‘Playing Nice’ with the Orchestration of Automation
Article from MHI Solutions Magazine
Solo performances and smaller ensembles can highlight any orchestra’s performance. But when the entire group plays seamlessly together, the magic of the symphony can be experienced in dynamic, powerful—and sometimes even awe‑inspiring—ways.
In today’s supply chain community, there’s much talk of “orchestration” and “harmonization” in warehouses and distribution centers, alongside notes of scalability and interconnectivity. Here, too, there are integral soloists and smaller sections; consider Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Warehouse Execution Systems (WES), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), Autonomous Forklifts, Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS), all playing their part. Each is important. Each can be competitive.
“Implementing automation in a warehouse is not a big challenge the first time you do it,” says Bill Denbigh, VP of go to market strategy for advanced supply chain solutions provider and MHI member Tecsys. “The second time, third time and fourth time, it’s a nightmare…
