Locus Robotics is sending its warehouse robots to Australia under an expanded partnership with DHL Supply Chain.
The contract logistics global market leader and the autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) supplier announced the deployment of fully integrated LocusBots in a first for the Asia-Pacific region.
Supply chain innovations
“At DHL Supply Chain Australia, we are leading the industry in automation research and development to create truly scalable, efficient and effective solutions for our customers,” said Steve Thompsett, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Australia & New Zealand. “It’s important for us to innovate and to consistently optimise our customers’ supply chains.”
Rick Faulk, CEO, Locus Robotics said: "We are thrilled to expand our global partnership with DHL Supply Chain into the region. This collaboration represents a significant step towards enhancing capacity, optimising operational processes, and elevating DHL’s customer experiences. Together, we are paving the way for a more intelligent, agile, and sustainable supply chain future.”
Digital solution
LocusONE, the industry’s first data science-driven warehouse automation platform for enterprise-wide AMR deployments, brings immense value by providing powerful insights that drive informed decision making. LocusONE transforms complex information into actionable intelligence to enable greater success in an increasingly data-centric world.
The multi-customer digital solution LocusONE adheres to the complex quality assurance profiles and regulations for DHL’s medical device customers Cardinal Health and Terumo. The automated solution is GAMP 5 (Good Automated Manufacturing Practice) validated and is certified for medical and pharmaceutical distribution.
Automation efficiency
Cardinal Health — a global manufacturer and distributor of medical products — leverages DHL for supply chain and logistics for its customers in Australia. “We’re glad to see DHL investing in automation and building capacity to be more efficient in the future,” said Jane Crowe, managing director, Cardinal Health.
“Cardinal Health has led the way as early adopters of Locus Robotics in healthcare in North America, and it’s fantastic to see investment in the same technology in Australia. Automation drives efficiency, improves employee safety and increases picking and packing accuracy. I look forward to DHL realizing similar benefits to its operations, because it will also benefit our customers.”
Technology investments
“Investment in technology for the medical sector is moving forward. DHL's investment in automation and digitalization is crucial for Terumo Australia as it enables us to respond faster to increasing supply requirements, aligning with rising demand.” said Terumo Managing Director Jeff Soo. “We’re pleased to see the enhancements in productivity and capacity that this solution brings.”
Worldwide rollout
DHL is the largest customer of Locus Robotics worldwide. This expansion builds on the partnership that began in 2017 in North America. DHL now has robotic solutions in all key geographies (North America, Latin America, Europe, United Kingdom, Asia Pacific), and plans to deploy up to 5,000 bots in the years to come.
This solution is part of the largest investment in robotics and automation DHL has made in Asia-Pacific, with 1,000 robots to be deployed across several sectors by 2025. And it further cements DHL’s position as the market leader in Life Sciences and Healthcare supply chains in Australia.
Assisted picking robots help reduce time spent on manoeuvring pushcarts through warehouses, lowers physical strain on employees, and increases picking efficiency. Assisted picking robots display images of goods to be picked, calculate optimal navigation routes, and reduce required training time. DHL Supply Chain is growing its Australian workforce and is providing continued development opportunities for employees.
DHL’s strategy will see continued investment in launching industry leading innovative solutions for medical devices, cold chain, pharmaceutical and consumer health customers.
