Materials handling and manufacturing: Automation picks up speed

摘要

Throughput was once the only warehouse metric that really mattered. While many distributors are now finding plenty of value in the search for efficiencies, manufacturers have been chasing pennies all along. But as these supply chain nodes share more business intelligence, manufacturers are also looking for the same sorts of granular data, flexibility and cost-saving measures that allow their distributor counterparts to be more responsive to the buying customer. They are finding these benefits in automated solutions, from simple trash-moving robotic carts to building-sized, hands-free systems.