Leveraging Advanced Automation & Robotics to Grow your Micro-Fulfillment Strategy

Micro Fulfillment & Advanced Automation

The recent global events have made it clearer than ever that our supply chains must be local and highly automated to respond to shifts in channel volumes.

Stores out of stock or closed, a flooded e-commerce network that cannot keep up with demand, disappointed customers as a result of stock-outs, and slow delivery combine to drive business to the retail winners who have inventory positioned and well-stocked in local markets aligned with consumer demand.

A dependence on available labor and the luxury of multi-day fulfillment models must become a part of supply chain history.

Chris Walton from Forbes provided this interesting definition:

“hyperlocal micro-fulfillment is the practice of retailers taking steps to either collocate fulfillment centers onsite at their stores or near their stores to take advantage of inventory already placed close to consumers’ homes.”

This white paper will address the following topics

• The use of micro-fulfillment centers (MFCs) in population centers to better serve the local market – both standalone MFCs and store backrooms
• The requirement for advanced automation in these micro-fulfillment centers to best leverage the available square footage, optimize throughput, and decrease the dependence on available labor
• An overview of the present and future market conditions and commercial automation solutions that enable the exponential growth of a micro-fulfillment strategy

Micro Fulfillment & Advanced Automation Conclusion

Micro Fulfillment has transformed from a good idea into a mandate.

Localized inventory assortment planning and management is a critical attribute of today and beyond the supply chain.

The best retailers will not only recover from the days of the pandemic but will be in the position to meet the demands of holiday peaks and beyond because they have already adopted a strategy of advanced robotic automation in micro-fulfillment centers across North America.