T
ec
h
n
o
lo
g
y
RO
BO
TI
C
S
AND
AU
T
OMA
TI
ON
ROBOTS AMPLIFY HUMAN EFFORTS IN THE DC
To understand just how robots can ease the physical burdens of warehouse work, you need look no farther than the
operations run by DHL Supply Chain, the contract logistics
arm of German logistics giant Deutsche Post DHL Group.
The company, which is known for its pioneering work in
applying emerging technologies, has conducted a number
of pilots with robots in recent years. DHL does not provide
details on the specific robot models involved, but in the
past, it has said it was using technology from the former
Rethink Robotics—which provided stationary piece-pick-ing arms capable of sorting each-picks—and from Locus
Robotics, which makes autonomous mobile robots that
carry bins of goods and tablet computers, accompanying
and instructing human pickers and then delivering the
selected goods to the next station.
To date, the greatest impact of robots on logistics work
has been to supercharge human workers by taking on some
of their more onerous assignments. For example, robots
often do the heavy lifting on the warehouse floor, so human
workers no longer spend their days pulling a pallet jack,
climbing off a forklift, or physically handling items, says
Tim Sprosty, senior vice president for human resources at
DHL Supply Chain.
“Associates were walking six, seven, eight miles a day as
www.LoadingDockSystems.com/iDock Booth #1171
Boost Productivity | Simplify Maintenance | Prioritize Safety | Tighten Security
iDock Connect iDock Controls
• Interactive message display
• Proven dome button technology
• Advance 3-light communication system
• Review real-time dock activity
• Analyze loading dock efficiency
• Receive email and text alerts
iDock Gateway
Introducing
Analyze Your Dock Activity Online Advanced Interactive Control
of your Loading Dock Equipment
Connect Your Dock
Equipment to the Cloud
they traveled up and down the aisles,” Sprosty says. “Now,
there isn’t the fatigue, because a robot is doing the traveling
for the associate, so people don’t get as tired, they’re more
actively engaged, and they’re more productive as well.” In
fact, their productivity may increase to the point that com-
panies need to adjust their labor standards, he adds.
Reducing the physical demands of warehouse work has
also made it easier for employers to find workers, according
to DHL. “Many warehouses have [jobs] to be filled, but not
enough applicants, so there’s a war for talent at the warehouse level,” Sprosty says. “That is why DHL has invested
time and energy in making the work easier; it helps with
recruiting, not just with training and onboarding.”
A NEW TWIST ON OLD JOBS
As robotics continue to change the nature of warehouse
work, it might seem inevitable that job requirements for
workers would change as well. But companies that have
used the cobots say no technical wizardry is required. The
typical hourly worker on the floor won’t need any additional technology skills or robotics expertise, according to Sally
Miller, chief information officer (CIO) for DHL Supply
Chain North America. In fact, many floor workers are comfortable with basic cobot technology without specific training—thanks to their use of consumer electronics like tablets
