DHL Supply Chain to Add More Robots in North American Fulfillment Warehouses

DHL Supply Chain and Locus Robotics, a technology provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) for fulfillment warehouses, are expanding their partnership that includes ten new nationwide deployments of the Locus AMR solution in 2020.

“The agreement with Locus Robotics further enables us to bring productivity-enhancing technology to our customers quickly, so they are well-positioned to capitalize on new and emerging opportunities”

Jim Gehr, President, Retail at DHL Supply Chain North America

DHL Partnership Started in 2017

DHL Supply Chain North America and Locus Robotics partnered in 2017 to pilot a collaborative, autonomous robotics solution – LocusBots – to support associates in piece picking order fulfillment in warehouses.

The LocusBots navigate autonomously within warehouses to quickly locate and transport pick items to associates.

They can be flexibly deployed to support a diverse range of picking strategies, significantly reducing time spent on routine or physically demanding tasks, reducing manual errors, and increasing productivity.

“We are very excited to be growing our partnership with DHL Supply Chain. We’ve already identified the sites in question and expect deployment in 2020 to support volume for peak season. What is particularly gratifying about this expansion is that the DHL decision was based on observed successes in their early facilities. We continue to see customers expanding their relationships as they prove out our solution.”

Rick Faulk, CEO, Locus Robotics

In 2018, DHL Supply Chain announced a multi-year plan to invest USD 300 million in emerging technologies in its North American operations.

The company has rolled out an accelerated digitalization program that has identified 14 target technologies – seven of which involve collaborative robotics – that can be fast-tracked into customers’ operations.

Partnerships with emerging technology providers such as Locus Robotics allow DHL to quickly bring proven, productivity-enhancing technology and data-driven insights to customers’ supply chains.