INDIRA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
MBA SEM I (Batch 2020-2022)
DIV – C
Topic of the Presentation: Swisslog
Roll No Students Name Group No.
16 Prathamesh Kulkarni 3.2
18 Shantanu Hiwanj 3.2
23 Tanmay Kekan 3.2
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Swisslog
Swisslog is a global company with Swiss roots, specializing in the delivery of logistics
automation for warehouses and distribution centers. Headquartered in Buchs, Aargau,
Switzerland, Swisslog provides automation products and services in more than 25 countries.
As part of the KUKA Group, a German robotics and automation supplier, Swisslog has a
workforce of more than 14,000 people. Founded in the year 1900 in Swiss town of Aarau. In
December 2014, KUKA, a leading global supplier in the fields
of robotics, automation and systems engineering, acquired Swisslog.
Products and Services
Swisslog's products include logistics automation systems to move cases, pallets and individual
items such as automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), conveyor
systems, depalletizing and palletizing systems, single-item picking systems and its inventory
management and material flow software, SynQ. Swisslog also provides services such as
consulting, concept studies, project implementation and customer service and SAP EWM. As
an integrator, Swisslog has sold the most AutoStore projects globally compared to other
partners.
Swisslog's products also include robotic technologies for automated item picking and order
picking:
• ItemPiQ
ItemPiQ handles the repeated picking and placing of products weighting up to 1.5kg from a
source into a target bin or carton, using a multi-function gripper. It is applicable in industries
such as retail, e-commerce and pharmaceutical industries.
• ACPaQ
ACPaQ creates store-friendly mixed case pallets in both ambient temperature and chilled
warehouse zones. It can handle most types of cartons, shrink wrapper or foiled packages, and
pallet types used in retail and beverage industries.
Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing the way companies manufacture, improve and distribute their
products. It is providing a roadmap to the future of operations. Industry 4.0 is changing how
we interact with machines and how these machines interact with each other. This will have a
significant impact on the warehouse. With decentralized, networked intelligence, advanced
robotics and self-organized processes, the warehouse of the future will take a giant step
forward in productivity, flexibility and efficiency. Backed by KUKA, Swisslog says it is ready
to lead us on the journey to achieving the highest intralogistics performance in a digital age.
The Hannover Messe is one of the world's largest trade fairs, dedicated to the topic of industry
development. At HMI Hannover Messe 2018, Swisslog presented the Swisslog & KUKA
Future Ready Logistics Automation Solution. The automation powerhouse included
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accurate gripping robotics, SynQ Software and Swisslog’s Big Data solution with self-
learning algorithms.
New era of flexible, robot-supported and data-driven solutions
The future of warehouse management and distribution centers requires maximum flexibility,
full automation, and smart data. Intralogistics is evolving from large, rigid systems
into modular, flexible software-driven solutions that are robot-supported and self-optimizing.
Decades of experience have made Swisslog the technological pioneer in a new era of flexible
and data-driven solutions. We have unique Industry 4.0 technological expertise and have
developed skilled inhouse software competence.
Efficient and Reliable order picking by ItemPiQ
With ItemPiQ, item picking for e-commerce, retail and pharmaceuticals can be fulfilled
rapidly and accurately. The robot cell is designed to handle repeated piece picking, error-free.
The robot is operational 24/7 and can pick and place products from a source into a target bin
or carton.
This allows companies to better cover seasonal peaks such as Black Friday and the Holiday
season. Thanks to the robot-based order picking, operating costs can be reduced in the long
term and staff shortages overcome. ItemPiQ picks single items efficiently from a source bin
into target bin or carton
ItemPiQ’s intelligent vision system recognizes and picks a large variety of items. It identifies
the grip points of unknown articles, greatly simplifying the learning process. Thanks to its
multi-function gripper, the robot can handle a wide variety of common products in retail, e-
commerce and pharmaceutical industries weighing up to 1.5 kg. Depending on size, weight,
product-to-robot system and storage method, ItemPiQ can pick up to 1,000 items per hour.
Improving warehouse efficiency with smart WMS
SynQ stands for Synchronized Intelligence and is a modular, service-oriented software
platform for warehouse management and material flow orchestration. SynQ gives you the
precise functionality you need to optimize your warehouse operations. It literally embeds
intelligence in the operation and synchronizes the performance of your automated and manual
warehouse equipment in the best possible way. It encompasses warehouse
management (WMS), material flow (MFC/WCS), and automation control systems (ACS)
functionality, along with an array of business intelligence tools to boost your warehouse
performance. SynQ will help your company to embrace the era of digitalization and stay ahead
of your competition.
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Future Plans
1.VR for more efficient staff training
Swisslog is currently developing a SynQ Virtual Reality (VR) Training Manager which allows
end users and trainers to learn and enhance picking process skills in a virtual environment at
SynQ CarryPick workstations. The continued development of this unique training program
based specifically on your configured warehouse processes replicates workstation picking in
a VR environment. This enables both regular retraining of staff for continuous improvement of
warehouse picking without impacting on live operations in a busy warehouse, as well
as speeding up onboarding and training of new staff.
2.So, what does this mean for the warehouse of the future? Here are some of the key takeaways
from our analysis:
• The warehouse must move closer to the customers it serves. We envision a growth in
urban distribution centers that stage products close to users within large cities to enable
faster delivery and a more seamless omni-channel experience. The obvious challenge to
this scenario will be the space limitations and relatively high real estate costs inherent
in urban markets. This will dictate compact and efficient warehouses with limited
inventories that are optimized using predictive analytics and supplemented with 3D
printing.
• The space constraints imposed by urban environments will likely also impose a shared
service model in which multiple sellers share space in the same facility with products
from these sellers consolidated for delivery similar to how parcel shippers consolidate
packages today.
• The urban warehouse must be equipped to produce products as well as store and ship
them. With greater customization on the horizon and the continuing maturation of 3D
printing technology, the urban distribution center will be well positioned to “print”
products on demand and then package and deliver them just as they do products from
inventory.
• The urban distribution center must be configured to support same-day delivery or
customer pickup through some combination of autonomous vehicles, robotic picking
and loading, drones and mobile pickup points.
• Technology will play a significant role in delivering the speed and efficiency required
and automating the movement of products from large regional warehouses to the urban
distribution centers, while enabling faster picking, loading and delivery of these
products.
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