Relentless pressure to meet customer demands for fast delivery requires innovative thinking – and innovative solutions. As the labor force shrinks, warehouse operators can no longer rely on staffing up to get goods out the door, leading to broad investment in robotics automation. Today, some 120,000 mobile robots are deployed in the U.S. alone, and an estimated 584,000 robots are installed globally in a typical year. The result is reduced costs, improved accuracy, and most importantly, the capacity for same-day express shipping that consumers have come to expect.

 

Robotics as a service (RaaS) is the next-generation approach. Companies are moving away from capital expense toward subscription-based contracts for use of robotics devices. SAP and our partners offer a wide range of solutions to support warehouse operations in reinventing their business models.

 

SAP Warehouse Robotics enables you to integrate multiple robot vendors and instances across facilities, reducing proprietary dependence on a single vendor or solution. You can run a heterogeneous fleet of automation devices that best fit your requirements and configure the devices for your operational environment with minimal support from an automation integrator.

 

SAP Warehouse Robotics works with the SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM) application, a modern, flexible warehouse management system that digitalizes and accelerates your warehouse operations. SAP EWM helps you manage a high volume of goods and integrate complex supply chain logistics, optimize inventory tracking, cross-docking, distribution operations, and multichannel fulfillment, in real time. SAP EWM is available on SAP Store, SAP’s online marketplace.

 

In addition, a wide range of cloud solutions from SAP partners are available on SAP Store, where you can try, buy, and be up and running faster than ever before possible. You can be confident in partner solutions that are rigorously validated by SAP for quality and interoperability, with a similar look and feel for usability and fast adoption. Here are just a few examples of cloud solutions for warehouse automation that you can find on SAP Store.

 

EWM AutoStore. This solution from Pearl Norge AS integrates with SAP EWM without the need for middleware. EWM AutoStore enables key warehouse tasks, such as touch-screen-enabled, easy-to-use applications based on the SAP Fiori design philosophy that simplify operations for employees and streamline processes in both systems.

 

Geek+ Goods to Person Picking Solution. Improve the efficiency of your operations with autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to handle multiple tasks, including picking, moving, and sorting. This solution from Geek+, a leading intelligent robot company, uses smart algorithms to optimize efficiency and storage capacity. The solution integrates with SAP EWM to help you handle orders efficiently.

 

Locus Autonomous Mobile Robots for SAP EWM. Warehouse personnel can work collaboratively alongside AMRs with this RaaS solution, helping them pick faster and more accurately. Take advantage of this subscription-based program from Locus and easily add powerful AMRs to your operations. The Locus AMR solution integrates with SAP EWM.

 

mInventory Mobile Inventory & Warehouse Operations Management Solution. This mobile app eliminates manual paperwork entirely thanks to scanning of assets’ barcodes, RFIDs, and QR codes with handheld devices to reconcile inventory. It works with SAP EWM to enable a full range of transactions to be completed in real time, including goods receipt, putaway, picking, goods issue, and inventory counting.

 

MotionWorks Enterprise. Protect worker safety in your plants with this solution and bring parts and tools where they’re needed. MotionWorks Enterprise from Zebra Technologies automates collection of location data, enabling workers to locate tools and assets quickly, and supports tracking for compliance reporting. It enables employees to take correction actions quicky with alerts of potential problems.

 

TeamViewer Frontline Augmented Reality. This solution integrates with the SAP Field Service Management mobile app to optimize machine uptime and shop-floor productivity. You can reduce inspection time and increase accuracy by empowering service and maintenance technicians with intuitive augmented reality instructions on their smart glasses.

 

You can find the full list of cloud solutions for warehouse automation from SAP and our partners on SAP Store, many available for a demo or free trial.