Automation is on the rise across many industries, and the supply chain industry is no exception. Automation can increase productivity while reducing operational costs and optimizing space within warehouse and manufacturing facilities. Automation is also playing a larger role in companies’ sourcing strategies, as it can help close the labor gap. 

Companies across the Kansas City metro are implementing automation solutions to help improve supply chain processes:

• URBN’s new 1.5 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Kansas City, Kansas is the company’s largest facility and one of the most highly automated. URBN is implementing robotic technologies that completely automate the picking process and prepare for the next phase of picking. 

• Ace Hardware’s new Kansas City, Missouri Retail Support Center will be equipped with state-of-the art technology, automation and warehouse management systems, helping to better distribute its private label hardware goods to regional stores. 

• Amazon’s sortation center in Liberty, Missouri, features a new mix between manual labor and automation. The facility uses employees, robotic arms and other technology to sort through and send out approximately 500,000 packages daily. The robotic arms lift up packages and use cameras to sort them.

Multiple companies based in the Kansas City region offer automation solutions, including KPI Solutions, Storage Solutions, Wiese USA, AMBROSE, Conveyor Solutions, Riekes Equipment, Siggins and others.