Walmart automating two regional distribution centers
Walmart Inc. is continuing efforts to equip its entire regional distribution center network with robotics and software automation.
In an email to Chain Store Age, Walmart said it plans to install high-tech automaton from artificial intelligence-based supply chain technology company Symbiotic LLC in two of its regional distribution centers (RDCs) – one in Buckeye, Ariz., and another in Searcy, Ark.
Both projects will be completed in phases over several years and are part of a broader RDC initiative the discount giant launched in July 2021 and extended to include all 42 RDCs in May 2022.
[READ MORE: Walmart expands regional distribution automation strategy]
According to Walmart, the new technology enables it to double the number of cases processed per hour compared to a traditional RDC. By the end of 2025, the retailer expects that roughly 65% of its stores will receive merchandise from high-tech distribution centers.
The Buckeye RDC has been operating for nearly 25 years. Across the state of Arizona, Walmart operates three distribution centers, 124 retail stores and employs more than 37,600 associates.
The Searcy RDC has been operating for nearly 35 years. Across the state of Arkansas, Walmart operates eight distribution centers, 131 retail stores and employs 55,660 associates.
How RDC automation works
Walmart’s RDC automation initiative is part of broader digital transformation effort in its supply chain aimed at increasing the speed, efficiency and safety at which products are distributed.
Since 2017, Walmart has worked with Symbotic to optimize an automated technology solution to sort, store, retrieve and pack freight onto pallets in its Brooksville, Fla. distribution center.
Under Walmart’s traditional manual system, product arrives at one of its RDCs and is either cross-docked or warehoused, while being moved or stored manually. When it’s time for the product to go to a store, a 53-ft. trailer is manually packed for transit. After the truck arrives at a store, associates unload it manually and place the items in the appropriate places.
With automation provided by the Symbotic solution, an algorithm determines how to store cases like puzzle pieces using high-speed mobile robots that reduce the time of the intake process and increase the accuracy of freight being stored for future orders.
This solution uses a combination of AI-powered software systems, robotics and automation to sort, store, retrieve and pack merchandise onto pallets which are then shipped to stores. The solution is designed to get products onto shelves quicker.
According to Walmart, the system transforms existing RDCs into high-density, automated facilities that provide faster product intake, increased inventory accuracy and a 2X increase in building capacity. The RDC transformation model is designed to save store associates time by creating store- and aisle-ready pallets, which take the guesswork out of unloading trucks.
Headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., Walmart Inc. operates more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries.
