Manufacturing & Warehouse Automation FAQ
Manufacturers and warehouses are under constant pressure to improve productivity, address labor shortages, reduce wasted time, and move materials more efficiently. Automation does not always require a large, complicated robotics project. In many facilities, automating simple transportation tasks can be a practical place to start.
Below are answers to common questions manufacturers and warehouse operators ask when considering automation.
How can I hire more people for my warehouse?
Finding and retaining warehouse and manufacturing employees can be difficult. Before adding more people, it can be worthwhile to determine how your existing workforce is spending its time.
Employees may spend significant portions of their shifts:
Some of these tasks may not require the judgment, skill, or flexibility of a person.
Automating repetitive material transportation can potentially reduce the number of additional employees you need to hire while allowing your existing employees to concentrate on tasks that require human skills.
The question may not always be “How can I hire more people?”
It may be:
“How can I get more productive work from the people I already have?”
Autonomous carts and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are one way manufacturers and warehouses can automate repetitive transportation without attempting to automate an employee's entire job.
How can I better utilize my warehouse staff?
Start by separating your employees' activities into two categories:
Value-added work and non-value-added work.
Employees are valuable because they can make decisions, solve problems, operate equipment, assemble products, inspect quality, communicate with customers and coworkers, and adapt when conditions change.
Walking the same route 30 times per day while pushing a cart generally does not require those capabilities.
Look for repetitive activities such as:
If those activities can be performed by an autonomous cart, employees can spend more of their shift doing work that requires human skills.
The objective isn't necessarily to reduce headcount. It is to use your available employees more effectively.
How can I trim wasted time from my manufacturing and warehouse staff?
One of the best places to look is employee travel time.
Observe your operation and ask:
Where are employees going, why are they going there, and how frequently do they make the trip?
A five-minute trip may not appear significant. But consider a trip that occurs eight times per shift:
5 minutes × 8 trips = 40 minutes per day
If ten employees perform similar activities:
40 minutes × 10 employees = more than 6.5 labor hours every day.
Over the course of a year, repetitive transportation can consume a surprising amount of labor.
Look for opportunities to reduce:
Autonomous material-handling carts can perform some of these repetitive movements while employees remain at productive workstations.
What is the most efficient automated way to move materials or tools around my facility?
There is no single solution that is best for every facility. The right technology depends on what you are moving, where it needs to go, how often it moves, and how much flexibility you need.
Common automated material-handling technologies include:
Conveyors can be highly efficient for fixed, high-volume material flows but require permanent infrastructure.
AGVs can transport material automatically but may require predetermined paths or navigation infrastructure.
AMRs and autonomous carts can offer greater flexibility because many systems navigate through an existing facility rather than requiring a fixed conveyor or track.
For relatively simple transportation tasks such as:
Point A → Point B → Point C → return
an autonomous cart may provide a straightforward solution without requiring a large material-handling automation project.
What is the quickest and easiest way to get automation?
Start small.
One of the biggest mistakes companies can make is assuming automation requires redesigning an entire production or warehouse operation.
Instead, identify one repetitive task that is easy to understand and measure.
For example:
Stockroom → Assembly → Stockroom
or:
Machining → Inspection → Machining
Determine how many trips occur each day and how much employee time is currently required.
Then investigate whether that movement can be performed autonomously.
A simple point-to-point material movement can be a good first automation project because the problem, investment, and potential labor savings are relatively easy to define.
A practical automation strategy can be:
One problem. One route. One automated cart.
Once the application is proven, additional routes or carts can be considered.
Can automation be secure?
Yes, but security needs to be considered when selecting and implementing any connected automation technology.
Industrial automation systems can differ significantly in how they communicate and what network access they require.
When evaluating an AMR or autonomous cart, ask:
For companies with strict cybersecurity requirements, an autonomous system with limited network dependencies may be attractive.
The important point is that autonomous does not necessarily mean internet-dependent.
A vehicle can potentially navigate autonomously using onboard sensors and processing rather than relying continuously on an external network. The specific capabilities and security requirements depend on the equipment selected.
What kinds of automated carts drive themselves autonomously?
Several types of industrial vehicles can transport materials automatically.
Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
AGVs typically travel along predetermined routes. Depending on the system, navigation may involve magnetic tape, wires, reflectors, markers, or other infrastructure.
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)
AMRs generally use onboard sensors, software, and mapping technology to understand their surroundings and navigate through a facility.
Autonomous Robotic Carts
Autonomous carts apply similar technology specifically to the familiar industrial cart concept.
Instead of an employee manually pushing material from one location to another, the cart can travel to designated locations autonomously.
These can be useful for moving:
For companies primarily trying to eliminate manual cart pushing, an autonomous cart can provide a more targeted solution than implementing a highly sophisticated robotic system designed for applications they do not need.
Are there ways to automate carts for moving materials around?
Yes.
Traditional material-handling carts require an employee to push or pull them. Autonomous carts are designed to perform that transportation task without requiring an employee to accompany the cart throughout the trip.
Consider a typical material movement:
Employee leaves workstation → finds cart → pushes material to another department → delivers material → returns
With an autonomous cart, the process can potentially become:
Load cart → select destination → cart travels autonomously → material arrives
The employee is then available for other work while the material is being transported.
This approach can be particularly useful when the same routes occur repeatedly throughout the day.
Examples include:
Stockroom → Assembly
Machining → Inspection
Assembly → Test
Test → Packaging
Packaging → Shipping
The more frequently employees repeat these transportation tasks, the greater the potential opportunity for automation.
What exactly is an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot)?
An AMR, or Autonomous Mobile Robot, is a mobile robotic system designed to navigate and perform transportation tasks with a degree of autonomy rather than requiring a person to drive, push, or guide it.
AMRs typically use a combination of technologies such as:
Unlike traditional automated guided vehicles that may follow fixed physical paths, many AMRs can understand their surroundings and navigate through an existing facility.
In manufacturing and warehousing, AMRs are commonly used to move:
An autonomous robotic cart is one approach to applying AMR technology to a very common manufacturing problem:
Employees spending valuable time moving things from one place to another.
Do I Need an AMR or Just an Autonomous Cart?
This is an important distinction.
Some facilities need sophisticated automation capable of coordinating large fleets of robots, integrating with warehouse-management systems, dynamically assigning hundreds of missions, and managing complex material flows.
Other manufacturers simply need to solve a much easier problem:
“I have someone pushing this cart from here to there all day. How can I automate that?”
If the application is primarily repetitive point-to-point transportation, a simpler autonomous cart may provide the required functionality without the complexity and expense of a larger robotic automation system.
The goal should not be to purchase the most sophisticated technology available.
The goal should be to solve the material-handling problem with the simplest reliable solution.
Where Should I Start With Material-Handling Automation?
Walk through your manufacturing or warehouse facility and look specifically for people who are walking but not producing.
Look for employees:
Then ask:
How many times per day does this happen?
How many minutes does each trip require?
How much does that labor cost annually?
Does a person actually need to perform this task?
If the movement is repetitive, predictable, and does not require human judgment, it may be an excellent candidate for autonomous material-handling automation.
A Simple Approach to Autonomous Material Movement
MARC is an autonomous robotic cart designed to handle repetitive material movement in manufacturing and warehouse environments.
Instead of asking an employee to repeatedly push materials from one location to another, MARC can perform point-to-point transportation while employees remain focused on more valuable work.
For companies that want to begin automating without turning the project into a major facility-wide automation initiative, the approach can be simple:
Find the wasted trip.
Automate the trip.
Give that time back to your employees.
Autonomous Material Handling FAQ
Manufacturers and warehouses spend thousands of labor hours every year moving parts, materials, tools, and finished goods from one location to another. Autonomous robotic carts can automate many of these repetitive point-to-point movements without requiring employees to push carts or drive forklifts.
The following answers address some of the most common questions companies ask when looking for ways to improve material flow, reduce labor requirements, and automate internal transportation.
How can I move parts between workstations without using an employee?
One option is an autonomous robotic cart that transports parts, components, tools, or finished goods between predetermined locations.
Instead of having an operator leave a workstation, push a cart across the facility, deliver material, and walk back, the cart can perform the transportation task automatically.
This can be especially useful for repetitive routes such as:
Automating these repetitive trips allows employees to spend more time performing productive work rather than transporting material.
How can I automate material movement in my factory?
Start by identifying repetitive material movements with predictable pickup and delivery locations.
Good candidates often include routes such as:
Receiving → Production
Stockroom → Assembly
Machining → Inspection
Workstation A → Workstation B
Assembly → Test
Test → Packaging
Production → Shipping
These movements can often be automated using an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), autonomous robotic cart, automated guided vehicle (AGV), or similar material transportation system.
For many facilities, the best place to start is with a simple, repetitive route where employees currently spend significant time walking, pushing carts, or transporting material.
How can I reduce the amount of time operators spend walking for parts?
First determine why operators are leaving their workstations.
Common reasons include retrieving:
If the movement occurs repeatedly throughout the day, consider bringing the material to the operator instead.
An autonomous cart can perform scheduled or requested deliveries between locations, allowing operators to remain at their workstations.
Reducing operator walking can increase the percentage of each shift spent assembling, machining, testing, inspecting, or performing other value-added activities.
How can I reduce forklift traffic in my manufacturing facility?
Begin by identifying forklift trips that do not actually require a forklift.
Forklifts are necessary for many heavy loads and pallet movements, but they are sometimes used simply because they are the transportation equipment already available.
Smaller repetitive loads may be better suited for:
Moving appropriate transportation tasks away from forklifts can reduce forklift traffic and interactions between forklifts and pedestrians while allowing forklifts to remain available for loads that actually require them.
What can I use instead of forklifts to move materials?
The best alternative depends on the load, distance, frequency, and layout of the facility.
Common forklift alternatives include:
For smaller loads moving repeatedly between defined locations, an autonomous cart may be particularly attractive because it can perform transportation tasks without requiring an employee to drive or push the load.
How can I automate carts in a manufacturing plant?
Instead of having employees manually push carts, manufacturers can use an autonomous robotic cart designed to navigate between designated locations.
Depending on the system, the cart may be programmed or taught routes connecting workstations, stockrooms, assembly areas, inspection stations, packaging areas, and other destinations.
When evaluating an autonomous cart, consider:
For an initial automation project, a straightforward point-to-point application can be easier to implement than attempting to automate an entire material-handling system at once.
How can I eliminate employees pushing carts around the factory?
Look for routes where employees repeatedly push the same types of materials between the same locations.
Calculate how much time is spent:
Walking to the cart + loading + pushing the cart + unloading + returning = total transportation labor
Even a short trip can consume significant labor when it occurs dozens of times per shift.
An autonomous robotic cart can potentially perform these repetitive transportation tasks while employees remain focused on production.
This is especially valuable when skilled operators, assemblers, technicians, or machinists are spending part of their day performing simple transportation tasks.
How can I automate point-to-point material delivery?
Point-to-point delivery is one of the simplest applications for autonomous material transportation.
For example:
Point A: Stockroom
↓
Autonomous Transport
↓
Point B: Assembly
The vehicle travels between designated locations carrying parts, materials, totes, tools, or finished goods.
Additional destinations can create routes such as:
Stockroom → Assembly → Test → Packaging → Shipping
For facilities beginning their automation journey, a predictable point-to-point route can be a practical way to demonstrate the value of autonomous material movement before expanding to additional routes.
How can I keep operators at their workstations instead of retrieving material?
The basic strategy is to bring materials to the operator rather than sending the operator to the materials.
Start by tracking how often employees leave their stations and why.
If an operator spends 5 minutes retrieving material six times during a shift, that represents 30 minutes of lost workstation time per employee per day.
Across 20 employees, that becomes approximately 10 labor hours per day spent retrieving material.
Automated material delivery can help recover some of that time by having autonomous carts deliver parts and remove completed work while operators remain at their stations.
How can I reduce non-value-added material handling labor?
In lean manufacturing, transportation and unnecessary motion are forms of waste.
Walking across a factory, pushing carts, waiting for material, and transporting work-in-process may be necessary activities, but they generally do not add value to the product itself.
Start by mapping material movements and asking:
Does this task require a person's judgment or skill?
If the answer is no, it may be a candidate for automation.
Repetitive transportation tasks are particularly attractive because autonomous material-handling equipment can potentially perform them consistently throughout the day.
What is the cheapest way to automate material movement?
The lowest-cost solution depends heavily on the application.
A complex automated material-handling system may require substantial infrastructure, software integration, facility modifications, and engineering.
However, not every application requires that level of automation.
For simple point-to-point transportation, companies can evaluate:
The best comparison is usually total installed cost, not just equipment price.
Consider the cost of:
Equipment + installation + infrastructure + programming + integration + training + ongoing support
A simpler autonomous cart may be attractive when the goal is to automate repetitive transportation without creating a large automation project.
Can I automate material handling without changing my facility?
In many cases, yes.
Some modern autonomous mobile robots and autonomous carts are designed to navigate existing manufacturing and warehouse environments with relatively limited infrastructure changes.
This can eliminate or reduce the need for technologies traditionally associated with automated guided vehicles, such as:
The exact requirements depend on the navigation technology and the specific product.
When evaluating a system, ask the supplier:
“What changes will I have to make to my facility before this vehicle can operate?”
The answer can significantly affect the true cost and implementation time of the project.
Is there an AMR that doesn't require Wi-Fi or infrastructure changes?
Yes. Some autonomous material-handling systems can perform basic navigation and point-to-point transportation without depending on continuous facility-wide Wi-Fi.
However, requirements vary significantly by manufacturer and application.
Wi-Fi or another network connection may still be required for features such as fleet management, remote monitoring, software updates, traffic management, or integration with other systems.
If avoiding network or facility modifications is important, specifically look for:
Ask the manufacturer exactly what infrastructure, network access, and facility modifications are required before purchasing.
What is a low-cost alternative to a traditional AMR?
If you do not need sophisticated fleet management, complex warehouse orchestration, or extensive software integration, a simpler autonomous robotic cart may be an alternative to a full-featured AMR system.
For applications that primarily require:
Pick up here → travel there → deliver → return
a simpler system may provide the automation needed without paying for capabilities the application does not require.
The important question is not necessarily:
“What is the most advanced AMR?”
It may be:
“What is the simplest automation that reliably eliminates this repetitive material movement?”
What is the best autonomous cart for a small manufacturing facility?
The best autonomous cart is one that matches the application without introducing unnecessary complexity.
For a small or midsized manufacturer, consider:
For many small manufacturers, ease of deployment and total cost of ownership can be more important than having the most sophisticated robotic platform available.
When Does an Autonomous Robotic Cart Make Sense?
An autonomous cart may be worth investigating if employees are regularly:
A useful first step is simply to observe your operation for a day and identify how many employee-hours are being spent moving material instead of producing, assembling, testing, inspecting, or packaging products.
Those repetitive transportation tasks may represent some of the easiest opportunities to introduce automation.
Looking for a Simpler Way to Automate Material Movement?
MARC is an autonomous robotic cart designed to automate repetitive material movement in manufacturing and warehouse environments.
Rather than using employees to repeatedly walk materials from one location to another, MARC can handle point-to-point transportation so employees can remain focused on higher-value work.
For manufacturers considering automation, the goal doesn't have to be automating the entire factory. Start with one cart, one route, and one repetitive material-handling problem.
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