In a paper published by Deloitte, it details how new technologies are presenting promising opportunities for improvement across the supply chain and how autonomous robots and drones are poised to change the game.
Autonomous robots are in a growing category of devices – including drone aircraft (aerial robots) – that can be programmed to perform tasks with little to no human intervention or interaction. They can vary significantly in size, functionality, mobility, dexterity, artificial intelligence, and cost, from robotic process automation to flying vehicles with powerful image and data capturing capabilities.
Increasingly, autonomous robots are programmed with artificial intelligence to recognize and learn from their surroundings and make decisions independently.
Autonomous robots adoption can result in the following benefits:
- Improve speed and accuracy of routine operations,
- Add efficiency by assisting human in mundane work such as carrying and moving
- Reduce the risk of employee injury in dangerous environments
According to Deloitte, autonomous robots are helping define the supply chain of the future by helping companies decrease long-term costs; provide labor and utilization stability; increase worker productivity; reduce error rate; reduce the frequency of inventory checks; optimize picking, sorting, and storing times; and increase access to difficult or dangerous locations.