It's not easy bringing automation to a distribution center that's already up and running. Matt Kelly, director of business development with Hai Robotics, offers some tips on a successful implementation. 

The primary challenge in implementing automation in a “brownfield” warehouse is lack of space. Typically, Kelly says, an ongoing operation in need of new technology will be “bursting at the seams. They’ve done everything they can to get as much volume out of the facility as they can.” And they don’t have a lot of excess square footage onsite to serve as laydown space or staging areas for the new systems. 

The solution lies in figuring out the “lowest-hanging fruit” — the ideal entry point where an automated system might begin to serve the operation, then scale up with time. 

To identify that critical entry point, the business should discover where its biggest “pain point” lies, along with the return on investment that it hopes to achieve from the implementation. Also ripe for scrutiny are the many fixes and “Band-Aids” that the facility might have applied over the years to address emergencies of the moment. A panoply of outdated legacy systems poses additional obstacles to a successful effort.

Finally, there’s the human factor to consider. Employees might be accustomed to the way things have been done for years, guided by an accumulation of “tribal knowledge.” They need to be brought into the initiative early, with full transparency, so the benefits of automation are made clear to them. “Help them understand that automation is here to supplement and improve their lives,” Kelly says.

Brownfield warehouse operations can’t be shut down while automation is being installed. “You’ve got to figure out, like on a race track, how to pull into the pit stop and change the tires quickly,” Kelly says. 

Choosing the right technology is another key to success. Kelly advises that buyers choose “the simplest thing. It’s the one with the lowest cost of ownership, great ROI and most flexibility.”