
We are proud to be in partnership with HAI ROBOTICS offering HAIPICK Robots as one of our most recent solutions.
HAIPICK Robots Key Features Include:
- Autonomous picking, handling, navigation & charging
- Ultra-wide picking range
- Fast & stable
- Multi-case handling (each robot can store up to 8 cases simultaneously)
- Wireless communication
- Multiple safety protection (obstacle detection & avoidance, anti-collision alarm, emergency stop)
- Mixed picking (compatible with cartons/totes, multi-size cases
ASRS & Micro-Fulfillment Solutions
VLM/Vertical Lift Module
Vertical lifts are the ideal storage solution for industrial products, components, and spare parts for all possible environments and industries. Many companies have chosen our lifts to help organize and improve their workflow, thanks to their flexibility, wide range of models available, superior design, and ease of use.
Carousels
Carousel systems enable highly efficient storage and picking processes in the smallest possible space. Carousels are an outstanding solution for handling small parts along with medium to slow-moving products including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, electronics components, media, and food items.
Shuttle Systems
The Cuby is a single-level shuttle system; an ideal for automated storage and retrieval solution (ASRS) for storage of containers and cartons. The highly efficient system solution can be used in a variety of different industries, enhancing storage efficiency.
Our Flexi Shuttle is an innovative solution for space-optimized storage of cartons, trays, and cubic and conical bins. The modular concept, which combines shuttles, lifts, and a racking system, allows for tailored and highly flexible system concepts with excellent use of space and high levels of technical performance.
Pouch Sorters/Carrier
The unique feature of our carrier system is its flexibility. One load carrier enables the accumulation, buffering, distributing, and sorting of goods.
Our primary load carrier is a roller adapter on an inner rail. You can connect various secondary load carriers to this adapter manually or as a fully automated system. The secondary load carriers can be clothes hangers, pockets, or sturdy boxes.
The roller adapter and hanging load carriers include an RFID transponder. As a consequence, this conveying system is absolutely reliable. Alternatively, barcodes can also be used. High throughput, low maintenance, and universal usage for goods weighing up to 3 kilograms are the key features of this carrier system.
