How do 3PL warehouses deploy autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)? Collaborative warehouse robotics optimize pick paths by transporting picked goods directly to consolidation stations, eliminating up to 60% of manual walking time for warehouse associates. At KSP, 60 Locus AMRs integrate directly with Logiwa WMS to double throughput and maintain 99.999% pick/pack accuracy during peak season.
The adoption of automation within a 3PL is a strategic undertaking requiring careful consideration. After all, the wrong decision can lead to significant time, energy & dollars lost; not to mention the potential negative impact on our customer base. In our situation, this process unfolded over the course of several years & multiple iterations. Through each we meticulously evaluated various options, leading to our ultimate selection of Locus Robotics.
Our goal today is to walk you through that journey.
Back in the summer of 2020, we posted a blog referencing continuous improvement in a 3PL and our search for automation to offset repetitive tasks on our kitting and assembly services floor.
This search offered an opportunity to test out a robotic arm solution. The goal was to use this arm to pick and place items on our kitting line for holiday kits. The arm required us to program it to fit the size and shape of the item it was to be picking. We found this programming to be easy to accomplish.
Through extensive testing, we determined the arm functioned well in picking and placing items where necessary. Our challenge then was with scale.
- Developing towards the specifications of all product variations
- The quantity of arms that KSP would need to purchase based on the complexity of customer kits.
- Perfect placement: in many cases, customers require their product to be placed with a label or logo facing outward. This didn’t allow for that to be consistent.
These scale challenges allowed us to conclude this was not the right solution for us at that time.
The rest of 2020 proved to be beyond busy searching for both a new WMS and larger warehouse putting these discussions on hold for a minute. All while our business needs were changing significantly; order fulfillment becoming a more impactful portion of our business.
In 2021, our new WMS provider invited us to their lab to review their technology & integration capabilities for implementation. At that time we were provided demos of a few different automation solutions, one of them being Locus. Locus stood out as a solid solution even then.
In 2022, KSP ownership traveled to Modex to review additional solutions. Shortly thereafter, a committee was created to include the heads of each department to take a deeper dive into the solutions they reviewed during that trip. Solution styles included -
- AI to Person
- Goods to Person
- Shipping Conveyance
- Pick/Pack Conveyance
- Enhanced Cluster Picking
- Flow Racking
Each solution evaluated included attributes relevant to some areas of our business operations, with some demonstrating a greater application than others. Our primary challenge lay in identifying a solution capable of use across all diverse business units, each with varying product types and sizes. Automation typically thrives in environments characterized by consistency, a quality absent in the multi-customer landscape of a 3PL operation like ours. It became clear through this process a middleware would be needed to act as the brains of whatever solution we chose. Our Logiwa WMS and warehouse technology managed the critical data layer—SKU profiles, bin locations, and inventory counts—while the warehouse execution layer orchestrated bot routing on the floor.
Our IT team attended PROMAT 2023 and accelerated discussions with a potential WES provider, Logistiview. We needed a solution that could easily integrate with our WMS solution and really allow us to control and design internally and not be reliant on outside sources.
Early in 2024 we determined it was time to make a decision. The information we had gathered provided a clear choice on the solution and how best to achieve the results we were looking for. We took the opportunity at Modex 2024 to engage in heavy solution discussions and agreement negotiations. Three weeks later, agreements had been signed, design & implementation discussions had been initiated!
Our journey continues beyond this point as we eagerly anticipate the full integration of the bots……..which have recently arrived! Read Part II of KSP's Robotics Journey to see how the bot fleet went live, or discover how our 60 AMRs power 99.999% accurate ecommerce order fulfillment services for high-velocity brands
Put 60 autonomous mobile robots behind your peak-season order flow
Warehouse automation only matters if it translates into faster cycle times, fewer mis-picks, and predictable fulfillment costs. By integrating 60 Locus AMRs directly with Logiwa WMS, KSP eliminates picker travel fatigue and scales fulfillment volume on demand.
Experience modern warehouse robotics engineered for high-velocity DTC and omnichannel brands shipping from our Brooklyn Park facility.