We sought robotic AGV integration primarily as a means to improve customer service, but also as a way to improve the employee experience and safety.
MIKE ERSKINE
Corporate Distribution Manager
Manual efforts slow fulfillment
As the official provider of Caterpillar machines, parts, and services in the Northeast U.S., Milton CAT is recognized as one of its top-performing dealerships worldwide, with their distribution center (DC) in Milford, Massachusetts, supporting 12 other facilities in the region.
Although Milton CAT has a highly-efficient process for their fast movers, the same could not be said for the slow movers. To fulfill and deliver these orders, workers had to walk to the opposite side of the DC up to 50 times per day, spending as much as 50% of their time on this non-value add task. In an effort to optimize this movement, orders were aggregated into multiple items. Still, it only complicated fulfillment, delaying the process and compromising the rate workers could fulfill customer orders.
Speed and safety for the win
Milton CAT needed an automation solution that could help them increase their fulfillment speed and decrease the amount of time employees spend on non-value tasks while maintaining a safe working environment by reducing potential employee injuries.
The Vecna Robotics team worked with Milton CAT to determine that an autonomous lift truck was their right solution. Its precise and safe transport, manual operation with the flick of a switch and its ability to interact with powered doors and other facility infrastructure helps it independently pick up and drop off pallets—drastically improving their shuttling system from parts storage to the shipping area.
Thanks to rapid installation, within hours the warehouse personnel could call the first autonomous lift truck on demand and watch it fulfill orders with no infrastructure changes required.
A team focused on fulfillment
The use of Vecna Robotics technology has led to a drastic improvement in fulfillment speed as warehouse personnel can call the robot on demand, allowing them to efficiently fulfill orders as needed and minimize delays resulting in improved customer service and customer satisfaction.
Employees have also found that they can now delegate work to the robot, which frees them up to focus more on value-added tasks and reduce their time spent on the non-value-added tasks that previously held them back.
Vecna AMR solutions deliver the safety, performance, and scalability that Milton CAT needs to increase throughput through automation and focus their workers on higher-value tasks.
