UPS: Exponential Growth in Global Freight Transportation

UPS: Exponential Growth in Global Freight Transportation
Supply Chain Digital October 2020
By Oliver Freeman
https://www.supplychaindigital.com/logistics/ups-exponential-growth-global-freight-transportation

The growth of modern technology has drastically changed the landscape of e-commerce forever; from automation in warehouses to efficient software designed to maximise order fulfilment, ultimately designed to reduce human error and increase production across the board. Many companies employ their own techniques, but two big names have announced a team-up like no other.

On the 22nd of October Fetch Robotics and VARGO announced their partnership to develop a new solution to e-commerce output, designed to combine their respective technologies.

Fetch Robotics provides cloud-driven Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) designed to reduce costs, improve efficiency and productivity while working alongside people. From disinfectant bots to material handling, the future really is now.

“The two optimisation engines complement each other perfectly because they each have a different view,” said Stefan Nusser, Chief Product Officer at Fetch Robotics. “COFE sees the world of warehouse processes, while our cloud robotics platform focuses on optimising the fleet and other issues, including navigation and travel to achieve the shortest paths and to avoid congestion. It’s a nice separation of duties, with the two solutions working hand in hand.”

VARGO has developed the first and most advanced Warehouse Execution System “COFE”, Continuous Order Fulfillment Engine, a software solution that can, in real-time, organise and synchronise all warehouse resources while maintaining a continuous flow of work for efficient fulfilment.

“We are excited about our company’s formal alignment with Fetch Robotics to deliver further industry-leading, robust and expansive solutions for the challenges that e-commerce and distribution operations face,” said Bart J. Cera, president and COO of VARGO.

The growth of e-commerce has pushed companies to find more efficient methods to not only meet order requirements but match their competitors, and with COVID-19 having drastically changed the state of the world this process of optimisation has only been expedited.

“As e-commerce fulfilment operators face ever-increasing pressure to reduce labour and deliver higher levels of production in a more scalable and flexible way, the combination of VARGO and Fetch Robotics, under this alliance, provides a powerful and compelling fulfilment solution,” said Cera.

The additional strain of these global changes uniting companies like Fetch Robotics and VARGO pave the way for a higher standard of e-commerce, one that fuses various ever-growing types of technology to create what may well become the gold standard for distribution operations.