In a move that AutoStore says is set to disrupt the warehouse automation industry, AutoStore has announced its strategic penetration of the market, in line with the company’s bold plans for global growth. Through the recent appointment of local business development manager, Jason Wu, the company is well-positioned to expand its footprint across New Zealand and Australia.
AutoStore, which has delivered more than 900 systems across 40-plus countries, is a leader in cubic storage automation, offering innovative automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS).
Wu believes there is great potential for a wide range of New Zealand’s industries.
“Although we are widely accepted in eCommerce there is also potential for everything from grocery and healthcare to industrial and manufacturing industries to take advantage of AutoStore technology”. He believes a new modernised approach to warehousing is required to help business overcome the challenges arising from global megatrends.
“This is an opportunity to up-
scale and have the competitive upper hand.”
AutoStore has identified several global megatrends, set to emerge in the local market:
• eCommerce: The swift rise of eCommerce which, according to AutoStore’s research, is expected to represent 25% of global consumer spending within the next few years In New Zealand, eCommerce revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate of over 18% between 2022 and 2025, reaching a projected market volume of US$ 11.44 billion by 2025.
• Rapid delivery: Rising consumer demand for same-day delivery – in turn, prompting the rapid emergence of micro-fulfilment centers (MFCs), particularly in cities.
• Robotics in logistics: An upswing in demand for supply chain automation, using robotics and related technology. Wu says that the New Zealand market is yet to catch up to the likes of Europe and the USA, where automation technology has already been widely implemented. “We expect demand for industrial robots will grow at a compound annual rate of 13% over the next few years.”
• Sustainability: Growing demand for energy efficient, sustainable solutions.
“In response to these trends, customers are in search of flexible, scalable solutions that will enable enhanced operational efficiency, for maximum throughput,” says Wu.
“We customise to the customer’s application – be it inventory and stock management, in-store retail design, warehouse pick processing, or software systems.”
Among these is the ASRS – a system that uses warehouse robots for 24/7 order fulfilment within a cubic layout. Its modular design enables 90% space utilisation. It makes use of cloud-based technology and real-time data collection to facilitate inventory management and predictive maintenance. In addition, the ASRS comprises intelligent robots, each fitted with up to 50 on-board sensors. These self-diagnose and self-correct, ensuring optimal performance. “The ASRS achieves efficient throughput, of up to 650 bin presentations per hour,” adds Wu.
The integration and implementation of the ASRS is relatively fast – usually taking between 12 to 16 weeks. “This is thanks to the open API architecture of our proprietary software, and the strength of our local integration partner network,” explains Wu. “Our customers achieve ROI within two to three years of their investment, compared with the average four to five years for shuttle solutions.”
He adds that worldwide, AutoStore achieves 99.7% uptime across its installed base, meaning that its solutions are highly reliable . “This is a very secure system that, at the
same time, is very green. It’s one of those rare systems that can run 100% on solar energy,” says Wu.