Analysis:
inVia Picker robots (AMRs) autonomously retrieve goods from the warehouse and put the bulk storage bins onto the wall for workers to pick from. This process decouples the order fulfillment process from the automatic storage and retrieval of goods from warehouse inventory locations. inVia software keeps track of the bulk storage locations of individual SKUs, and continuously optimizes the storage of items based on their demand by customer orders.

High volume SKUs are stored on shelves close to the Picker Wall, while “long tail” items are placed into storage on shelves in the aisles furthest away from the Picker Wall. Throughout the day, inVia Picker AMRs continuously shuffle bulk storage bins between the inVia Picker Wall and a target storage location based on the demands of upcoming orders.

Some existing inVia customers have seen dramatic throughput enhancements with the implementation of the inVia Picker Wall without any additional robots being deployed. Given that inVia customers pay for the service in a robots-as-a-service contract, this is a win-win for both inVia and the end customer. - Mike Oitzman

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