Körber Shares Supply Chain Software and Automation Strategy at Elevate Americas 2022

At the Elevate Americas 2022 virtual event this week, Körber AG has launched new software and capabilities for robotics, warehouse management and control, voice, and simulation. The company said it plans to help businesses worldwide to further digitize and automate their operations in response to current supply chain pressures.

"Supply chain has moved from a back-office function to a boardroom imperative," stated Richard Stewart, executive vice president of North America at Körber Supply Chain Software. "The pandemic, labor shortages, cost increases, fuel prices, material shortages, and beyond – these challenges are real and here to stay. Unlike anyone else, Körber brings to market an unmatched depth of digital technologies that conquer these complexities."

Sean Elliott, chief technology officer of Körber Supply Chain Software, said, "Digitization is a strategic priority for more than 80% of supply chain executives. Yet, many businesses struggle to digitize at the pace they need. From handling the rapid expansion of e-commerce to the increasing interconnectivity of the global economy, major technology advances are pivotal."

Körber unveils supply chain plans

As consumer demand shifts to e-commerce, labor shortages persist, interest in sustainability rises, and global supply chains struggle, businesses need a full portfolio of technologies to tackle complexity, said Körber Supply Chain.

Körber Business Area Supply Chain offers software and hardware for materials handling, as well as consulting and integration expertise. The Minneapolis-based unit of Körber AG is sharing its roadmap and customer case studies at Elevate Americas. The company said it will offer the following advances this year:

• The cloud: As part of the Körber One platform strategy, Körber plans to increase efficiency, reliability, resilience, green practices, and cybersecurity by offering its systems in the cloud. This includes the K.Motion warehouse management system (WMS), K.Sight CLASS for warehouse modeling and simulation, and Körber's K.Motion Essentials add-ons spanning visibility to data analytics.
• Unified control system (UCS): Körber said it already provides successful voice systems and has an extensive network of autonomous mobile robot (AMR) partners. The company plans to combine its voice and robotics practice with a unified control system. The UCS will integrate and control different working models -- fixed automation, voice systems, and third-party AMRs -- with a single tool. Körber expects to make it available in the second half of 2022.
• K.Sight CLASS for operations: New advances connect data on daily operations from the warehouse management system (WMS) for real-time planning and design, said Körber. This provides immediate visibility into operational health and stronger strategic planning, it said.

Users discuss advances at Elevate

During the virtual conference, customers in multiple industries are presenting how they have updated and managed their supply chains with Körber. Selected examples include:

• SanMar discusses its journey modernizing operations with Körber's WMS and voice solutions for a more sustainable supply chain.
• Lineage Logistics elaborates on how Körber's WMS enabled it to improve efficiency and optimize its warehouse layout.
• Big Rock Sports, joined by Körber partner enVista, shares best practices and experiences implementing Körber's WMS.
• ISN displays how it improved working conditions and productivity with robots from Körber and Locus Robotics.
• Biagi Bros showcases how it improved agility and resilience while driving innovation with the Oracle Cloud and Körber's WMS.
• Kenco Group describes its AMR deployment for e-commerce fulfillment, focused on productivity and labor dependency.
• Nassau Provisions, shares how it scaled food distribution operations using Körber's WMS and voice technology to meet rapid growth.
• Ariat speaks about its combination of Körber's WMS and Geek+'s AMRs to improve customer and employee experiences and enable workforce flexibility.
• Bimbo Bakery overviews how it is revolutionizing retail execution with a smarter and more efficient frontline through direct-store delivery with K.Motion OmniTech.

Content from Elevate will be available to registrants on demand for 90 days, said Körber.