DHL Supply Chain has announced a $150 million investment in warehouse robotic solutions and automation at its Australian warehouses.

This will speed delivery times in Australia, following the parcel boom of the past few years, and will see 1,000 robots deployed by 2025.

It marks the biggest investment in robotics and automation DHL has made in Asia-Pacific.

The robotics solutions DHL Supply Chain will deploy by 2025 include:

  • Deployment of Assisted Picking Robots in a multi-customer environment
  • State-of-the-art picking platform, which increases storage density and order processing
  • Goods-to-Person robots, which support teams’ ability to pack more customer orders
  • Automated inventory management robot, which was developed by an Australian DHL employee
  • Point-to-point picking robots, which support a diverse range of picking strategies.

“This is a very exciting announcement, reinforcing our commitment to the Australian market and continuous technological innovation,” said DHL Supply Chain Chief Executive Officer Oscar de Bok.

“Global supply chains have been under immense pressure these past few years, and some disruption may persist.

“But we have invested in supply chain digitalisation worldwide, and by leveraging this global expertise, we will continually develop innovative solutions to help our customers overcome any challenges on the horizon.”

DHL Supply Chain Chief Executive Officer, Australia & New Zealand, Steve Thompsett adds: “This investment in robotics will provide more resilient, flexible, and scalable supply chain solutions to our customers, who will be better equipped to service their own customers independent of the sector in which they operate.”

Thompsett points out that one of the robotic picking systems DHL is deploying uses one-sixth the energy of a standard household toaster.

“The solutions will also significantly reduce our employees’ time on routine or physically demanding tasks, including heavy lifting. Such solutions allow them to have the opportunity to develop the skills to advance their careers, and work on meaningful and interesting projects.”