In the North American market, the earliest companies that applied industrial robots to achieve logistics processes directly collaborated with robot manufacturers or robot solution suppliers, so most of the previous application cases were robot solutions for a single link or project. So what are the key areas of future enterprise user needs that logistics technology equipment companies and robot manufacturers are paying attention to？
Since 2010, more and more companies have put robot automation solutions on the agenda. Research reports indicate that nearly 90% of warehouses, logistics centers, or distribution centers with robot systems currently have clear plans to increase project investment budgets in the future, while 46.2% of enterprises indicate that they are already implementing new robot and information system integration projects. Nearly 50% of enterprises will have a strong demand for logistics robot solutions in the next 2 years (the planning process is already underway), while only 7.7% of enterprises do not plan to implement robot technology or large-scale adoption of robot equipment in their internal logistics operation systems.
Enterprises are enthusiastic about the application cases of industrial robots and automated three-dimensional libraries. Almost all companies that currently have robot systems say they have plans for future projects, while 46.2% of companies say they are already working on new projects. Just over 46% of companies will pursue new use cases in the next two years (planning has already begun), while 7.7% of companies do not plan to implement robotics technology in their internal logistics operations.
When planning future robot projects, approximately 77% of respondents stated that picking is their top priority, while 46.2% pointed out sorting, 38.5% pointed out box/turnover box transportation, and 30.8% pointed out replenishment as their key task. Other companies hope to add more robotics technology (30.8%) to their receiving and unloading processes; Increase the release of goods in storage automation (15.4%); Packaging (7.7%); And order consolidation (7.7%).
The proportion of enterprise users deploying industrial robot technology in the next five years. Among them, the demand for mobile goods to people systems ranks first (62%), followed by robot automatic picking systems (54%), sorting robots (46%), robot handling (39%), and heavy-duty transportation robots for pallet boxes (31%). Just as early adopters of speech technology started with selection and then looked for other use cases to utilize the technology, early adopters of robotics technology are looking for ways to gain more benefits from the technology.
Judging the market situation of industrial robots often relies on full consideration of capital factors. The report shows that when investing in robot solutions, more than half (53.8%) of respondents stated that investment return is an "extremely important" factor in decision-making, while the same number of respondents consider investment return (ROI) when making these decisions. Others point out that time value (38.5%), total cost of ownership (38.5%), and investment risk (30.8%) are some of the most important considerations when investing in robotics and automation. Industrial robots have lived up to expectations in practical applications. When asked if their existing robotic devices met early expectations, over 60% of companies stated that their total cost of ownership target had been met or exceeded. Nearly 85% of respondents stated that their expected return on investment met or exceeded their expectations, while nearly 77% of respondents shared the same view on their investment return time goals.
Overall, the majority of companies are satisfied with their robotics and automation investments. According to reports, 69.2% of companies have achieved their overall business goals through robot implementation, 23.1% of companies have not yet achieved these goals, and 7.7% of companies are unsure of the answer. Other processes include collaborative aisle picking, cleaning robots, and moving goods to people systems. When asked about the preferred business model for purchasing robots, 46% of people stated that they plan to purchase the entire solution, including hardware, software, maintenance, and support.