Inside the World's Most Advanced Robotic Warehouse (AI Robots)

Summary

The Feed, an ecommerce leader for endurance athletes, transformed its logistics with Brightpick's AI-powered robots. The company faced a challenge in managing 50,000 daily picks across 6,000 products. Brightpick’s Autopickers automated the picking process, drastically reducing labor costs and increasing efficiency. The integration of pallet picking, kitting, and order buffering, combined with Brightpick's software, helped streamline operations, saving time and improving order packing speed. This solution provided the perfect blend of density, speed, and cost savings, allowing the company to scale without hiring additional staff.

Takeaways

• 😀 Brightpick's AI robots have revolutionized The Feed's logistics by automating the picking process, increasing efficiency and speed.
• 😀 The Feed previously operated in a 35,000 square foot facility with human picking but had to expand due to the high volume of 50,000 picks per day.
• 😀 The Feed's business model involves a flat product distribution, meaning they touch almost all 6,000 products daily, which required a more dynamic picking solution.
• 😀 Brightpick's AI robots provide the perfect solution for The Feed by offering density, speed, and cost-effectiveness in automating the picking process.
• 😀 The implementation of Brightpick's system included in-aisle robotic picking, goods-to-person stations, and pallet picking, increasing labor savings and order packing speed.
• 😀 The Feed's operations now benefit from kitting and bundling stations, and an order buffer system that allows robots to pick and buffer orders overnight.
• 😀 The integration of Brightpick's system was seamless, allowing The Feed to continue operations with minimal disruption and ensure quick order fulfillment.
• 😀 Brightpick's solution achieved a 90% robot pickable rate for The Feed’s top 500 products, which only improved over time, building confidence in the system's effectiveness.
• 😀 The Feed experienced significant labor cost reduction, achieving a 2:1 labor cost reduction on Day #1 and now approaching a 3:1 cost benefit.
• 😀 By automating the picking process, The Feed has reduced overnight staffing costs and optimized workforce utilization, especially with early morning shifts.

Q & A

What was the main challenge The Feed faced before implementing Brightpick's AI robots?

The Feed was operating in a 35,000 square foot facility with purely human picking. They faced the challenge of needing hundreds of people to handle 50,000 picks a day and had to find a more efficient solution to manage their large and diverse inventory.

How does The Feed's product inventory differ from traditional businesses?

Unlike traditional businesses with a long tail of products where a small percentage generates most of the revenue, The Feed's business has a flat curve with over 6,000 products. They handle nearly all of these products every day, requiring a dynamic and efficient picking model.

Why was Brightpick the ideal solution for The Feed?

Brightpick stood out as the perfect solution due to its ability to handle The Feed's diverse product range. It provided the right combination of density, speed, and focus on automating the picking process, which was essential for The Feed's operational efficiency.

What unique capabilities did Brightpick bring to The Feed's operations?

Brightpick's capabilities included robotic picking, in-aisle robotic picking for labor savings, Goods-to-Person stations for non-robotic items, pallet picking for fast-moving products, kitting and bundling stations, and order buffering, all integrated into one seamless system managed by Brightpick's Intuition software.

How did The Feed test Brightpick's capabilities before fully committing?

The Feed sent their top 500 products to Brightpick for testing, achieving a 90% robot pickable rate. This gave them confidence that Brightpick's solution would work effectively for their needs.

What was the role of The Feed's small development team in the implementation of Brightpick?

The Feed's small team, consisting of only three people, focused on integrating Brightpick into their homegrown ERP WMS. Brightpick handled the rest as a turnkey solution, processing orders and products seamlessly, enabling The Feed to avoid major internal disruptions.

What was the impact on The Feed's workforce after the implementation of Brightpick?

The Feed did not need to lay off any staff as their business was growing. Instead, they shifted the focus of their employees from manual picking to tasks such as finishing orders and transferring products to the automated packaging system, improving productivity and employee satisfaction.

How did the employees react to the introduction of robots in their daily tasks?

Employees were thrilled with the new system, as it eliminated the need for walking around and manually picking products. They could now focus on packing and ensuring orders were completed correctly, making their tasks more streamlined and less physically demanding.

How did Brightpick help reduce The Feed's operational costs?

By automating the picking process, Brightpick significantly reduced labor costs. The Feed achieved a 2:1 arbitrage on labor costs and is now approaching a 3:1 arbitrage. Additionally, by storing and picking orders overnight, they reduced overnight staffing costs and improved staff utilization throughout the day.

What advantage did The Feed gain by automating their order picking and storage overnight?

Automating the picking and storing of orders overnight allowed The Feed to reduce the need for premium-priced overnight staffing. This also meant that orders were ready to be packed as soon as the morning shift began, optimizing staff utilization and ensuring faster order fulfillment.