On-demand automation provider gets funding boost

CASE STUDY

While supply chain automation isn’t new to logistics or manufacturing, what is new is the need for speed – to produce, transport, package, ship, deliver and adapt – at a pace never before seen. At the same time, the labour shortages that plague e-commerce operations are also impacting distribution, fulfillment and manufacturing facilities. 

One such company is Universal Logistics Holdings, a full-service provider of customised transportation and logistics solutions. Universal recently deployed the Fetch Cloud Robotics Platform in its one million square-foot Smyrna, TN logistics facility which serves the nearby Nissan Motors plant, the largest auto manufacturing facility in North America.

Just outside of Nashville, the greater metropolitan area where Smyrna resides ranks among the lowest overall unemployment rates in the United States at 2.4%. This makes it especially difficult to meet the demand for logistics workers and leads to chronic under-staffing situations. As a result, Universal has a pressing need for flexible, reliable and cost-effective automation solutions that can handle low-level tasks – like pushing carts with parts and sub-assemblies over long distances.  

In the Smyrna facility, Universal is using 10 Fetch CartConnect robots in conjunction with 40 carts to automate several key processes in the warehouse. This enables them to meet their targets while reducing the near continuous need to ask associates to work overtime. By opting for the Fetch Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) monthly fee model, Universal has been able to minimise its upfront investment and realise a compelling ROI. 

“Thanks to the short time from delivery to operation and the pay-as-you go approach, we’ve seen an immediate financial benefit from the Fetch deployment,” said Lee Weisenberger, managing director of IT at Universal. “This is a model we can easily roll out to many additional facilities.”