How smart automation saves Christmas
Last year, Statista forecasted that the UK’s total value of Christmas spending was to be the highest in Europe at almost £85 billion. With that in mind, how can businesses prepare for this year's spike in holiday demand?
As festive cheer builds, so does customer expectation, which often turns into frustration if packages containing gifts are delayed. For businesses, this means that the pressure to deliver on time has never been greater.
Thankfully, Santa is no stranger to global supply chains, but speed, traceability and the need to accurately predict demand are just some of his challenges.
While a sprinkle of Christmas magic can work wonders, integrating automation into Santa’s workshop will ensure every package makes it onto the sleigh on time.
AI in picking systems
Meeting high-volume demands during the holiday season requires speed and precision — two of Santa’s biggest issues.
This is where robotic picking systems come in. These automated solutions allow warehouses to cut down on the time needed to locate, pick and pack items, reducing ‘elf error’ while enhancing overall efficiency.
Take, for example, this picking system integrated with Siemens’ SIMATIC Robot Pick AI vision software, which employs deep learning algorithms to streamline the picking process.
Integrated AI within the SIMATIC programmable logic controller (PLC) allows a collaborative robot — or cobot — to autonomously handle orders with exceptional accuracy, as well as operate 24 hours a day and complete 1,000 picks per hour.
This results in fewer mistakes, faster fulfilment times and flexibility to adapt quickly to changing demand — all requirements during peak seasons like Christmas.
In fact, Interact Analysis predicts a significant rise in demand for these machines, forecasting over 150,000 picking robots to be installed globally by 2030.
Conveyor and sorting
Efficiency in warehousing isn’t just about speed, it’s also about creating a smooth flow from order receipt to dispatch.
Santa’s elves are handling large volumes of gifts every day. Whether it’s boxes, bags, mailers or pouches, sorting these items efficiently is crucial for operations to be effective when orders surge.
Conveyor and sorting systems ensure that packages are accurately directed and delivered without delays.
Smart conveyors, equipped with sensors and automated sorting capabilities, help to manage these high volumes. They quickly route packages to their correct destinations, which reduces bottlenecks and aids in better inventory management.
For example, the Opex Xtract system for automated sorting and order retrieval has been designed for high-speed environments that deal with a wider range of items.
At the system's core are iBOT sorting robots, which are compact, multidirectional vehicles that move horizontally and vertically to sort items — from smaller, lighter products to larger, heavier ones.
These items are inducted via a drop-conveyor, scanned and routed through the system. The iBOTs then sort the items into bins, totes or boxes, adjusting their path if needed.
iBOTs also retrieve prepared orders and deliver them to packing stations via the Xtract feature. That’s before opting for the potential to further automate packing with Xtract totes, which automatically drop sorted items into shipping boxes when opened.
Automation is ready to lighten the load this holiday season, especially with these advanced systems. In the North Pole, it reduces the strain on elves and sets the foundation for smoother operations during peak times.
With billions of gifts to deliver and expectations running high, partnering with an automation parts supplier like Foxmere can help your business replicate the efficiency of Santa’s workshop and meet tight deadlines.
Contact us today for more information or a no-obligation quote to receive spare or obsolete automation parts.
