CEVA automates Canadian e-commerce warehousing systems
CEVA Logistics and Berkshire Grey are implementing AI-enabled robotic automation systems into CEVA’s supply chain operations in Canada. Embedding robotic solutions at CEVA’s Vancouver eCommerce facility will maximize distribution center capacity, optimize throughput and accelerate fulfillment processes.
Berkshire Grey’s Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model enables CEVA to leverage leading-edge, intelligent robotic automation systems on behalf of its customers. This gives CEVA the ability to increase capacity, improve throughput, and speed up fulfillment across locations as consumer demand grows. The RaaS model advances CEVA’s agility to scale and serve its customers and their businesses now and in the future.
CEVA is using Berkshire Grey’s Robotic Product Sortation and Identification (RPSi) system at its Vancouver distribution center to autonomously identify and sort eCommerce packages and parcels, streamlining distribution to 78 Canada Post destinations. The implementation has the capacity to process more than 5.5 million packages annually with minimal operator intervention in a compact 93 square-meter (1,000 square-foot) operating footprint. The RPSi system can handle challenging parcels such as the polybags, tubes, padded mailers and envelopes that are common in eCommerce shipping.
Says Dominik Dittrich, CEVA’s Executive Vice President of Contract Logistics, North America: “CEVA is committed to continuous improvement and innovation across its fulfillment,transportation and supply chain operations. The COVID-19 pandemic exponentially increased the fulfillment volume we needed to process shipments on behalf of our customers around the world. As we move forward, that volume is expected to remain strong. By partnering with Berkshire Grey and investing in its intelligent robotic automation systems, we can better operate our fulfillment facilities 24 hours per day to manage the excess volume, as well as scale our operations when needed.”
Adds Jessica Moran, SVP and General Manager of 3PL and Parcel Businesses at Berkshire Grey: “Berkshire Grey is excited to be a trusted partner to CEVA Logistics and provide the most innovative robotic technologies available today to help optimize their logistics and supply chain operations. Our AI-powered robotic solutions help businesses optimize labor while increasing throughput and capacity in their critical operations to better meet customer expectations.”
The RPSi is powered by AI-enabled robotic picking and placing, linear sort shuttle technology, a pack-to-light user interface, and Berkshire Grey’s patented HyperScanner™ auto-identification module. The system uses the company’s proprietary hardware and software to identify, singulate, transport, sort and store small parcels in specific and re-definable end locations aligned to meet CEVA’s dynamic network sortation needs.