AutoStore
Pioneers of Cube Storage Automation
According to a recent study by markets and markets, the modular robotics market is expected to reach $ 10.76 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 18 per cent. In the past few years, market players have introduced high-quality, innovative robotic technologies in the industrial sector, where these are used for warehousing, manufacturing, and assembling applications. Owing to this, organisations across the globe have been investing a significant amount of resources in the research and development to address current vulnerabilities while ensuring safe, secure and reliable production, using robotics. Furthermore, there has been an escalating demand for collaborative robots to avoid any possible human-errors and addressing the need for safe handling of industrial-grade operations. However, a major challenge for the companies in the modular robotics market is the interoperability issues, cyber-security threats and difficulty in integration of different robotic frameworks into existing facilities. One company, AutoStore, has an extensive track record when it comes to renewing and automating customers’ existing warehouse locations. With over two decades of experience in warehouse automation, the company has pioneered a cube storage automation, a fast order fulfilment system. The AutoStore system is an Automated Storage and Retrieval order-fulfilment solution that enables users to reduce the storage footprint by 75 per cent when compared to traditional storage space with aisles and shelves.
AutoStore’s modular design has proven to be perfectly suited for large distribution centres with its highly automated system to fulfil orders fast and efficiently. As the fastest order fulfilment solution per square foot, the company’s system is fully customisable to fit any floorplan shape and obstacles—enabling companies to seamlessly scale-up storage capacity up to four times and increase performance without additional hiring costs.
AutoStore’s modular design has proven to be perfectly suited for large distribution centres with its highly automated system to fulfil orders fast and efficiently. As the fastest order fulfilment solution per square foot, the company’s system is fully customisable to fit any floorplan shape and obstacles—enabling companies to seamlessly scale-up storage capacity up to four times and increase performance without additional hiring costs.
In addition, standardised modules for easy and fast installation can be delivered on-site in 12 weeks, and the systems’ can be integrated with third-party encryption such as fingerprint scanners or iris recognition to decrease the loss of items. Dedicated to ensuring 100 per cent uptime, AutoStore’s central mantra for its modular system has no-single-point-of-failure, so no component has the power to create a catastrophe. Robots are continuously self-diagnosing and reporting back to an intelligent notification system to proactively notify for preventive measures. In a bid to reduce maintenance costs and be more eco-friendly—users can substantially optimise utilisation of building footprint and reduce wasteful air cleaning, heating and cooling. The company’s robots not only recharge themselves at the right time to avoid excessive charging, but regenerative energy functions also return power to their batteries each time they lower a bin or reduce speed. Furthermore, the robots utilise low amounts of electricity with ten robots will use the same amount of energy like a vacuum cleaner and are capable of operating in the low-light conditions.
To illustrate, AutoStore’s efficacy in a real-case scenario, a fast-growing online lingerie startup, ‘Adore Me,’ seeking to create an innovative foundation for its expansion into physical retail approach the firm for assistance. By leveraging the AutoStore system, Adore Me’s 126,286-sq.-feet distribution centre was fulfilling over 20 thousand orders per day, which represents four times the volume of a conventional distribution centre. In addition to speed, orders were completed at a lower cost and with increased accuracy. Founded in 1996, AutoStore now is trusted by some of the biggest brands with over 450 installations in over 30 countries in a wide range of industries. The company also has an extensive network of qualified system integrator partners that distribute, design, install, and service its systems around the globe.
To illustrate, AutoStore’s efficacy in a real-case scenario, a fast-growing online lingerie startup, ‘Adore Me,’ seeking to create an innovative foundation for its expansion into physical retail approach the firm for assistance. By leveraging the AutoStore system, Adore Me’s 126,286-sq.-feet distribution centre was fulfilling over 20 thousand orders per day, which represents four times the volume of a conventional distribution centre. In addition to speed, orders were completed at a lower cost and with increased accuracy. Founded in 1996, AutoStore now is trusted by some of the biggest brands with over 450 installations in over 30 countries in a wide range of industries. The company also has an extensive network of qualified system integrator partners that distribute, design, install, and service its systems around the globe. AutoStore News
AutoStore Releases New Research Report: "Five Challenges for Warehouse Management and Fulfillment in 2023"
AutoStore Launches Pay-Per-Pick Service Option to Address Fast-Growing Demand for Fulfillment Automation
Technology, digital services and logistics provider THG Ingenuity signs global distribution partnership agreement to provide AutoStore systems on a pay-per-pick model
NEDRE VATS, Norway - AutoStore™ has announced that its industry-leading fulfillment automation technology, with more than 1,150 systems in operation worldwide, is now available as a pay-per-pick service. The new offering will enable a lower entry price point to help retailers meet the growing need for more efficient warehouse operations and faster customer delivery.
AutoStore also signed a global distribution partnership agreement with THG Ingenuity, part of THG PLC, the direct-to-consumer digital brands group. THG Ingenuity will provide AutoStore technology on a pay-per-pick model embedded alongside Ingenuity’s proprietary warehouse management, courier and optimization software, broadening the addressable market for AutoStore. The new service model and partnership were announced today during the company’s fourth quarter 2022 financial results presentation.
“We have seen rising demand for volume-based pricing and more flexible payment terms for customers. Today, more than 80% of warehouses globally have no automation whatsoever. We believe that the pay-per-pick model will further differentiate us and our integrator partners in the market and unlock new demand for order-fulfillment automation,” says Mats Hovland Vikse, CEO at AutoStore.
“AutoStore is already well-known to THG. Thus, we are very excited that THG Ingenuity now has the opportunity to step up as a partner to make the benefits of order-fulfillment automation easily accessible to our growing customer base and potential new markets, across a broad range of categories” says John Gallemore, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at THG.
“We are delighted to welcome THG Ingenuity to further enhance our partner network,” says Vikse.
The new AutoStore pay-per-pick model is based on an upfront payment for the warehouse grid infrastructure and a recurring subscription fee for robots, ports, and software based on order volume. The upfront payment for grid infrastructure is expected to be between 20-40 percent of the typical total cost. In addition to making industry-standard AutoStore solutions more accessible to a wider range of potential customers, the technology is easily scalable as a business needs change.
“We look at the pay-per-pick model as a 'win-win-win' solution. As demand curves shift, this alternative pricing model can provide extra protection for customers and the ability to scale up or down with minimal effort. For us, and AutoStore, recurring subscriptions provide increased visibility and predictable revenue,” added Gallemore.
AutoStore has 23 partnership agreements worldwide; THG Ingenuity is the first to be implemented on a pay-per-pick model. The new service model is available to all partners and customers.
NEDRE VATS, Norway - AutoStore™ has announced that its industry-leading fulfillment automation technology, with more than 1,150 systems in operation worldwide, is now available as a pay-per-pick service. The new offering will enable a lower entry price point to help retailers meet the growing need for more efficient warehouse operations and faster customer delivery.
AutoStore also signed a global distribution partnership agreement with THG Ingenuity, part of THG PLC, the direct-to-consumer digital brands group. THG Ingenuity will provide AutoStore technology on a pay-per-pick model embedded alongside Ingenuity’s proprietary warehouse management, courier and optimization software, broadening the addressable market for AutoStore. The new service model and partnership were announced today during the company’s fourth quarter 2022 financial results presentation.
“We have seen rising demand for volume-based pricing and more flexible payment terms for customers. Today, more than 80% of warehouses globally have no automation whatsoever. We believe that the pay-per-pick model will further differentiate us and our integrator partners in the market and unlock new demand for order-fulfillment automation,” says Mats Hovland Vikse, CEO at AutoStore.
“AutoStore is already well-known to THG. Thus, we are very excited that THG Ingenuity now has the opportunity to step up as a partner to make the benefits of order-fulfillment automation easily accessible to our growing customer base and potential new markets, across a broad range of categories” says John Gallemore, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at THG.
“We are delighted to welcome THG Ingenuity to further enhance our partner network,” says Vikse.
The new AutoStore pay-per-pick model is based on an upfront payment for the warehouse grid infrastructure and a recurring subscription fee for robots, ports, and software based on order volume. The upfront payment for grid infrastructure is expected to be between 20-40 percent of the typical total cost. In addition to making industry-standard AutoStore solutions more accessible to a wider range of potential customers, the technology is easily scalable as a business needs change.
“We look at the pay-per-pick model as a 'win-win-win' solution. As demand curves shift, this alternative pricing model can provide extra protection for customers and the ability to scale up or down with minimal effort. For us, and AutoStore, recurring subscriptions provide increased visibility and predictable revenue,” added Gallemore.
AutoStore has 23 partnership agreements worldwide; THG Ingenuity is the first to be implemented on a pay-per-pick model. The new service model is available to all partners and customers.
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NEDRE VATS, Norway – AutoStore™ launches a new benchmark report with insights from over 300 C-level business leaders in warehouse management and fulfillment. Survey participants identified the top three current challenges facing organizations as: rising energy costs(32%), increasing labor costs (27%), and supply chain and shipping constraints(26%).
“There is a need to operate more efficiently, which is perhaps why nearly 9 in 10 organizations either have, or are planning to install, automation technology in their warehouse in 2023,”said Ellen Brune, Head of Global Strategic Accounts at AutoStore. “The intention to meet a challenging macro environment with a technology uptake is good news for customers who want their products quickly.”
AutoStore surveyed executives from North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific for the report. European respondents (44%) cited energy costs as a top challenge, compared to North American and Asia Pacific respondents (24%). Conversely, rising labor costs are more of a concern in APAC (34%) and North America (27%), compared to Europe(22%).
Efficiency-Enhancing Technology
According to the industry business leaders, the most important focus areas for 2023 are improving customer satisfaction levels (34%), investing in automation technology (31%),sustainable solutions (31%), greater workforce efficiency (31%), and delivering goods-to-person faster (30%).
A large majority of respondents(88%) shared that they will implement an automated storage and retrieval system by 2024. Thirty-two percent have some sort of automation technology in place already and 56% are making plans to deploy it in the next 12 months.
“Automation technology has shifted to where it is no longer a ‘nice to have’ in the warehouse, but an absolute must have,” said Marcus Mogéus, Chief Marketing Officer at AutoStore. “This report shows that the investment plan for companies when it comes to automation technology has increased dramatically from previous reports.”
Push for Space Efficiency
The report shows that approximately one in three industry business leaders cite sustainability as a key priority for 2023. Energy efficiency (55%), reducing waste (46%), employee well-being (43%), reducing storage footprint (39%), and recycling (36%) were the most important initiatives. Conversely, when asked what brands are looking for from AS/RS providers, sustainability decreased in priority (13%).
In comparison, respondents cited reliability (24%), simplicity (22%), and space utilization (20%) as more important attributes. In fact, 43% said space saving/utilization will be mission critical to their business and 49% cited it as a very important business priority.
“Space is critically important for organizations. We help businesses reduce costs, become more efficient, and deliver a complete ROI in one to three years, while reducing a warehouse footprint by 75% when compared to conventional storage,” said Brune. “Optimizing space closely aligns with the challenge of rising costs.”