Nowadays, many companies are choosing to upgrade. They add various machines and new technologies to make work more efficient. However, it does not always work. Sometimes it turns out that the existing solutions are more effective or new solutions do not bring any benefits.
In 2017 Walmart began using robots supplied by Bossa Nova Robotics. They were used in 50 locations. Robots in store aisles were supposed to keep track of its inventory. They used machine vision to scan shelves and identify what products needed restocking.
Thanks to the introduction of robots, employees were supposed to have more time to help customers. However, that is not what happened. Walmart employees were assigned to handle the online orders. And they still had to circulate between the shelves to check the availability of the ordered goods and compare with the stock. This was due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many people during this time started shopping online. That is why employees were assigned to pack orders for them. It seems that these workers could then perform the same inventory checks as the robots. Walmarts experience is “an example of trying to force fit automation in situations where it doesn’t necessarily make sense,” said Jack Gold, an analyst at J. Gold Associates. “Robots do very well in highly organized and standardized environments, but in complex environments with lots of products and disorganization, people are much more efficient. In those situations, robots make mistakes or can’t function and then need human invention anyway. So why not just have people there to begin with?”
sources:
https://www.sztucznainteligencja.org.pl/walmart-roboty-chwilowo-niepotrzebne/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/walmart-shelves-plan-to-have-robots-scan-shelves-11604345341
https://www.fierceelectronics.com/electronics/walmart-fires-store-robots-but-bossa-nova-remains-bullish
https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/3/21547306/walmart-shelf-scanning-robots-automation-bossa-nova-robotics-contract-ended
I wonder how erroneous these robots are and how really is making such scans faster than a human. I imagine a worker with a tablet going around the store quite similarly sufficient and effective as this robot but that’s just my opinion. Overall, the technology is great and I can see it helpful in the future after several developments and reduction of it’s price.
I see a huge potential in the usage of robots in retail and I really like the idea of automatically getting an information which stock is needed to be refilled. This can save an enormous amount of time workers who can, as you have said for example pack online orders in the meantime. It reduces the amount of workforce needed which I guess is one of the clues of automation. Of course we can have a worker going around the store with a scanner/tablet, noting what is needed with a similar efficacy… But, if you think about it, it could be much cheaper and more convenient to use a machine. Employees would have more time for performing other activities such as customer help or handling online orders.
If you think about it, who would handle online orders if employees are looking for stock that needs replacement?
Also I see a great potential in warehouses for the usage of such robot. Imagine how relieving stocktaking activities would have been.