Shipping and logistics company Maersk has been exploring AI-powered warehouse design slotting digital solutions in partnership with automated warehouse design company IAI Labs Technology.
Maersk’s cross-functional development team has collaborated with IAI Labs Technology to create a customized digital application for the slotting solution process in omnichannel fulfillment centers. The collaborative development process began in November 2021 in Redlands, California. More testing and research are planned for phase two of the project, which will run until the end of March 2022. The technology being prototyped enables software analysis that is designed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of results and enhance the storage location distribution of items for warehouse use.
By digitalizing the slotting process in its large-scale fulfillment operations, Maersk expects the efficiency of its warehouse operations to improve. This is because the solution has been designed to maximize the use of space, increase productivity and reduce inventory handling. The automatic optimization of inventory layout within the warehouses is predicted to improve workflows, order preparation processing times and the company’s operational strategy.
Erez Agmoni, head of innovation and strategic growth for the warehousing and development product at Maersk, said, “Utilizing AI, developing algorithms, predictive analytics, simulations and data-driven analytics added to business model innovations enables us to continuously improve supply chain processes. This visibility enables our customers to compete with a faster time-to-market proposition. AI solutions embedded with deep expertise in machine learning, optimization, simulation and data-driven analytics also upskill decision making.”
Manuel Pappaterra, head of customer implementations for warehousing and distribution at Maersk, commented, “The solution is well ahead in the proof-of-concept process and is already tracking with a 97% accuracy rate, which will significantly improve decision making through digitalization.”
Siming Li, the CEO of IAI Labs, added, “This project is a fantastic opportunity for us to validate the value of our solution to Maersk. The feedback from industry experts is valuable to our growth. This also helps fast-track our engagement with Maersk and explore new opportunities to scale.”