Micro Fulfillment Centers: Keep Fulfillment Costs Low while Keeping Customers Happy and Loyal

Micro Fulfillment Centers (MFCs) are best when they're fast, lean and highly-automated. Think of MFCs as quick and temporary storage facilities for retail items, especially grocery. The centers are located in densely-populated areas near end-customers who demand merchandise within hours of ordering. With ever-increasing delivery demand, MFCs are on the rise. MFCs have two main objectives:

●Get the product to the end-customer fast
(orders are routed to the MFC closest to the physical address)

●Keep fulfillment costs low (by shortening the travel time, companies can offer faster, free or low-cost last-mile delivery)

MFCs are one of the more complex warehouse models. They are small (less than 10,000ft2) because space is limited in highly-populated areas. Due to their size, most only hold 24-48 hours worth of inventory and all the products need to be ready to pick-and-go. Higher throughput is needed, which means keeping track of inventory (and frequent replenishment) is key.

RoboShuttle System (which includes GPS software) ensures faster throughput in MFCs with smart-software driven results. Clients can see exactly how each area of the warehouse is performing at a glance, in real time. Goods can be stored up to 8 meters high. Our system also predicts the inventory you’ll need for the next day and puts it at the front of the warehouse for even faster processing in the morning.

Our P-800s can also be deployed rapidly for order fulfillment. To fill an order manually, may goods located all around the warehouse would need to be picked. Instead, our P-800s can move entire shelves to a work station for quick-picking, instead of a worker wandering through the aisle. Our P-800s increase throughput by 2-3 times and save workers time and energy. And even when there are unpredicted changes in demand, our system is scalable. Robots can be added in less than 1 minute.