The new Berkshire Grey platform enables goods-to-person picking from picking stations, like the one pictured (Photo: Berkshire Grey)
In 2022, the store is everywhere. While brick-and-mortar retail certainly isn’t going away, U.S. consumers have learned to shop online. And once they purchase an item, they’re conditioned to expect countless ways of receiving it.
Berkshire Grey’s next-generation solution, BG Flex, uses a fleet of connected autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that integrate into a variety of settings. They can be deployed in microfulfillment centers, distribution centers and even in back-of-store fulfillment environments.
Robotics strategy is not one size fits all
“Retail enterprises that approach their supply chains holistically can save millions of dollars and take care of customers faster and more profitably by investing in mobile robotic automation,” said Berkshire Grey President and COO Steve Johnson.
“This generation of our AI-enabled mobile robotic platform harnesses mobile swarm technology, integrated buffer and robotic picking along with advances in software and hardware performance that transform fulfillment operations at their core,” he added.
A promotional video showcasing the new BG FLEX platform. (Courtesy: Berkshire Grey)
BG Flex upgrades a retailer’s warehouse automation in a few ways. For one, the mobile swarm technology that Johnson mentioned orchestrates the work of hundreds — even thousands — of AMRs in concert, including across facilities.
The robots function like a hive mind, using AI and machine learning to adapt to changes and communicate with one another. In doing so, Berkshire Grey ensures there is no single point of failure. If one robot malfunctions, there will always be another ready to take its place, equipped with the same knowledge of the operator’s system.
An AMR inducts a case of Cheerios into the BG Flex system. (Photo: Berkshire Grey)
Another enticing piece of BG Flex is the time, or lack thereof, it takes to implement. According to Berkshire Grey, setting up the platform in a new facility takes just a few days. Other solutions can take weeks or months to stand up.
All of this makes the fulfillment process easier for retailers and operators. In the warehouse or distribution center, BG Flex’s robots store, pick and sort items as they arrive — that includes returned goods, which the platform automatically integrates with existing inventory. It can even store and consolidate partial orders with filled orders, enabling just-in-time loading.
In the microfulfillment center, BG Flex’s sortation capabilities can reduce the amount of time employees spend reshelving. That in turn increases the time they spend at the pick station, allowing them to fulfill e-commerce orders faster.
Then once an order is ready to be shipped, the platform facilitates delivery-route alignment for easy home delivery. But if a customer wants to receive the order another way, BG Flex can do that too. It’s set up to enable options like BOPIS and curbside pickup, and through a granular presorting process, it’s able to reduce truck unloading and aisle replenishment times.
