Geekplus Technology Co. today announced that it has collaborated with Asda Logistics Services and AMH Material Handling to launch an automated sorting system Asda's distribution center in South Elmsall, U.K. The partners said the system will enable Asda to continue growing its parcel collection and returns business.
“We're pleased to be one of the first retailers in the U.K. to pioneer the Geek+ S20C robots in our National Sortation Centre working in collaboration with partners at Geek+ and AMH,” stated Jon Parry, vice president of Asda Logistics Services (ALS). “The robots work alongside our colleagues, enabling us to drive greater efficiencies at times of peak demand, which have helped to boost the number of parcels we're now able to sort through our Asda ToYou service.”
Geek+ helps Asda meet e-commerce demand
As the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in online purchases, Asda ToYou experienced significant growth by enabling shoppers to combine activities including returns in a single trip to an Asda store. The demand for parcel-collection and return services has grown rapidly in the past 12 months, according to the company.
At the same time, the service has expanded the number of retailers it supports. Over 100 are now available through Asda ToYou, which has processed 65% more returns than at the start of 2020.
The supermarket placed 60 in its distribution in South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, allowing 2,000 parcels to be sorted each hour with 99.99% accuracy. The installation marks the first time the technology has been used to support an increase in capacity in the U.K.
The project was implemented by AMH Material Handling, a provider of materials handling systems, and Geek+. The integration of S20C autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) into the existing ALS sorting system allows Asda ToYou to respond to rapid changes in order volume and continue to provide excellent services during periods of peak demand, said the companies.
“The process for intelligent sorting is pretty straightforward,” said Lit Fung, vice president and managing director of APAC, U.K., and Americas at Geek+. “By letting a network of AMRs transfer incoming parcels from workstations to cages of corresponding destinations, we can improve accuracy and efficiency while also making the process more ergonomic for warehouse employees.”
“With no need for fixed platform development, it makes it easy for Asda to scale operations in line with business growth,” he said. “All they have to do is adjust the number of robots and destination chutes.”
“We had a lot of fun delivering the solution, as Geek+ sorting robots are a highly flexible technology that can be integrated and customized to work with existing equipment on customer sites, such as conveyor belts or other robots,” added Adrian Carter, sales director at AMH Material Handling. “It provides us a powerful tool for optimizing sorting operations according to the specific needs of each customer. And, as an integrator, AI-enabled robotics solutions add a new dimension to our services as it allows us to continuously support our customers according to changes in business needs.”
About the partners
ALS is a division of Asda Stores PLC. Its distribution network includes 20 food depots, three clothing centers, two core hub national distribution centers, two import centers, five dot-com fulfillment centers, a national sortation center, and nine ASCs. In 2015, ALS launched Asda ToYou to support the collection and return of parcels from more than 600 locations.
Beijing-based Geek+ has more than 300 global customers and has deployed more than 10,000 supply chain robots worldwide. Founded in 2015, the company has over 800 employees and has offices in Germany, the U.K., the U.S., Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
AMH Material Handling is a U.K. distributor of Geek+ robotics and artificial intelligence for logistics. Founded in 2015, AMH Material Handling has offices in both Stoke -On-Trent and Halesowen, U.K., and it has more than 60 employees. AMH began working with Geek+ in 2019.
Article topics
Email Sign Up
Related Sortation News
Related Companies
Related Resources
