Manufacturing and process automation news has become sparse. News from the warehouse and fulfillment sector continues to grow. These items typically combine software, autonomous mobile robots, communications devices for connected workers, and (of course) a dollop of AI.
This news comes from Zebra Technologies. This company’s acquisitions has rendered it as a completely different company from the one whose products I recommended and sold earlier in my career. They say this new solution unlocks fulfillment potential for warehouse operations with advanced collaborative robotics-assisted picking technology.
Zebra Technologies announced the expansion of Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment, a comprehensive solution that utilizes the company’s new Zebra Connect Fulfillment autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), wearable technologies, software, and analytics designed to increase productivity and reduce costs in warehouse operations. This AI-powered solution combines the functions of a warehouse execution system (WES) with robot fleet management and powerful analytics.
Using the new Zebra Symmetry Connect Fulfillment AMR, the solution enables frontline workers to load and unload orders to and from carts without requiring the AMR to remain permanently attached to each cart. This increases utilization and reduces the number of AMRs required in the fulfillment system. Fueled by Team Intelligence, this solution enables workers – also referred to as pickers – to pick more items in less time by coordinating each picker with a team of robots in a precise, directed workflow. This innovative approach improves throughput and empowers operational decision-making in fulfillment workflows.
Team Intelligence improves throughput by routing robots ahead of pickers, so the right AMR is always where it needs to be when a picker arrives. Using detachable carts with increased cubic capacity allows pickers to handle a wider range of product sizes and up to 300% more volume; it also boosts pick density and eliminates AMRs wait times. In addition, the ability to decouple AMRs from carts at key points in the operation such as induction and packout allows AMRs to immediately return to supporting the picking operation without waiting for orders to be unloaded or inducted. All these efficiency improvements result in reducing the total number of robots required by up to 30%.
Some of the Zebra customers who are using Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment to increase picking efficiency within their warehouse operations include CTL Global Solutions and Encore Fulfillment. These third-party logistics providers have selected the solution over other companies’ pick-assist fulfillment technology and are deploying it in early 2025.
Powered by AI for sequencing and allocating work, Team Intelligence is designed to improve AMR-assisted picking through intelligently planned order-picking paths. This eliminates the time pickers waste trying to find the right robots and minimizes the time robots spend waiting for pickers to find them. As noted in Zebra’s Warehouse Vision Study, almost 70% of warehouse decision-makers are planning to automate their workflows with the use of collaborative AMRs, and over 88% agree that implementing robotics will help attract and retain skilled workers.
