For decades, companies have relied on warehouse management systems (WMS) to control inventory and material handling processes within their warehouses. Historically, retail distribution centers have been built upon plans that included predetermined transportation routes that outlined the number of stores on a route, what product those stores would get and the quantity and configuration of those products. Consequently, distribution centers have had similar designs, process methodologies and IT infrastructures for years. E-commerce has changed the game, though.
FedEx Express is expanding its distribution hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport with a €200m ($217.38m) investment in technology and automation, and a €1.2bn ($1.3bn), 30-year lease. The 30-year lease underscores the long-term importance of the European Union to the company's long-term plans. Once completed, FedEx said the upgrade will increase sorting capacity by 40 percent.
There will be a doubling in the number of 3D printers shipped this year, according to analysts. Gartner predicts 455,772 units will ship in 2016, compared to 219,168 in 2015, as firms use the technology to create prototypes, augment manufacturing processes and produce finished goods.
A new generation of footwear manufacturing, spearheaded by Bill McInnis, head of future at Reebok and a former NASA engineer, is allowing the fitness brand to design and create a high performance athletic shoe faster and more efficiently than ever before, the company says.
Startup Sewbo has announced that it used a robot to sew a T-shirt, producing the world's first robotically-sewn garment, which could mark a significant change for the global garment industry.
The holidays are coming, and Amazon says it plans to add 120,000 seasonal workers in an effort to meet an expected spike in demand as more and more people trade bricks for clicks. The seasonal positions will be created at fulfillment centers, sorting centers and customer service sites in 27 states. The move marks a 20 percent boost from the 100,000 seasonal hires a year ago.
Challenge: High-volume publisher was experiencing high growth, increasing demand, and a rotating, diminishing workforce. They needed to automate their manual operation to reduce reliance on labor, increase speed and earn substantial shipping discounts.
To meet the demands of the international markets, DHL Express opened its automated sorting center at its newly expanded facility in Leipzig. The new equipment adds to the German facility's airfreight capacity by about 50 percent, to 150,000 shipments per hour, and enables DHL to handle bulkier and heavier items.
Challenge: A large publishing company in a rapidly changing industry was forced to make serious changes in order to survive. As requirements for physical inventories decreased and digital assets increased, the existing warehouse and labor costs threatened the long-term profitability of the company.