August 27, 2019

How are leading warehouse and supply chain operators boosting ROI with robotic floor scrubbers?

Over the last decade, the warehouse and supply chain industries have experienced unprecedented change. Fueled by an explosion in online retail, operators have been challenged to deliver a step-change in both performance and efficiency, driving enhanced profitability and a competitive edge.

Warehouse automation has been a vital enabler, optimizing the efficiency of repetitive tasks like goods loading, storage and retrieval while enabling human workers to focus on value-added services. So, alongside self-guided forklifts and automated conveyors, it’s no surprise that some of the world’s leading 3PL providers and supply chain operators are deploying Neo floor-scrubbing robots to boost ROI through automated warehouse cleaning.

Today, we’d like to share just a few of the features that make Neo a compelling autonomous warehouse floor scrubber. Check out our new eBook, Boosting Warehouse, and Supply Chain Productivity with Floor-Scrubbing Robots, that you can download today to learn much more.

Resolving the challenges of warehouse facility management

Neo delivers a compelling return on investment by resolving many of the challenges faced by warehouse facility operators. They include:

  • Increasing labor costs.

  • Difficulties in recruiting and retaining custodial workers.

  • Managing the operational impact of sickness, fatigue and absence.

  • Variable cleaning quality and a lack of performance insight.

Neo’s easy deployment and minimal training requirements delivers rapid returns for operators. An advanced array of onboard sensors and cameras support precision mapping of your facility, allowing Neo to autonomously navigate and scrub warehouse floors with minimal human intervention. High-capacity, rechargeable batteries and large water tanks support maximum uptime and productivity. When required, depleted batteries can be swapped out for 24/7 operation.

While some industrial floor cleaning machines offer limited versatility, a comprehensive selection of disc and cylindrical brush cleaning heads of various sizes ensures Neo is well-equipped to clean a wide range of warehouse and manufacturing floors. It’s a vital consideration for industrial locations where dust and debris are a concern.

“Our warehouse deals with titanium dioxide (an extremely fine white powder often used as a pigment), and it gets into everything — bearings, rotating equipment, any crevice or cracks it can find. In terms of cleaning, this is the toughest environment I’ve worked in over my 30-year career, and Neo handles it better than any other cleaning method I’ve seen.” – Mike Tennant, DSV

You can find out more about Neo’s cleaning head options and advanced product features in our FAQ.

Avidbots Command Center helps you monitor Neo — or an entire fleet of robots across your network — remotely and in real-time. You also have access to highly detailed reports of every cleaning operation, including productivity metrics, performance ratings and sector-level coverage maps. Learn more about monitoring, measuring and optimizing cleaning performance KPIs with Avidbots Command Center.

In busy, 24/7 warehouse operations, we know safety is critical. Deploying the Neo automated floor-scrubbing robot can boost safety and reduce the risk of human injury, fatigue and absence. Neo identifies obstacles in its path, such as pallets, other vehicles or human workers at long range, and autonomously navigates around them. Onboard safety systems immediately detect obstacles introduced at short range and slow or cease operation as necessary.

Additional features to boost warehouse cleaning performance

With Neo deployed across numerous supply chain networks worldwide, we’ve worked closely with customers to develop additional features to further enhance Neo’s performance as a warehouse floor scrubber, including:

  • An available direction-indicating safety light accessory ensures maximum visibility of the robot to those working nearby.

  • Slow-Down Zones allow operators to define higher-risk areas of the warehouse in which Neo should operate at a reduced speed. For example, defining the turning areas near the end of aisles as Slow-Down Zones can ensure Neo can operate effectively with oncoming traffic.
  • No-Scrub Zones can be defined to prevent Neo scrubbing delicate or uneven floor areas. Once configured, Neo will automatically lift its cleaning head to prevent damage to embedded rails, studs, tracks or tape in the defined areas .
  • Neo’s No-Go Zones feature prevents the robot from entering areas you define. Typically, they include moving walkways and outdoor spaces, but any area of your warehouse can be easily defined as a No-Go Zone.

“Our warehouse operates 24/7/365, with people, equipment and inventory constantly moving. Neo’s advanced collision avoidance and features such as ‘no-go zones’ and ‘slow-down zones’ make it perfect for our operation. We don’t have to worry about the robot running into products or posing a safety issue to our workers.” – Mike Tennant, DSV

Learn how leading supply chain operators are boosting ROI with Neo autonomous floor scrubbing robots

In the coming weeks, we’ll share more on how leading supply chain operators have deployed Neo warehouse floor scrubbers to meet the challenge of delivering higher standards, increased performance and enhanced profitability.

Learn how innovative warehouse operators and 3PLs:

  • Improve the quality, consistency and efficiency of warehouse cleaning with Neo floor-scrubbing robots.

  • Boost productivity while reducing operating costs.

  • Minimize labor demands and worker fatigue.

  • Improve ROI with clear performance reporting and measurable results.

  • Can support a safer working environment for employees.

Eager to find out more? Be sure to check out our Warehousing and Logistics solutions page and Neo for Warehouses product brochure to discover why Neo floor-scrubbing robots are a great addition for your DC. You can also read case studies to discover real-world industry insights and business results from warehouse operators that have successfully deployed Neo floor-scrubbing robots at their facilities.

If you’d like to learn more about how Avidbots is enabling some of the world’s leading warehouse and supply chain operators to deliver enhanced operational performance and efficiencies, we’d love to hear from you.

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