Industry success isn’t a sprint or even a marathon; it’s a transcontinental hike.
On a sprint, you can get away with short-term solutions to get over the next hill. Yet, when you're in it for the long haul, you need tools that keep you moving forward no matter the mileage. That's why runners carb-load, but hikers carry trail mix. A combination of diverse assets meets long-term needs better than a single option.
Your forklift fleet is very similar.
A fleet that depends solely on traditional, manually-operated forklifts is like a bag of M&Ms. It might be great for a quick hustle. However, its performance will flag over time, reducing your productivity in the long run.
On the other hand, a mixed fleet is trail mix to your warehouse.
You have traditional forklifts for variable tasks; automated guided vehicles with the endurance to tackle tedious jobs; human-operated forklift alternatives to generate rapid productivity boosts; and AMRs that handle repetitive transport in complex environments. Together, these material handling tools ensure your warehouse is ready to summit the challenges ahead.
Read on to learn why mixed fleets are the solution your operation needs to keep up with your march into the future.
A thousand-mile journey may be the culmination of 2 million steps, but that doesn’t mean your associates need to be the ones who walk it.
The complex problem-solving abilities of the human brain are wasted on routine, tedious tasks like shuttling materials back and forth. Automated solutions like autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) consistently handle these jobs without fatigue or boredom. Consequently, your human staff can focus more on activities where they add value, increasing productivity by an average of 25%.
With labor making up 65% of operating costs, every minute a human associate wastes on a job a cobot could do is money down the drain.
That said, robotic solutions aren't about eliminating human staff. They are about enhancing your team members. The average warehouse worker spends about 60% of their day walking the floor between tasks. That time spent is boring for them and expensive for you. However, tools like AGV forklifts reduce this waste.
In fact, removing this wasted effort has broader impacts than simply cutting labor costs.
A 2017 study by BetterUp Labs found that associates who feel like their work adds value are 69% less likely to quit than workers who don’t. Team member turnover costs around $7,000 per worker and drains valuable knowledge from your workforce. Thus, employee retention is a money-saver all by itself.
Integrating automation makes your existing staff more productive and reduces losses in turnover and wasted effort.
Labor shortages continue to plague the industry.
An aging workforce, fewer younger workers, and ever-increasing demands on warehouses all contribute to this challenge. As such, labor shortages are unlikely to end in the near future. However, a mixed fleet helps you protect your facility from these productivity-killing deficits.
Take Tennant robotic cleaning machines, for example.
Labor shortages reduce the number of cleaning professionals available. Yet, cleanliness standards have not dropped, putting more pressure on existing staff and increasing turnover. Traditional human-operated floor cleaners improve efficiency, but even they can’t solve this challenge.
However, autonomous cleaning machines are a force multiplier that’s delivered to your door.
These units navigate your facility independently, cleaning the floors as they go. This frees up your human cleaning staff to focus on spot cleaning and tougher jobs. Your team can get more done, keeping your facility cleaner and lowering strain on your associates.
There are many more examples, but the message is the same: robots handle the routine so that humans can do the work that machines cannot. This collaboration mitigates the strain and productivity losses caused by a labor shortage, benefiting everyone across your operation.
By working together, humans and robots accomplish more than either could in the same amount of time without increasing headcount.
If you think automation is just a fad, soon to be replaced, you’re already behind.
In fact, the use of industrial robots increased 9% between 2023 and 2024, according to the International Federation of Robotics. Moreover, the global transportation and logistics sector leads the pack, accounting for 52% of all industrial robots. Consequently, the move to automation is an inevitability.
However, automation doesn’t require a facility-wide overhaul.
The most successful integrations start small and scale over time. This is another area where mixed fleets shine. Your traditional fleet already handles your day-to-day operations. So, you aren’t scrambling to make up lost ground. That means you have time to build.
Starting with a few AGVs or AMRs is a low-cost way to invest in the latest technology.
The sort of automation you use will vary with facility, process, and industry. There is no universal choice, but the initial integration is very similar. After optimizing your process and identifying what tasks are best suited to automation, work with your automation provider to introduce a few units into your facility. Integrate these units into your process and track how they improve your productivity. Then, as conditions and budget allow, expand your automated fleet a couple of units at a time.
With your traditional fleet in place, you never lose productivity while ramping up automation. Additionally, moving forward incrementally ensures you are always adding the latest and greatest technology to your fleet.
In this way, your mixed fleet will provide the fastest ROI and ensure your operation stays at the forefront of the industry.
The future is a journey without a destination, making a scalable mixed fleet your best tool for longevity.
Sprints are great for implementing quick bursts of innovation, but the march into the future requires greater endurance. A mixed fleet ensures you have the power to handle the demands of the moment and the fortitude to keep pushing ahead. Without such a combination of technologies, your facility will eventually become obsolete.
So how do you know what mix is right for you?
That's where we can help. Just like trail mix, the perfect recipe will reflect your facility's unique vision and goals. Our automation experts can help you identify the best technologies to complement your existing fleet and process. Sometimes, this will involve investing in new units. However, we can also upgrade your existing equipment to operate autonomously, providing you with the flexibility to evolve at your own pace and within your budget. Let us future-proof your business by ensuring your fleet has the right mix to tackle today and tomorrow.
To learn more about mixed fleets or warehouse automation, contact us online or visit one of our locations:
Arkansas - Jonesboro
Alabama - Dothan, Irondale, Mobile, and Montgomery
Georgia - Atlanta
Mississippi - Richland and Tupelo
Tennessee - Jackson and Memphis
Further Reading
Warehouse Automation: What to Automate First and Why
How Automation Can Help You Overcome a Labor Shortage
AGV Benefits: The Mystery of the Mangled Merlot