Lessons from the Front Lines: Automation Technologies that Have Proven Effective in E-grocery Micro-fulfillment Centers

The architecture of the system also allows a high degree of application flexibility. AutoStore can be constructed around pillars and in irregular shapes to take maximum advantage of available space. Designed exclusively for goods-to-person picking, AutoStore pick station locations are flexible and can be placed anywhere within the grid. They can also be customized with options such as scales that expand the products that can be included in the automation system. 

Another advantage of AutoStore in distributed MFCs is its low maintenance requirements and ability to withstand the failure of any robot. Each of the system’s multiple robots (the number is based on the storage capacity and desired throughput) can reach any bin in the system, allowing individual robots to be taken off-line for maintenance without shutting down the system or reducing performance. Fast-moving products naturally migrate to the top of the grid to enhance retrieval times. 

These features allow AutoStore to deliver consistent and reliable throughput in demanding e-grocery applications. While other technologies may list higher throughputs in their specifications, when actual throughput is measured on a weekly rather than hourly basis, AutoStore excels compared to the alternatives on the market. 

Finally, AutoStore offers a uniquely higher degree of scalability than other automation systems being used in MFCs. Unlike other automation systems, you can add storage, robots or pick stations at any time without ever shutting down the system or having to break down fencing and other safety systems. 

Grocers who piloted automated e-grocery fulfillment in 2020 learned two key lessons. First, technologies that work well in large warehouses where their ability to use vertical space to enable density aren’t always effective in smaller spaces. The second is that software is just as important as hardware in the success of e-grocery fulfillment. For help in tailoring automation technology to your fulfillment strategy, contact Swisslog. 

In the next post in our series, we’ll share how grocers are determining which products to include in the automation system and which should be picked manually.