It’s official! ABCO Systems is proud to announce that we are teaming up with FETCH ROBOTICS to provide Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) solutions to our customers nationwide! This partnership combines Fetch Robotics’ world-class, dynamic robotics solutions with ABCO Systems’ unparalleled customer service and proven engineering and implementation capabilities, and we can’t wait to take our customers’ warehouses to the next level! For turnkey and extensible systems, join us at the cutting edge of e-commerce fulfillment – give us a call today!
More about FETCH ROBOTICS: One of the fastest growing robotics companies in the world, FETCH ROBOTICS is the pioneer of On-Demand Automation, providing the only solution that deploys Autonomous Mobile Robots for the warehousing and intralogistics markets in just hours (versus days or weeks). Learn more about the exciting array of product offerings here.
More about ABCO Systems: As your material handling system partner, we are committed to bettering your business. We provide a wide range of solutions from e-commerce to full-fledged automated warehouse design and implementation.
To learn more about ABCO Systems and FETCH Robotics contact us at 201-429-0580 or [email protected]. We look forward to helping you maximize your space and improve your business practices with the material handling solutions that work the best for you.
This month, we are featured in the Construction in Focus Magazine.
ABCO Systems is a market authority in solutions for warehousing and distribution center automation. From the pre-design phase to construction and automation, the company delivers the best quality and service with more than three decades of experience in the field. From their headquarters in Belleville, New Jersey, the ABCO team serves customers across the United States, with a concentrated presence along the East and West coasts.
“Our goal and focus have always been about doing the right thing by the customer first. That’s how we built the business,” says owner and Chief Executive Officer Seth Weisberg. And it keeps growing. Following prudent and sustained growth, it recently opened a second office in Ontario, California, and is looking to expand into Mexico, Atlanta, Chicago and Texas.
Every client’s project is treated as a unique opportunity to shine. The approach has paid off in several ways. The company appears on Inc. 5000 magazine’s 2017 list of fastest-growing companies, followed by achieving eleventh place in weekly business journal NJBIZ’s list of fifty fastest-growing companies in New Jersey, which was no mean feat in a year like 2020.
Read the rest of the article in Construction in Focus Magazine HERE.
Contact us at (201) 507-0999 or at [email protected] for more information.
With third-party logistics providers on the rise, it is evident that the unprecedented growth the world witnessed in the e-commerce sector is here to stay.
Keeping up with the fast-changing landscape of the economy presents major challenges for 3PLs.
Here are some of the most notable challenges in 3PL distribution:
1. Meeting Consumer Expectations
COVID-19 has demonstrated exactly how fast consumer expectations can change. As a result, many companies have had to develop e-commerce fulfillment and online delivery options quickly while also adhering to strict operative guidelines. To make matters more complicated, e-commerce giants like Amazon have set the standard for consumers by offering free two-day shipping, accurate and fast order fulfillment, and full visibility of product-tracking.
To keep up, 3PLs can utilize dynamic storage solutions, warehouse automation hardware, and warehouse design consultation services to optimize their storage strategy and space. Solutions providers like ABCO Systems can help 3PLs design their e-commerce fulfillment centers to optimize throughput, drive down costs, and stay efficient.
2. Acquiring + Retaining Talent
A 2019 Report by Inbound Logistics showed that 64% of 3PL providers listed finding, training, and retaining qualified labor as a challenge they face. To stay competitive, providing high-quality service is of extreme importance in a consumer-focused industry. Without acquiring and retaining the right talent, e-commerce brands stand to lose a positive reputation, face slower business growth, and potentially lose money on higher labor costs.
To offset the risks and costs associated with turnover, providers can turn to 3PL warehouse automation solutions that reduce fulfillment times for orders. The right solution can reduce labor costs tremendously, and simplify operations in a way that simplifies the training process, too.
3. 3PL Warehouse Design + Automation
In the dynamic landscape of today’s economy, it’s no surprise that many distribution and e-commerce fulfillment centers today are struggling to scale their warehouse capacity to match demand. It is easy for warehouse spaces to become stagnant with outdated setups that past operations once required. To work around the conundrum of changing storage and capabilities requirements, 3PLs can consult 3PL solutions providers for insights on how to optimize their warehouse design and solicit specific recommendations on customizable storage solutions and 3PL warehouse automation hardware that maximize warehouse space and improve order fulfillment operations on a daily basis. Though automation requires a large initial investment, it reduces an operation’s overall cost-to-serve and can improve ROI in less than 24 months.
4. Shipment Visibility + Analytics
Managing inventory from a wide range of vendors can make it very difficult for 3PLs and e-commerce brands to ensure fast shipping times. To meet consumer standards, 3PLs must rely on leading-edge warehouse execution systems to be able to track and record all warehouse operations in real-time. To continuously manage those expectations, 3PLs must also depend on data analytics to identify and modify inefficient across their operations. By automating their supply chain processes and integrating them with all suppliers, 3PL companies stand to create much more long-lasting relationships with their consumers.
In 2020, the world of e-commerce saw unprecedented growth due to COVID-19, with even the largest e-commerce retailers like Amazon struggling to keep up with the demand. As we know, Amazon has set the standard for order-fulfillment for fast and/or free shipping. Intuitively, a 2021 report by Shopify, a leading e-commerce store platform, shows that 67% of U.S. consumers expect either same-, next-, or two-day delivery, with a full 65% of consumers checking free-shipping thresholds before even adding something to their carts.
Moving forward into 2021, third-party logistics providers continue to adapt to this fast-changing landscape in order to meet the ever-growing need for e-commerce fulfillment.
Here are some of the key ways 3PLs can prepare for another year of growth in e-commerce:
Warehouse Automation
Looking to 2021, 3PLs will have to rely on integrated supply chain solutions like automation to increase inventory control. 3PLs benefit from cost-to-serve modeling to do so. In other words, the more 3PLs can save on their internal process efficiencies, the more profit they can make. Warehouse automation hardware like conveyor systems, print & apply solutions, inbound & shipping sorters, put-to-light technology, order-fulfillment picking devices, and infrared technology for application weighing are all worthy automation solutions that can make growth in 2021 seamless.
Automated Storage
During peak-growth, 3PLs often need to expand their warehouse capabilities. Thus, 3PLs should look to warehouse storage solutions to increase their operational storage efficiency. According to 3PL news, a 3PL industry newshub, automated warehouses use up about 40% less floor space than traditional warehouses. To decrease your operation’s footprint, automated warehouse storage solutions like push back storage rack systems, pallet flow conveyors, automated pallet storage and beyond can all reduce 3PLs storage costs.
Labor Management
3PLs looking to follow the largest e-commerce retailers lead in labor management can benefit from basic labor management practices moving into 2021. These practices include:
Surveying team members on their concerns or challenges with new technologies
Implementing change management teams to oversee changes
Using robust systems to track laborer performance
Creating systems for worker and supervisor feedback
And putting worker safety at the forefront of all warehouse operations
Risk Management
A 2021 3PL Logistics Study by Infosys Consulting, Penske Logistics and Penn State University showed that readiness and continuity planning is a priority for 3PLs post-pandemic. Thus, internal strategies for unforeseen obstacles and challenges in the supply chain should be laid out for individual 3PLs in the coming year to better prepare.
In 2021, the 3PL businesses can emerge through another year of rapid growth by committing to smart practices and cost-saving hardware. By streamlining order fulfillment processes and investing in high-quality, innovative solutions— 3PLs may come out the other side just in time to grow with the trends.
Supply Chain works to keep shelves stocked and packages moving to arrive at your door. What it takes to make this happen, is not something the average person usually thinks about.Even people that have worked in this industry for years probably never realized the full scope of our dependency on them.
Over the past few weeks, we have all heard about how essential our supply chain is to food, medicine, toiletries and all the other items we use in our daily lives.This is a topic that much of the world never took into consideration until now.The Supply Chain affects everyone, and yet very few are familiar with the term and how it relates to their daily lives. The convenience of going to the store or clicking a mouse to receive whatever you desire, is the result of a vast network of people and machinery working seamlessly together.
Products from around the world travel to factory floors, warehouses and distribution centers. Some products are then manufactured while others move quickly, like food, from a farm to a network of warehouses and then to your local grocer. Items like produce, meat and fish are moved by trucks, boats and even planes to warehouses and distribution centers where forklifts race to receive and breakdown orders in just the right quantities for your local store. Buyers use software to track usage, predict sales, and stock the shelves. The reason shelves go empty in times of crisis is because the normal buying patterns spike and the supply chain needs time to react. In the short term, the supply is disrupted. During a snowstorm or tropical storm, the disruption is as little as a day. This pandemic is taking a herculean effort to not only meet the needs of our daily lives, but to also support our health care system. Companies like Wakefern, headquartered in Keasby, NJ are working hard to meet the increased demands while aiding the Governor’s office to move hospital equipment.Some companies have pledged to produce new equipment in their factories, fly planes to move products quicker and share technology to produce equipment faster.
Other items like clothing and consumer goods have longer lead times. Orders for clothing, TVs and seasonal items are predicted and created months in advance.As these items arrive at the warehousing and distribution facilities, they need to have space to store them until we return to normal levels of use.These facilities cannot leave the items on their docks clogging up their ability to ship the items that are needed to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic.Many consumers have moved to ordering personal care, pharmacy, and food on-line. This shift has created tremendous demand within these warehouses.
On-line powerhouses like Walmart and Amazon have been shipping at record levels as the buying habits of many have shifted. The web of manufacturing facilities, shipping, distribution centers, and delivery vehicles have been relatively quick to react in the short term. There will be a review of our dependence on critical items that are manufactured outside the U.S. This pandemic will likely lead to a resurgence of American-made, and in many cases, NJ-made products that will shorten the supply chain and eliminate uncertainty. The Harvard Business review reports that the U.S. supply chain contains 37% of all jobs, employing 44 million people.These 44 million people are working harder than ever to keep New Jersey and our country moving forward.
With all this additional strain being placed on our supply chain it is imperative that companies that support them continue to do so.From the mechanic that keeps the trucks running, the planes flying and the trains moving to the maintenance person that troubleshoots and repairs a conveyor system in the middle of the night. It is this support structure that ensures these items are getting to where they need to be. Companies like ABCO Systems, located in Belleville, have teams of service technicians repairing conveyors and automation equipment, keeping essential businesses up and running.Their engineers have even sourced and designed temporary systems to meet the spike in demand.
