Dynamic, scalable solution for modern warehouse automation

Toyota Material Handling Europe’s automated warehouse transport system combines the Toyota SAI125CB Automated Counterbalance Stacker with T-ONE Control System, intelligent automation software. Swarm Automation Transport easily fits into any major warehouse flow, supporting various warehouse activities and seamlessly integrates into any complex warehouse environment. This holistic solution is particularly valuable for businesses handling multiple pallet types, like euro pallets or bottom-deck pallets, or requiring specific handling procedures such as turned pallet loading.

In support of warehouse efficiency, this new dynamic solution can be deployed for fully automated performance, engineered to operate in sync with other AGVs including Toyota’s automated reach trucks. For businesses combining automation with manual handling, the system supports a hybrid, semi-automated functionality, optimising productivity through effortless coordination with conventional warehouse trucks.

This solution is perfectly suited to a wide range of industries, including warehouse logistics, industrial production and manufacturing, retail distribution and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), food retail, as well as other dynamic sectors such as parcel delivery, airport operations and e-commerce.

Transport and storage for conventional racking

Swarm Automation Transport offers a practical and cost-effective solution for businesses looking to start their automation journey. Ideal for stacking near conveyors or cells, this solution can also benefit existing automation users who aim to maximise their ROI, as it integrates easily with different fleet types. Pallet storage can be done up to 5 m in height, with a maximum of 12 m when paired with other Toyota automated reach trucks.

“Swarm Automation Transport marks a major step in our mission to make automation accessible to every warehouse,” says José Maria Gener, Vice President Sales & Marketing at Toyota Material Handling Europe, “By combining the strength of our automated counterbalanced stacker with the intelligence of our automation software T-ONE, we’re giving customers a scalable solution that elevates safety, efficiency and performance across their entire operation.”

Further reinforcing its commitment to responsible design, Toyota Material Handling equips its latest solution with high-efficiency lithium-ion batteries and automatic charging capabilities. The result is reduced overall energy consumption, smooth recharging and longer usage cycles. The 360° Personal Protection System integrates sensors, scanners and bumpers for an overall safer experience.

Automation at every level

Swarm Automation Transport is highly beneficial for generating streamlined fully automated and semi-automated workflows. It is also perfect for managing repetitive transport tasks, pallet handling in buffer areas and for optimising replenishment processes.

Their latest automated solution represents Toyota Material Handling Europe’s continued commitment to developing technologies that elevate safety, efficiency and scalability across every layer of the supply chain.

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At the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo humanoids stole the show once again. Machines that walk, grip, and gesture like us have an undeniable magnetism, part science fiction promise, part genuine engineering marvel. Yet behind the spectacle, logistics leaders are asking whether these machines deliver demonstrable ROI, or if the industry is chasing a compelling idea that cannot yet scale.

Investment banks are certainly bullish. Morgan Stanley forecasts a global humanoid robot market worth $5 trillion by 2050, with deployment rates eventually reaching one machine for every ten humans. Those forecasts may well prove directionally right over decades. But logistics buyers don’t invest on 2050 narratives, they invest based on what can be deployed, integrated, and scaled in the next 12–24 months.

Innovation is only real when scaled

I’ve had countless conversations with CEOs in this industry who express frustration about being trapped in endless pilots and struggling to achieve meaningful traction. The pattern is familiar; exciting technology, impressive demonstrations, but no clear path to the kind of measurable, referenceable customer value that drives genuine adoption. What’s changed in warehouse automation is that customers are no longer rewarding novelty, they’re rewarding repeatable, referenceable outcomes delivered fast, in brownfield sites, under real volatility.

While there has become a hyperfocus on humanoids, most of the attention is driven by the fact that they generate a big reaction. We live in a world where reaction doesn’t equate to return on investment. Tim Tetzlaff, Global Head of Digital Transformation at DHL, captured this dynamic perfectly when he said: “Innovation is only real when scaled. Otherwise, it’s just a nice idea.” Too many robotics companies have compelling ideas but struggle to scale effectively, missing the chance to create meaningful customer impact. In practice, the winners in this cycle are the firms that scale through software-defined flexibility, not the ones chasing the most cinematic demo.

There’s a real risk that funding will dry up as ambitions collide with reality. Training robots through thousands of hours of simulation can produce impressive physical capabilities, but it grants them little genuine understanding of how the real world actually works. Warehouses are messy, stochastic environments: congestion, mixed Stock Keeping Units (SKUs), shifting priorities, human variability, and peak swings that don’t show up in lab conditions. Physical AI only becomes meaningful when systems learn from millions of real tasks in production. Purpose-built fleets do that every day, they don’t just learn how to move, they learn how the operation actually behaves. Purpose-built warehouse robots accumulate vast operational experience in the environments they are designed to serve. They know the warehouse floor because they have worked it.

The Gap Between Demo and Deployment

This gap between demonstration and deployment is the crux of the matter. Promotional videos may show humanoids performing acrobatic feats, but none can yet walk into an unfamiliar warehouse and reliably execute the complex, repetitive tasks that drive logistics operations. The most advanced humanoid models on the market today are still positioned as research platforms rather than production ready solutions. Production environments don’t just need a capable robot, they need an orchestration layer that can integrate with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), balance priorities in real time, and keep performance stable through peak periods.

As such, I expect 2026 to bring a wave of consolidation across the robotics sector, as companies locked into humanoid development face mounting pressure to demonstrate tangible commercial value. We’ll see the hype start to fade as customers and investors demand real world results, creating an environment where only the purpose built will survive.

The Opportunity in Front of Us

Here’s the reality that often gets lost in the humanoid excitement, we estimate that less than ten percent of warehouses globally have sufficient levels of automation today. The opportunity isn’t to build robots that look like humans. It’s to build the right solutions for the right tasks. That’s also why flexible automation is winning: operators want capability they can deploy in weeks, scale up or down, and reconfigure when volumes or product mix shift. In a world of uncertainty, adaptability is the real throughput advantage.

At Locus Robotics, we’ve moved beyond Person-to-Goods automation to define an entirely new category: Robots-to-Goods. Robots can now autonomously pick, move, and replenish inventory, performing tasks that previously required multiple human touches. But the hardware is only one piece of the puzzle. The real breakthrough comes from integrating Agentic AI with Physical AI to create systems that sense, decide, and act as one. The value isn’t one heroic robot, it’s a software-defined operation that keeps improving because it learns from the work. Warehouses become cohesive ecosystems rather than disconnected islands of automation.

The Financial Times suggests Japan, with its shrinking population and cultural openness to robotics, could become one of the first major democracies to experiment with widescale humanoid adoption. Perhaps. But for logistics leaders making investment decisions today, the question is not whether humanoid robots are impressive, they unquestionably are, but whether they can deliver the demonstrable, referenceable ROI that operations demand. Purpose built robotics already can and already do.

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At the heart of Atomix’s solution is its ‘1+4’ technology platform. The ‘1’ refers to Atomixer, an AI-native orchestration software platform that enables real-time coordination of heterogeneous robotic fleets while integrating seamlessly with existing WMS/WCS systems.

The ‘4’ represents Atomix’s four families of self-developed robotics, including 4-way pallet shuttles, pallet AMRs, and tote Storage Transfer Robots and Tote AMRs, designed for high-density storage, flexible handling, and efficient picking. These technologies are modularly combined into three subsystem solutions — ‘Storage Mix’, ‘Handling Mix’, and ‘Picking Mix’ — allowing system integrators to configure scalable automation systems tailored to specific warehouse needs.

A key differentiator of Atomix is its ability to orchestrate heterogeneous robotic fleets within the same environment. Powered by advanced AI algorithms such as MAPF and decentralized deadlock avoidance, Atomixer enables seamless collaboration between different robot types and third-party equipment, optimizing warehouse operations in real time.

Demo Centre

Globally, Atomix works through a partner-based delivery model, providing core technologies and products while local system integrators deliver project implementation and lifecycle services. With over 500 projects across 20+ countries, Atomix has built long-term partnerships with companies including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Toyota, Yum China, Lotte, ITW, and Lenovo, achieving a 71% customer renewal rate.

In Europe, Atomix continues to expand through local integrator partnerships. The company has recently opened a Demo & Experience Centre in Belgium to support partners and customers across the region. Recent projects delivered in Romania and Greece demonstrate the flexibility of Atomix solutions across industries such as manufacturing and cold-chain logistics.

Visitors to LogiMAT 2026 are invited to meet the Atomix team to explore AI-powered automation solutions and discuss partnership opportunities. If you would like a free visitor ticket you can register here.

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OPO Oeschger is a Swiss family-owned company headquartered in Kloten, founded in 1926 and now employing around 300 people. With a range of more than 70,000 items, OPO Oeschger is one of the leading suppliers of fittings and components for carpenters, wood, glass, and metal construction, as well as for schools and resellers. In addition to furniture and kitchen fittings, the range also includes door and building fittings, machines, and tools. In its logistics, OPO Oeschger consistently relies on highly automated processes to deliver not only quickly but also reliably. Order picking is also being specifically developed with new technologies to meet increasing demands.

When standard solutions don’t help

Many processes in logistics at OPO Oeschger are already automated. Nevertheless, the goal was to identify new potential. There was a particular need for action in the area of order picking. Although an automated small parts warehouse was in place, items were still being picked manually. Since the warehouse building offers only limited space and the processes are precisely coordinated with the conveyor technology, the new solution had to be implementable without major interventions.

Adjustments to the conveyor technology or upstream control processes were out of the question. The solution had to integrate seamlessly into an existing workplace without imposing new processes. This is precisely where other providers who offered only standardized systems failed. OPO Oeschger, on the other hand, was specifically looking for a solution that would fit into the existing system and could realistically replicate the behavior of a human picker.

The robot picks what fits

Sereact impressed OPO Oeschger with its willingness to consistently adapt to the existing framework conditions. “The Sereact team came to our site, took a close look at our processes, and very quickly understood how they work,” explains Daniel Schütz, Operations Manager Logistics at OPO Oeschger.

“While other providers proposed standard solutions, we were able to implement individual requirements together with Sereact.”

The picking robot was integrated into an existing picking workstation. Instead of adapting the environment, the robot was designed to perform the tasks of a human employee as realistically as possible: it picks up target cartons and places them in two target locations. If requested to pick up a destination container, the robot first removes the anti-slip mat from the container. The robot then removes items from a source container and places them in the prepared destination carton or container. These are then sent on to the conveyor system for further processing.

A prerequisite for commissioning was a targeted adaptation of the interface in the warehouse management system, which was implemented without any problems in cooperation with TGW Logistics. This meant that only orders suitable for automated picking could be forwarded to the robot. The selection of suitable items is carried out directly by OPO in the item master. The actual picking and placement logic — i.e., the decision on how to place and stack items in the box—is entirely controlled by Sereact’s AI-supported control system. No product training was necessary. The AI solution takes care of product recognition, selection, and picking independently. The precision of the solution is particularly evident with items for which the cardboard packaging has been calculated exactly. Targeted preselection is crucial for the stability of the process.

An employee who doesn’t need a break

With the use of the picking robot, OPO Oeschger has taken an important step toward future-oriented logistics processes. The robot reliably performs standardized picking tasks that were previously covered by manual labour, thus creating a noticeable reduction in the daily workload. It works stably and reliably, especially with items that meet clearly defined criteria. Technically, the robot would be capable of significantly higher performance. At OPO, however, the speed was deliberately throttled in order not to overload the existing structural structure. In its current configuration, its performance is roughly equivalent to that of half a full-time employee. This deliberate limitation is part of a strategic approach.

OPO is using the project to learn specifically how AI-based robotics can be integrated into existing processes and what conditions need to be created for later scaling. At the same time, the expertise of the employees remains central: they now focus more on complex picking processes that involve handling flexible or sensitive products, for example. The combination of robot-assisted automation and human experience increases overall efficiency and process quality. Items that are not suitable for the robot are specifically excluded in the warehouse management system. For OPO Oeschger, the use of this technology was not a measure to reduce staff. Rather, the focus is on gaining knowledge. The aim is to further develop the system in a targeted manner and make it scalable.

What works today will continue to grow tomorrow

The experience gained from the project forms the basis for future automation projects at OPO Oeschger. The company is already working with Sereact and TGW Logistics to further develop the interface logic. The aim is to control even more precisely which items the robot can handle in the future, even for more complex orders with mixed items. In the medium term, the picking robot will interact intelligently with manual workstations and automate where it makes economic and procedural sense.

“We deliberately viewed the project as an investment in know-how,” explains Schütz. “We also wanted to learn at an early stage how picking robots can be meaningfully integrated into our processes, with a view to today’s operations and future logistics strategies.”

The aim is also to increase the utilization of the existing robot. The use of additional units is also planned for the future. Based on the knowledge gained, a scalable solution is to be developed that fits seamlessly into future infrastructures and consistently exploits the potential for automation. With the knowledge gained, OPO Oeschger and Sereact are working together to further optimize logistics processes in order to reap the full benefits of automation in the long term.

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Autonomous robots

First up is Dr. Marcus Scheunemann, Head of Autonomy for Dexory, who believes the top trend will be the subject of autonomous robots: “2026 will mark a significant step towards full autonomy for robots. Advances in AI paired with increasingly sophisticated robotic control systems are allowing autonomous machines to interpret their surroundings more precisely and manage unpredictable situations better. As these technologies mature together, we will see a noticeable shift in what autonomous robots can reliably handle without human input.

“This shift will pave the way for organisations to operate entire fleets with far less day-to-day oversight. If this pace continues, it’s fair to say we will reach a point where most routine operational tasks could run independently, with only very unusual scenarios still requiring human support. Achieving this level of autonomy within the next two to three years would set a new standard for how autonomous systems perform in real-world environments and represent a significant milestone for the entire robotics sector.”

Warehouse visibility

Todd Boone, Vice President North America, Dexory picked the issue of visibility in warehouses: “In 2026, true warehouse intelligence based on data rather than assumptions will shift from being a novelty to becoming a standard expectation. Customers will increasingly require insights they can act on, drawn from rich and comprehensive data sets rather than simply faster inventory counts.

“As this shift accelerates, the limitations of drone-based solutions will become more apparent because they do not capture enough of the right data to meaningfully influence operations at scale. As warehouse visibility and analytics mature, organisations will expect full-spectrum intelligence, making partial solutions far less viable.”

Agentic warehouses

Divya Gautam, Head of AI, Dexory focuses on agentic AI: “2026 will be the year the warehouse becomes ‘agentic’. The industry will move beyond passive visibility, where AI surfaces endless unprioritised alerts, to active intelligence where autonomous systems interpret context, reasons, and recommend the next best action. Competitive advantage will shift to warehouses that turn raw data into autonomous decision-support by using AI agents that collaborate with human teams to resolve issues faster and more accurately.”

Collaborative agents

Finally, Oana Jinga, Chief Commercial & Product Officer & Co-Founder of Dexory, opted to discuss collaborative agents: “In 2026, multi-AI agent systems will become the backbone of next-generation warehouse automation. Instead of a single monolithic software controlling operations, warehouses will deploy collaborative AI agents — each specializing in tasks such as real-time inventory perception, traffic optimization, predictive maintenance, labour allocation, and exception handling. These agents will communicate continuously with each other and with fleets of autonomous robots, enabling a fluid, self-optimizing warehouse ecosystem.”

8 Areas to optimise

The warehousing industry is evolving faster than ever. Rising customer expectations, growing SKU complexity and global supply chain pressures demand faster fulfilment, better use of space, and uncompromising safety. Yet for many warehouses, inefficiency persists – lost pallets, underused aisles, and inconsistent data updates. The question is no longer if automation drives ROI, but how fast you can capture it.

That’s where optimisation comes in. High levels of stock integrity mean warehouses can operate with faster, more reliable workflows and optimal use of resources. But once inventory health and visibility are firmly in place, the next step is to unlock the full potential of your operations through targeted, AI-driven optimisation strategies.

By enhancing the flow of goods, maximising space utilisation, and refining processes, operations can keep pace with rising demand with precision and speed. Dexory outlines eight areas for warehouse optimisation – from real-time visibility and block stack digitisation to AI-powered consolidation planning and weight restriction monitoring:

1. Inventory integrity as the cornerstone of efficient operations
   High levels of stock integrity mean warehouses can operate with faster, more reliable workflows and optimal use of resources, while enabling confident decision-making and minimising operational disruptions.
2. Real-time visibility that turns blind spots into insights
   Only 6% of logistics companies report full visibility over their operations. This gap can mean missed opportunities, safety risks, and slower fulfilment.
3. Block stack storage visibility without disruption
   What if you could eliminate the blind spots in deep storage areas? No more guessing, lifting, or forklift repositioning. Just evaluating discrepancies in real time, such as missing, miscounted, or incorrectly placed items.
4. Pick face optimisation for smarter cycle counts
   Every day, the WMS generates a cycle count list. You know most of it is wasted effort, but you still have to check every single location. Instead, how about shrinking the cycle, freeing up resources, and finally getting control of your pick face locations with maximum efficiency?
5. Maximising storage utilisation
   AI-powered consolidation planning can identify opportunities to group compatible items together while avoiding conflicts like mismatched batch codes or incompatible products. This reduces wasted space and unproductive travel time between storage locations. Optimal space utilisation and efficient stock handling bolster long-term reputational gains by showcasing operational excellence and dependability.
6. Improved compliance and safety with advanced slotting verification
   Every warehouse faces risks from incorrect slotting. By aligning slotting with both safety and efficiency, warehouses ensure that they remain audit-ready, compliant, and secure.
7. Faster fulfilment, no picking delays
   Poor replenishment leads to picker delays, slow order fulfilment and reduction in storage efficiency. But with advanced robotics and automation systems, warehouses can achieve faster fulfilment and throughput without extra headcount.
8. Weight restriction monitoring for safer, risk-free warehouses
   Overloaded bays and racks put staff and infrastructure at risk. Manual checks are slow, error-prone, and often inconsistent. At the same time, WMS rules are static, they don’t
   prevent live overloads. With the right use of automation, warehouses can ensure risk-free operations where safety is never compromised.

The post Warehouse Technology Predictions appeared first on Logistics Business.

Debuting at LogiMAT Stuttgart, March 23–25th, TAL unites the combined strengths of Bastian Solutions, Vanderlande’s Warehousing business, and viastore under one brand formally launching on April 1, 2026. This powerful combination enables the delivery of scalable systems, intelligent software, and comprehensive lifecycle services – all with the quality and reliability associated with the Toyota brand.

“Thomas Hibinger and Aaron Jones have a solid track record of strong performance leading two of our warehouse automation businesses. Their vision has shaped the future of automated warehousing and guided the delivery of innovative and pragmatic solutions to solve customers’ complex and shifting logistics challenges,” said Hitoshi Matsuoka, Central CEO, TAL. “Their appointments as regional CEOs reflect TICO’s commitment to build on the collective depth and breadth of our world-class technologies, software and services while delivering a seamless customer experience across regions.”

“I look forward to this new chapter, allowing TAL to bring automated logistics to the next level by combining our global strength and expertise under one roof,” states Thomas Hibinger, CEO, EMEA and APAC. “Warehouse and fulfillment operations never stop, nor are they constrained by time zones or geography. With this unification, we aim to deliver greater scalability, innovation and long-term value for our customers worldwide.”

The fast-growing market for warehouse automation is spurred by greater demand for next- or same-day deliveries, ever-faster throughput, absolute order accuracy and optimal warehouse performance. Through seamless integration across the automation landscape, TAL addresses these needs end to end. This approach supports organizations at every stage of their automation journey, whether taking the first steps to automate manual processes in legacy warehouses or refining the advanced distribution centres relied on by the largest e-commerce platforms and the global fulfillment operations of leading brands.

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When Maersk set out to transform its e-commerce fulfilment operation for its Danish retailer customer Flying Tiger, it faced a familiar modern logistics dilemma: how to scale rapidly, cope with extreme seasonal peaks, and maintain service levels, all within the constraints of an existing warehouse footprint and with tight implementation timelines.

The answer at its Wrocław facility in southern Poland came in the form of autonomous mobile robotics from Locus Robotics. I was lucky enough to be invited for a tour of this impressive site which, albeit not one of Locus’ largest installations by far, nevertheless highlights in a nutshell what cutting-edge robotics can bring to a project to drive efficiency and cost savings. My visit just so happened to be during the Christmas peak, which gave me particular insight into how well things were going.

The site serves as the central European hub for all of Flying Tiger’s European online orders (retail fulfilment remains out of Copenhagen), shipping orders across the EU from a single 5,700 sqm operation. Since going live in May 2023, it has become a showcase for how robot-assisted picking can deliver speed, flexibility and cost control in a fast-growing retail environment.

High-Growth Under Pressure

Before automation, the pick process was struggling. Manual productivity was running at around 40 order lines per person per hour, well below the 120 lines per hour target. The operation was characterised by long walking distances (up to 20,000 steps per picker per day), aisle congestion, heavy trolleys, long onboarding times and a growing risk of errors and injuries.

With Q4 volumes peaking at five times the average and only 22 weeks before the next peak season, Maersk needed a solution that could be deployed quickly, scaled easily, and funded in a way that avoided heavy capital expenditure.

Bots to the Rescue

After analysing a range of goods-to-person and person-to-goods automation options, Maersk selected a
mobile robot ‘person-to-goods’ RaaS (Robots-as-a-Service) model offered by Locus Robotics. The decision was driven by several key criteria: flexibility, rapid deployment, low upfront cost, ease of integration and the ability to scale both labour and automation in line with demand.

The RaaS commercial model was particularly attractive, for instead of committing to a fixed fleet size,
Maersk can scale robots up and down according to volume. This was an important advantage for a business shaped by influencer-driven spikes and intense seasonal surges. Just as importantly, the solution could be implemented in the existing building, which has a height limit of 12.2 m and no scope for major structural changes.

From decision to go-live took just 16–18 weeks, a timeline that was later recognised by Locus as one of its fastest and best implementations in Europe.

How it Works

At the heart of the operation is a fleet of Locus Origin robots, a nimble autonomous mobile robot designed for collaborative picking. Associates remain in their aisles while robots travel between locations, presenting the next task and carrying multiple totes for batch and multi-order picking.

Orders are orchestrated by the LocusONE platform, which integrates with Maersk’s INFOR WMS and dynamically clusters tasks to optimise pick paths, balance workloads and maintain service level priorities. The system supports multiple workflows, including batch picking, pick-and-pass, and point-to-point transport, enabling Maersk to adapt processes as volumes and profiles change.

Each robot guides the associate through the pick with a clear, multilingual interface (important to have in this region of Europe, close to the Czech/Slovakian borders), product images, tote position indicators and
built-in scanning. Locus’s patented autoidentification technology recognises the worker based on proximity, automatically switching the screen language to the associate’s preferred setting, a major benefit in such a multicultural workforce.

Navigation and fleet management are handled by proprietary AI, which continuously optimises routes,
avoids obstacles and balances robot traffic across the floor. The result is a system that can be deployed in
brownfield environments with minimal infrastructure changes and no fixed conveyors.

Transformational Results

The impact at Wrocław has been dramatic. Pick productivity has increased from 40 to 140 order lines per hour – a 250% improvement, if my maths is right. Onboarding time for new staff has been reduced from three days to just 20 minutes. Average walking distance has dropped from 20,000 steps to around 8,000 per day, significantly reducing fatigue.

The number of active packing stations has been increased from 16 to 40, and despite a reduction in available aisles for picking, overall throughput has increased substantially. Service performance has improved too, with 60–100% of parcels now shipped within 24 hours, and the Christmas cut-off date brought forward by six days compared to 2023. As I stood there watching order pass by in front of me, Flying Tiger seemed to be doing a – pardon the pun – ‘roaring’ trade in seasonal wrapping paper.

From a financial perspective, the results are equally compelling. Maersk has said that the introduction of Locus has significantly reduced pick process costs, equating to a 33% saving even after including the robot service fees. Forecasts for full-year 2025 point to a further 24% cost reduction.

There have also been significant soft benefits. For example, the site has recorded zero push-and-pull
injuries, sick leave has fallen by 15%, and employee retention has improved by 8%, reflecting a more attractive, less physically demanding type of work. I love to hear about those sorts of benefits.

Flexibility and Scale

For Locus, the Wrocław project is a textbook example of its core value proposition, namely unmatched flexibility and unlimited throughput. Unlike fixed automation, the Locus approach allows Maersk to add or remove robots in minutes, introduce new workflows without disruption, scale from dozens to hundreds of robots as volumes grow, and operate across multiple shifts or 24/7 without physical reconfiguration.

The platform has already proven capable of supporting 25,000+ units per hour on a single site and handling 150,000 lines in a single day in other deployments. While the Wrocław operation does not yet operate at those extremes, the architecture ensures that throughput can grow well beyond current requirements.

Crucially for Maersk, this flexibility aligns perfectly with Flying Tiger’s volatile demand profile. Whether
reacting to a viral social media trend or preparing for a Q4 surge, capacity can be adjusted simply by deploying more robots.

European Blueprint

The Wrocław project was Locus’s first major automation deployment in Europe with Maersk and is already being viewed as a blueprint for other sites. The modular nature of the installation makes it easy to replicate in additional warehouses. From Maersk’s perspective, the collaboration has demonstrated that high levels of automation do not require long lead times, heavy CapEx or purpose-built facilities. Instead, robotics can be layered onto existing operations to deliver rapid, measurable improvements.

For Flying Tiger, it means faster order fulfilment, better service levels for customers across Europe, and the confidence that its logistics partner can keep pace with growth.

A Modern Model

As European ecommerce continues to grow, and as labour markets remain tight, the Maersk–Locus–Flying Tiger partnership offers a compelling model for other retailers and 3PLs. By choosing a flexible, rapidly deployable robotic solution, Maersk has transformed a struggling manual process into a highperformance
fulfilment engine capable of absorbing growth, coping with volatility, and delivering measurable financial returns.

For Locus Robotics, Wrocław stands as a high-profile demonstration of how its technology can support complex, high-growth operations in real-world conditions. And for Flying Tiger’s customers across Europe, it simply means their colourful household items, party accessories and impulse buys will arrive faster and more reliably than ever.

The post Easy Robotics for Flying Tiger appeared first on Logistics Business.

Ocado Intelligent Automation (OIA) has never been shy about scale. But in my conversation with Andy Ingram-Tedd, VP of Advanced Technology, he makes the point that scale is not the story. The story is what you do with it. After nearly 25 years at Ocado, he has watched the company grow from a tight early team to a global organisation with thousands of people, and he is still struck by the same internal energy that drove the first deliveries.

“It just never slows down,” he says. “There’s always something happening, there’s always some new adventure, there’s always some new mission.”

That tempo matters because it shapes how OIA, the Ocado Group division that takes its technology to customers worldwide, thinks about automation deployment. Ingram-Tedd is candid about a familiar misconception: that robotics is simply the substitution of people with machines. His view is that a more accurate way to see it is as systems design, and the interplay between humans, software and hardware.
“A lot of people always ask me, you’re developing robots, you’re putting people out of business,” he says. “But we’ve got more people that we employ today than we ever had. We are doing more, and we’re becoming more efficient.”

Simulation, he adds, is the discipline that forces you to treat that interaction seriously.

Simulation vs. Digital Twins

If there is one thread Ingram-Tedd wants readers to take away, it is the distinction between simulation and digital twins, and why the two are often muddled. Simulation, in his definition, is a predictive model used before something exists in the physical world. A digital twin only becomes a digital twin once the warehouse is built and operating, because it is continuously aligned to reality using actual operational data.

Simulation is what you reach for when spreadsheets fail. Basic processes can be approximated with time and motion assumptions. But once you seek high throughput and high utilisation across many moving parts, you need discrete event simulation, modelling countless activities with start points, end points, process times and rules.

“We really do mean a discrete event simulation,” he says. “There are lots of things happening. They have a start point, they have an end point. You can’t just calculate that on a spreadsheet.”

Ocado’s own definitions are straightforward. Simulation is used before a system is built. You load assumptions, including orders, stock, layout, speeds and rules, then you run what-if scenarios to see outcomes and risks. The questions are practical: will this design work, what size should it be, where are the weak points. A digital twin, by contrast, is a digital representation of a real physical system that stays aligned to the live operation using operational data. Its value is decision support during operation, including testing changes safely and understanding what happens if you change something today or tomorrow.

Removing Guess-Work

Ingram-Tedd emphasises that simulation should not be about your best day. It should be about your worst day. That might mean modelling downtime, late inbound vehicles, or labour gaps, either individually or in combination. “We are operators of our own equipment,” he tells me. “We are not guessing. We know what the bad things can happen. They’ve happened to us in the last 25 years!”
Once a site is live, the inputs are no longer assumptions. They are measurements. You can take data from the real warehouse, feed it into the model, and test configuration changes, from item placement strategies to outload timing, pick speeds and resource utilisation. The goal is continuous improvement, driven by evidence rather than instinct.

I ask why does OIA build its own simulation tools. Ingram-Tedd argues that third-party packages are useful, but insufficient for modelling the complexity of Ocado’s grid-based system, where software determines where and when to store, retrieve and sequence stock, while bots navigate above dense storage. “We don’t use a third party and there’s a really important reason for that,” he says. “There isn’t an off-the-shelf simulation package that can do that.”

Ocado has developed its own simulation capability in-house since 2008. A key point, in his telling, is that the software powering simulation is identical to the software that powers the production site. That tighter link between model and reality, he says, supports better design decisions and more confidence before capital is committed.

Just as importantly, simulation is end to end. It does not stop at bot movement. It extends to conveyors, pallets, vehicles, people and robotic pick, because optimisation only makes sense at the level of the whole ecosystem.

“True optimisation only happens when you put all the subsystems and you model them all together,” he says. “Integration brings complexity, and simulation helps you understand the knock-on effect of every design choice.”

Infrastructural Optimisation

The practical value is that simulation turns design questions into testable scenarios. One slide example is the relationship between bot numbers and achievable throughput. Run a range of cases in parallel and you can plot where diminishing returns begin, identifying a sweet spot beyond which additional investment yields little benefit.

That same approach applies to pick stations. OIA’s stations are modular, and simulation can explore how layout changes affect both throughput and the way an operator performs. The aim is to avoid paying for human time while allowing the station to underfeed the operator with work.

In one demonstration clip discussed in the interview, Ingram-Tedd references a picking performance figure that he knows will sound implausible to many readers: 1,072 units per hour on a station. He is quick to caveat that it is not a sustained operating promise. Building a system around peak human performance risks waste if people cannot maintain it, and drives unnecessary investment in upstream resources. A more sensible operating target might be 600 to 700 units per hour, he suggests, still well beyond common industry expectations.

What often breaks automation is not the average case, but the exception: odd products, awkward presentations, or rare failure modes that still occur frequently at high volume. In robotics and automation engineering these are known as corner cases, unusual or extreme situations outside normal operating conditions that must still be handled safely and reliably. “You can’t have robots like this in a live site unless they can do corner cases,” believes Ingram-Tedd.

Future Looks Bright

Beyond grocery, OIA is applying its platform to other verticals. Ingram-Tedd highlights a major project with McKesson in Canada – not yet live at the time of the interview, but not far off – which he describes as a large system in Montreal designed to raise productivity while improving traceability, accountability and security. He argues that pharma distribution shares many traits with grocery, but with stricter compliance requirements, particularly around batch and lot traceability. He hints at significant productivity gains, while noting there are customer-specific adaptations that remain confidential.

He also brought to my attention that mutual exclusivity has ended in the majority of markets where Ocado operates its grocery technology with partners, opening the door for Ocado to bring its evolved product back to some of the world’s most developed e-commerce markets after a period of exclusivity agreements.

Towards the end of the interview, Ingram-Tedd briefly referenced a new picking technology planned for introduction in 2026, which he characterises as a significant step-change. Logistics Business was given an early look at the concept, but details remain under wraps ahead of public launch at MODEX in the Spring. We hope to return to this in a future edition, once OIA is ready to speak about it in full.

For now, his message is consistent. Whether the question is how many bots to deploy, how to design a pick station, or how to integrate the next wave of automation, the differentiator is not a single robot. It is the capability to model complex systems accurately, learn from real operations, and keep improving.

The post The Digital Twin: Beyond Simulation appeared first on Logistics Business.

If we can agree that the case for automation in logistics is proven – faster execution, better reliability, optimised allocation of human resource, improved cost and time efficiencies – then the discussion moves to the available automation choices. What type of automation is the most appropriate for your business’s future requirements?

Specifically, what are the factors that turn good automation into outstanding automation? For David Bailey, Director Consumer Products Arvato in the UK, the best automation comfortably delivers flexibility, scale and ease of operation.

“It’s about picking the right tool for the right job, and scaling in the best way to suit the customer’s needs and wishes,” he says. “And for us, AutoStore delivers those needs extremely effectively.”

Partnership trust and commitment

Arvato is the ambitious German-founded omnichannel logistics provider with a fast-growing global operation and particularly high momentum in the UK, where existing focus is on fashion, tech and healthcare customers. David Bailey is speaking at the company’s impressive – and immaculate – state-of-the-art site at Ham Halls, Birmingham, where it has just opened an extension to its existing AutoStore system, implemented in 2023. This adds to the 15 AutoStore systems already in place at Arvato sites in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and the USA.

As a technology-focused 3PL, Arvato’s trust and commitment to AutoStore is a notable endorsement for the Norwegian-founded global leader in intelligent order fulfilment solutions. The latter’s stated vision is simple to claim but harder to achieve: “To store and move things for everyone, everywhere.” They seem to be succeeding: AutoStore order orchestration and fulfilment systems are now established at over 1,850 sites in over 60 countries.

What’s the secret?

“The consumer products market in logistics is about reacting quickly to fast-changing needs,” explains Bailey. “If, for instance, a customer wants to resize, AutoStore gives us a wealth of options in which to meet those needs – tote size, number of bots, optimisation of the grid. Consumer logistics is about finding the right tool and the right design for the job you’re looking to do. And if you project manage it well, the process is extremely smooth. Our strong and long-established relationship with AutoStore and their integrator partners such as Kardex, who built and extended the system at Hams Hall, enables that smoothness for us.”

As if to serve as a neat example of his point, Hams Hall – which is a multi-client site – has recently onboarded a new international retailer, a leading brand in technical athletic apparel requiring exactly those flexible, fast-paced operations. “The scalability options with AutoStore make it much easier for us,” agrees Steven Pitt, Head of Operations. “Once the infrastructure is in place, the opportunity for customers with an aggressive growth cycle is very strong.”

Superfast implementation

Hence the AutoStore extension, completed in just over three months, the fastest implementation in Arvato’s history and a testament to the relationship between client, OEM and integrator. The upgraded system now supports 87,600 bins (from 65,000) and supports nearly 1.2 million stored units in a 16-row deep grid. Peak season picking rates top 26,000 per day, a 53% increase on manual picking solutions. Picking data at random from his laptop, Matt Harling, Kardex Sales Manager UK and Ireland reveals that 54,000 bin presentations were made on December 9th, 2025, with a total of over three million bin presentations in the previous 90 days log. “Remember that each tote contains more than one item, too,” he points out.

It’s worth taking a moment to visualise the human resource and warehouse footprint that would be required to attempt to match those numbers in a fully manual operation, and to reflect how far automation has come in delivering lightning-fast service for customers and consumers.

Should we assume that AutoStore is always presented to clients as Arvato’s automation system of choice? “Absolutely not,” says Bailey. “We won’t necessarily discuss specific systems with clients, it’s about what their needs are and how we will work together to deliver them, what’s right for their needs and then what is the best way to deliver on that – it definitely won’t be imposed by us. We have an excellent solution design process. We explore what the data tells us and where it is leading us. So, let’s say we’re looking at an AutoStore; it’s also likely we’ll be considering an open-rack shuttle system, an AMR, a shelving system, maybe. But AutoStore is very effective in terms of cost, flexibility, and speed.”

The Arvato project team works with both AutoStore and its integration partner, in this case, Kardex (other AutoStore partners in the UK include Swisslog, Element Logic and StrongPoint). The integration partner is best placed to source and deliver those parts of the automation package required by the customer above and beyond storing and moving, such as auto-bagging and RFID systems.

The process is quick, partly because the partners know each other so well. “The days of heavy automation and long implementation, with extended lead times before you even hit the site are gone with AutoStore,” says Morgan McNee, Kardex Project Manager. “We’ve gone from point of order to go-live in months.”

The Hams Hall operation has RFID in place at several points in the process, including inbound and packing. As a bonded warehouse, it needs to satisfy UK government and customs regulations as well as client needs. In addition, it provides faster services for customers in addition to extra layers of stock integrity confirmation – Steven Pitt describes how a recent stock count enabled by the RFID tunnel processed 500,000 units for a customer in 48 hours.

The extras at Hams Hall add the sizzle. “Logistics is about adding value – anyone can pick and pack,” says Bailey. Value-added services provided at the multi-client service include manual picking for smaller customers, a comprehensive returns operation including full check of goods returned, and an Alterations section where individual clothing units ordered online may be altered by professionals to individual consumer specifications.

In a territory such as the UK, where agile, fluid retailing is a watchword and consumer expectations on e-commerce delivery times are more demanding than elsewhere in Europe, selecting the right automation is vital to effective competitive advantage.

Weather patterns, buying habits, customer behaviours – systems intelligence enables confident planning and decision-making for 3PLs, all in close partnership with the customer. Bailey summarises: “Businesses that move are those that pivot and act with the market – or even ahead of it.”

The post Fit for Fulfilment appeared first on Logistics Business.

Designed, manufactured, and tested in Japan, the new trio of Sorting Transfer Robots are now being introduced across the UK and Europe. Setting new standards in productivity, scalability and automation simplicity, the latest robot system from Daifuku is aimed primarily at businesses in the e-commerce, retail and parcel sector facing complex sortation challenges.

The SOTR-S is of particular interest to the European and UK automation markets, given its remarkable speed and flexibility. Travelling at up to 180m per minute – it is capable of handling 10,000 lines per hour, driving new levels of capacity and productivity. The system’s two-tier structure also ensures smooth traffic flow and unfettered efficiency. Thanks to its narrow aisle structure (enabled by tilting trays), the SOTR-S is under half the footprint of more conventional sorting systems. Compared to conventional sorting systems, the SOTR-S is rapid to install and simple to expand as required with the addition of vehicles or chutes.

Commenting on the new SOTR-S, Russell Hutchinson, manager of business development at Daifuku’s Europe branch, said:

“In the face of rising order volumes and the increasing complexity of product types, traditional sorting methods often struggle with accuracy and efficiency. Manual processes lead to higher costs and slower throughput, creating significant warehousing and distribution challenges for businesses. Our new SOTR-S offers a solution designed to overcome these hurdles.”

Daifuku’s advanced technology ensures precise sorting of diverse items, enhances operational efficiency and adapts effortlessly to growing demands. By automating and optimising business’ sorting operations, the SOTR-S reduces labour costs and boosts productivity, delivering a rapid return on investment.

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