Newcastle Systems – Hybrid Automation - Bridging the Gap Between Humans and Automation in the Modern Warehouse
- 2. 2 Theintroductionof automation hasrevolutionized thelandscapeof modernwarehouses,fundamentally altering howtheyoperateand reshapingtheroleof humanworkers.Thisshift bringsforth a multitudeof opportunitiesandchallengesasbusinessesseekto optimizewarehouseefficiencytostaycompetitivein a rapidlyevolving market. Asmachinesand technologyincreasinglytakeon routine tasks,human workersfind themselvescollaborating with theseintelligent systems,requiring newskillsand adaptabilitytonavigatethechangingdynamicsofware- houseoperations.In thisinterplaybetween automation and human labor,creatingtherightbalance iscrucial tounlocking thefull potentialof a highlyefficient and seamlesslyintegratedwarehouseecosystem. Thisreportexploresthetransformativeimpactof auto- mation,theevolving roleof humanworkerson-site,and thecritical imperativeof achievingoptimalwarehouse efficiencyin thedigital age. ROBOTSARENOTTAKING JOBS,BUTTHINGSARESET TOCHANGE
- 3. HYBRIDAUTOMATION 3 KeepingUpWithan AutomatedFuture In theageof automation andever-changing worksites,modernwarehousesmust adapt to integratedynamicautomated systemseffec- tivelyandcontendwithevolving rolesof human workers. In pursuitofenhanced throughput,efficiency, accuracy,and adaptability,numerouscompanies areintegrating automation intowarehouse operations.Surgesinecommerceorders—online salesin theU.S.areanticipated toreach $1.1 trillion by2025,andexceed $1.6trillion by2027 according toForresterResearch—coupled with a widespread laborshortage—theNational Asso- ciationof Manufacturersreportsthat morethan twomillion manufacturing jobscould gounfilled by2030—hasfurtheraccelerated thistrend as organizationsstrivetoswiftlyadapt tofluctua- tionsindemand andcustomerpreferences. Although roboticsand automation arebecoming morerelevant inwarehousesacrosstheglobe, workersarestillessential resourcesin these workplaces.Automation assistshuman workers tobecomemoreproductiveandefficient. EcommerceOrders Onlinesalesin theU.S.areanticipated toreach $1.1trillion by2025, andexceed $1.6trillion by2027. 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 1.0 trillion 1.5 trillion 2.0 trillion 1.1 trillion 1.6 trillion 0.5 trillion
- 4. HYBRIDAUTOMATION 4 Manualvs.AutomatedFulfillmentOperations According toa recent surveyconducted byNewcastleSystems,50%ofcompaniesarerunning fulfillmentoperations that includeacombinationof automated and manual processes.Forty-sixpercent saythat mostorall fulfillment processesarecompletelymanual,and only2%saytheyhave“highlyautomated”fulfillmentoperations. In short,thesecompaniesarecreatingwarehouseswhich relyon hybridautomation—a pragmaticblendof automat- ed processesofdifferent toolsand resourcesallowingworkerstobeasefficient aspossible.From untetheredwork- stationsthat flowwith workersmovementstowearabledevicesthat augment theirworkdaytoscanners,eyeglasses, exoskeleton suitsandcobotsin manufacturing,companiesarecreatingcustomized hybrid solutionsdesigned towork fortheirenvironment andworkforce. 50%combinationof automated & manual 46%completely manual 2% highly automated 2%other FULFILLMENT OPERATIONS
- 5. HYBRIDAUTOMATION 5 WhatMakesaGreatHybridWarehouse? A great hybridwarehouseischaracterized byitsabilitytoeffectivelycombinetheadvantagesof automation and human labor,leveraging technologyand skilledworkerstooptimizeoperations.Several keyelementscontributetomaking a hybrid warehouseincluding flexibilityand scalability,efficient automation integration,a skilledworkforce,and theabilitytoadapt tochanging technology. InefficiencyWithinaWarehouse Inefficiencywithin awarehousecan lead tosignificantlossesinbothtimeandrevenue.Surprisingly,theaverage warehouseworkerremainslargelyunawareof theextentof timewasted in theirdailyoperations.Thislackof awareness compoundsthecosts,including both material and fiscal aspects,associatedwith inefficiency.Tooptimizewarehouse performanceand mitigatetheselosses,it iscrucial toaddressinefficienciesproactively,improveworkerawareness,and implement streamlined processesand technologiestoenhanceoverall productivityand profitability. Enhancedefficiency Reducedoperationalcosts Improvedcustomer satisfaction Byintegratingseveraloftheseelements,agreathybridwarehousecanachieveenhancedefficiency,reduced operationalcosts,andimprovedcustomersatisfaction,providingacompetitiveadvantageinarapidlyevolving businesslandscape.
- 6. HYBRIDAUTOMATION 6 OutWiththeOld,InWiththeNew Tetheredconnectionsareconsideredold school and inherentlydangerousin today’s rapidlyadvancing technological landscape.Theseconnections,which requirephysical cablestolinkdevices,limit mobilityand flexibilityin a world thatvaluesseamless integration andconvenience.Tetheredconnectionsposepotentialdangers,such as tripping hazardsandcableentanglements,whichcan lead toaccidentsand injuries within awarehouse.In industrial settings,cablesmaybeexposed toharshconditions, riskingdamage,andcompromising safety. Asmodern technologycontinuestoevolve,theadoptionof wirelessand moresecure communication methodshasbecomethenorm,reducing therelianceon tethered connections,and promoting a saferand moreefficientdigitalecosystem. Incorporating“LeanTechnology” Leantechnology helpsemployeesmoveproductsmoreefficiently,ergonom- ically,and safely—allofwhich add uptoincreased productivity,employee satisfaction,fasterfulfillment,and reducedcosts. “Lean labeling”referstoan approach tothelabeling processeswithinware- housesanddistributioncentersthat focuseson streamlining,aquestionof “the right label”ornot,but “theright labeling solution”which meansgetting theright printer,ribbon,and labelcombination. old new
- 7. HYBRIDAUTOMATION 7 TechnologiesHelpingCompanies EmbraceHybridAutomation: 1. Mobileworkstations Thetraditionalcomputerworkstation in awarehouseistethered toa particularlocation wherethemonitor,computer,and printersit.Thisisanoutdated,tedioussetupwhich wastestimeasworkersareconstantlymoving toand from it in thewarehouse.So,rather than making theworkerwalktoand from theworkstation,morecompaniesarebringing theworkstation totheworker.NewcastleSystemsmobilecomputerworkstations eliminatewasted timebyprovidingeverythingworkersneed tostayon task—effectively doubling theproductivityand throughput foreach andeveryworker. NewcastleSystems’unrivaled lineupof solutionshavemadethecompanythe go-to sourceformobileproductivitysolutions.Thecartsoffermobilityand flexibleconfigu- rationswhichcan transform anyprocessandcreatemeasurableefficienciesforsupply chainoperations. Theproofisinthenumbers: Thecompany’ssolutionsproducesignificant benefitsfor companiesof all sizes.In fact,thetopreasonswarehousemanagerssaytheyembrace NewcastleSystems’mobilepowercart solutionsare: 2xproductivity Twicetheproductivitywithout having toaddemployeesduring a labor crunch.Get themost fromevery valuableemployeeand givethem higherjobsatisfaction in return. 92%fewererrors Whenworkersinput,print and applylabelsat thedock,you’ll beabletokissallof thosepricey mistakesgoodbye. NewcastleSystemsNB SeriesWorkstation with PowerSwapNucleus® Lithium PowerSystem trimmedpayroll Higherthroughput in fewer hours;cut payroll and overtime. quickpayback Thecompany’ssystemsoffera predictable6-10 month return on investment (ROI),followed by manyyearsof additional benefits and “wins.”
- 8. HYBRIDAUTOMATION 8 2. Wearabledevices Sixbillion barcodesarescannedeverysingleday—practicallyonebarcodeforeveryhuman. Andyet,until recently,thesewerescanned using toolslikea scanning gun that peoplehold in theirhandstooperate. Enterwearablesolutions.Onestartup,ProGlove,hasmadea nameforitself astheindustrial barcodescanner.Overthelast sixyears,thecompanyhasgrown from an ideaof a founder looking tomakescanning moreefficient forautomotivemanufacturerstoa globalcompany workingwith majorcompaniestohelpworkerssave3-4 secondsforeveryscan.Thosenum- bersadd up,especiallyin high-scanenvironmentswhereworkersmaybemaking hundredsif not thousandsof scansperdayperemployee. Otherwearabletoolslikesmart glasses offeremployeesadditionalenhance- mentsthroughout theirworkday, augmenting thehumanworker.Take Vuzix’sSmartGlasses.Theglasses areboth a meanstoprotect and make workersmoreefficient.VuzixBlade® smart glassesaredubbed asthe“first self-contained Augmented Reality (AR) smart glassesfeaturing advanced waveguideopticsforhands-freemobile computing andconnectivity.” Eyesareprotected andworkerscan maintain focuson theirwork.Thesee-throughwaveguide opticsmergedigital instructionsontoreal-world tasks,which aimstoremovedistractionsand visionocclusion whilereducingerrorrates. Wearablesalsoofferotherbenefitsthat improve workerwell-being.In acasestudy,GapInc. Directorof Distribution Engineering noted someof thepositiveimpactsof implementing ProGloveSmartGlovesintotheirworkflow: •The form factorof theProGlovescanner eliminatesexcess motion and a lighterweight design ismorecomfortableforoperatorsto use •Ergonomicsandeaseof usereducefatigue and improvequality •By minimizing focuson thetool,ProGlove scannersallow associatestoconcentratemore fullyon theiroperational tasks
- 9. HYBRIDAUTOMATION 9 3. Exoskeletontools In therealmof biology,exoskeletonsservethepurposeof providing support and safeguarding an animal’sbody.Similarly,industrial exoskeletonshaveacomparablefunction.According toEHS Daily Advisor,theseareexternaldevicesdesigned toenhance,amplify,or reinforce theperformanceof anemployee’sexisting functions. Twoprimarycategoriesofexoskeletonsexist:activeand passive. Activeexoskeletonsaredriven bymechanismslikeelectricmotors, pneumatics,hydraulics,ora blendof thesetechnologies,often referred toas“roboticexoskeletons.”Passiveexoskeletonsoperate basedon thenatural movementsof thehuman bodyand utilize springsandcounterbalancing forces.Theyoffersupport fortheback, shoulders,arms,and legs,andcaneven assistwith holding tools. Theprimaryaimofwearableindustrialexoskeletonsisonceagain to augmenthumanperformance.Thistechnologyholdsthepotential to contributepositivelytothereductionof work-related musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) that arisefrom taskslikelifting and handling heavy materials,orsupportingweightytoolsduringoverheadwork.Exo- skeletondevicesarebeing introduced and tested invariousindustry sectors,includingcarand aircraft manufacturing,construction, wholesale,and retail trades.
- 10. HYBRIDAUTOMATION 10 4. Cobotsinthewarehouse Manypeoplefearthat soon industrial spaceswill bevoidof human workersand exclusivelyfilledwith automated systems.That iswhycomplexroboticsystems working in tandemwith humancounterpartsmaybetheepitomeof hybrid automa- tion,becausethehumanelement remainsvital and necessaryforproduction. Collaborativerobots,orcobots,aregaining momentum in thematerial handling and industrial spacesbecausetheyoffera great balancetooperationslooking to modernizewithouteliminating anyrolesof humanworkers.According toUniversal Robots(UR),a primarysupplierofcobotsin North America,“Cobotsare designed toshareaworkspacewith humans,making automationeasierthan everbeforeforbusinessesof all sizes.Allof thesebenefitshavemadeour cobotsa game-changerforawidevarietyof applications.” Systemssuch asKuka’s“ArcWelding Robots”orBoston Dynamic’s “Stretch Arm”arehelping alleviatemuchof thephysicallydemanding taskswarehouseworkersendureand allowing them tofocustheir workon morepressing priorities.Universal Robots(UR) hassold tensof thousandsof cobotstoproductionenvironmentsaround theworld that helpcompaniesaddressmarketvolatility.UR’s cobot solutionsprovideflexibilityand financial return that manufacturersneed toremaincompetitiveand adaptableto thechanging marketplace.
- 11. HYBRIDAUTOMATION 11 LookingtotheFuture Modernwarehousesneed tostayupdatedon thelatest technologytooptimize efficiencyand match therecent innovativetrendof theindustry.Without it,thefull potential formaximized timeand throughputwill not beachieved,thus,lessrevenue growth. Asanexample,NewcastleSystemsrecognized awidespread problemwithin warehousesand setout tobethebest possiblesolution forcompanies.Mobilepower workstationsprovideintegrated poweron thecart and aredesigned tomakeindus- trial barcodeprinters,scanners,andcomputersasanergonomicproductivitytool to physicallytaketheneededelement tothework,in mostcases,allowforon-demand label printing. Companiesliketheonesreferenced in thisreport andothersarehelpingworkers stayefficient andembracetechnology.Thisispropelling industrialenvironments toward a futurefullof hybrid automationwithinwarehouses,elevatingoperationsto unprecedented levelswhileeffectivelybridging theinteraction between humansand machinecapabilities.
- 12. HYBRIDAUTOMATION 12 Reportauthor:NewcastleSystems In 2005,NewcastleSystems,Inc.wasthefirst U.S.companytointroducemobilepowered industrialcartstosupport supply chain applications,bringing leading-edgeefficienciestothemarket.Thecompanyhascontinuouslypioneered newtechnol- ogydeveloping thefirst swappablelithium batterysystem forindustrial applicationsin 2016,aswell asthemostergonomic mobilecartsavailable.A privately-owned,Massachusetts-basedcompany,NewcastleSystemsservessomeof thelargest retailers,manufacturersanddistributorsin theworld tohelptoincreasesupplychainefficiencybyconsistentlydoubling employeeproductivitywhilereducingcostlylabelingerrorsbyover92 percent. Sources: • https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2022/08/08/us-online-sales-to-reach-1-6-trillion-in-5-years-forrester-says/ • https://www.nam.org/2-1-million-manufacturing-jobs-could-go-unfilled-by-2030-13743/?stream=workforce • https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2023/07/back-to-basics-wearables-robotics-and-exoskeletons/#:~:text=The%20 purpose%20of%20wearable%20industrial,from%20supporting%20heavy%20tools%20in • https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2020/01/07/industrial-exoskeletons/ • https://industrytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GAP_Customer-Story_proglove-case-study.pdf • https://www.universal-robots.com/products/collaborative-robots-cobots-benefits/?utm_source=Google&utm_medi- um=cpc&utm_cja=Demo&utm_leadsource=Paid%20Search&utm_campaign=HQ_US_Always-On2021&utm_con- tent=textad&utm_term=collaborative%20robots&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoeemBhCfARIsADR2QCt_jxYT6E6Rqn1WHxYcts- 9fL3-dky9EsPji8PiWPlHh-OcSom6Vsk8aAk8aEALw_wcB • https://www.kuka.com/en-us/industries/metal-industry/arc-welding/kuka-arc-welding-robots?sc_ camp=4585C3FF82FD4F23A75E81DBC7886E49&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoeemBhCfARIsADR2QCtbHeiYnb7IsBJB9f61JG- J6qnUFY12oLEFbIoE0g6_A6hI7fPuKn6caAuGFEALw_wcB • https://www.vuzix.com/products/vuzix-blade-smart-glasses-upgraded • https://www.newcastlesys.com/