DHL Supply Chain, the contract logistics leader within Deutsche Post DHL Group, has announced a framework agreement expanding its collaboration with Locus Robotics.
Initial investments in assisted picking robots have proven effective in commercially scaled operations, and this multi-million dollar agreement will enhance DHL’s wider Accelerated Digitalization Strategy.
By 2022, the supply chain specialist plans to take on up to 2,000 robots, then being by far the largest customer of Locus Robotics worldwide. The assisted picking robots are mostly used in e-commerce or consumer warehouses to help with picking and inventory replenishment, thereby increasing efficiency and accelerating delivery processes.
“It is particularly important for us to be able to consistently optimize our supply chains – assisted picking robots are very effective in this respect,” says Markus Voss, Global CIO & COO DHL Supply Chain. “So far, more than 500 assisted picking robots are already in industrial use in our warehouses in the USA, Europe and the UK. By the end of 2021, another 500 robots are to be added in a total of more than 20 locations.