How Human-Robot Synergy Enhances Warehouse Productivity

Warehouse work for humans is physically demanding. It can leave employees stressed and worn out, often requiring downtime to heal physically and mentally. Warehouse workers are prone to injuries, burnout, and mistakes. There is notoriously high turnover in these positions, and recruiting warehouse staff can be one of a company’s biggest challenges.

Is the solution to simply ditch all human labor in favor of robots? Not only would this be costly, but a true lights-out operation is highly dependent on technology and limited adaptability. A better solution would be to leverage automation solutions in your warehouse to reshape the role of human workers.

Robots in the Warehouse – What Does Research Suggest?

The use of automation is growing in just about every industry. For example, the global market revenue for robotics and automation is projected to grow from $7.9 billion in 2021 to over $51 billion by 2030.

Warehouses have become larger in recent years, with the average U.S. warehouse now around 180,000 sf, with some topping over 10 million sf. The explosion in the quantity and size of U.S. warehouses has placed a strain on logistics companies’ ability to hire qualified workers and meet the increasing demands of customers. 

With the development of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics, there are more possibilities than ever for greater efficiency. Many warehouses are exploring the use of robotics to address and overc…

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