Continuing their leading-edge innovation in warehouse technology, US and UK-based Synergy Logistics has achieved a noteworthy breakthrough with SnapControl. This pioneering multi-agent orchestration platform is offering warehouses the power to superbly manage all automation equipment and robots within their distribution centres from one central unit.
The SnapControl platform stands out by creating a comprehensive data profile that allows businesses to evaluate their operational value in real time. This data-driven approach fuels sound decision-making and ensures optimal performance and efficiency.
The platform has demonstrated its transformative potential during its inaugural deployment with a rapidly growing U.S. online retailer. The advanced data analysis provided by SnapControl optimised the allocation of work between human and automated resources, thereby determining the efficiency of manual versus automated tasks and pinpointing the manual picks needed in areas served by Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). Consequently, the operation witnessed a sixfold surge in productivity, representing a return on investment in automated resources and labour savings of over half a million dollars. Impressively, the company now saves over $40,000 per week, with an investment payback timeframe of just 23 weeks.
Closing on the heels of this groundbreaking triumph, Smitha Raphael, Chief Product & Delivery Officer for Synergy Logistics, addressed the fast track deployment, saying, "We deployed both the SnapFulfil warehouse management system (WMS) and SnapControl solutions in under 60 days to manage allocation of work to AMRs and routing of work to carton right-sizing equipment without major software upheavals."
On the platform's added benefits, Raphael expounded, "The real added value is the complete data picture it brings, which can facilitate tangible labour savings, accurate asset management decisions, and rapid time to value. For instance, with our customer, if a robot battery is dead, SnapControl informs them instantly and automatically reassigns the task to a worker with an RF scanner, so there is no downtime."
Following the swift integration of SnapControl, the company accomplished full operational status for their new 300,000 sq. ft. warehouse within a week. Consequently, processes such as receiving, inventory, and shipping were up and running instantly. This enabled the operation to promptly adapt and concentrate on new initiatives, ensuring responsiveness to fluctuating market demands.
SnapControl’s interoperability with SnapFulfil and compatibility with any other incumbent WMS, Order Management System (OMS), or e-commerce front-end system, whether cloud-based or local, offers its distinct versatility. Fundamental to this platform's inherent versatility is its ability to manage workflow prioritisation, task allocation, and assigning suitable automation and robotic devices for specific operations — all with a low total cost of ownership and a brief time to value.
By interpreting bilateral communication between machines and advanced WMS, SnapControl enables efficient, automated decision-making. This approaches veers from the mass adoption of robots, focusing instead on targeted automation to improve productivity as robot fleets expand from multiple vendors and diversified portfolios.
In conclusion, Raphael observed: "In today’s especially challenging times the ability to rapidly augment and orchestrate your technology investments — to both mitigate labour challenges and improve efficiency and productivity - without unnecessary service fees has never been more important. It’s now mission critical to harness real-time control with 24/7 visibility from one centralised system."