As the coronavirus epidemic has led to a surge in online shopping, this is likely to become even more widespread in the future. This will put increasing pressure on the warehouses of online shops. However, to keep up with this increased demand, more and more sites will need to automate their workflow to be efficient. However, this change could cost many warehouse workers their jobs, so the spread of technology could lead to unemployment in the sector.
Supermarket chain Kroger has already opened its first fully automated warehouse in Bulter County, Ohio, and the first order has been successfully fulfilled. The massive 335,000 sq ft central warehouse is run entirely by robots and artificial intelligence tools, which are proving to be incredibly efficient compared to human labour.
While it took warehouse workers 30-45 minutes to put together 50 orders, the robots do it all in under 6 minutes. And this $55 million automated warehouse is only the first of 20 planned.
The partnership between the company and Ocado in the UK was essential to enable the supermarket chain to fulfil orders in the e-commerce segment with such advanced robotic technology. Ocado helps to achieve cost-effective operations and faster delivery times. The system is well proven and further expansion is planned.
The supermarket chain says it is only a matter of time before companies realise how much more efficient and faster robots are than human labour. This, in turn, will put millions of warehouse workers out of work, so workers need to learn as soon as possible and find a job in a sector that will not be as affected by technological advances in the near future.
The author of the article is Dalma Blősz
Read the original article here: https://makronom.mandiner.hu/cikk/20210409_a_robotizalt_kereskedelmi_raktarak_tovabb_novelik_a_munkanelkuliseget