The robots work alongside humans in the order fulfillment warehouses As more brands use tech to streamline their business, the Swedish cosmetics manufacturer has partnered with a UK-based company to speed up the fulfillment process.
Oriflame has partnered with Active Ants, a UK-based e-fulfillment company that teams up robots and humans at its multiple, robot-operated warehouses across Europe.
For this partnership, Active Ants’ robots will handle 85% of the picking and packing processes across the beauty brand’s range of products.
The fulfillment company claims that this will process orders more accurately and 50% faster than via traditional methods.
Oriflame’s UK MD Sofia Radomska explained that this was a period of progress and expansion for the brand, hence why it has made this decision.
“It’s fantastic to see our Swedish outlook on beauty and wellbeing travelling overseas,” she said.
“Providing world class service is key for us, hence this decision for faster delivery and Active Ants’ advanced technology will enable our company to grow in a sustainable and prosperous way. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.”
Can ship up to 10 million parcels a year
Active Ants country director for the UK market Khalil Ashong said that Active Ants has the capacity to ship up to 10 million parcels every year.
“In the long term our UK facility, operating in full capacity, would see more than 250 people working alongside more than 400 robots,” explained Ashong.
Storage, order picking, packing and sorting are all automated and the robots work in collaboration with human employees, which the company claims leads to “greater efficiency, higher quality and less CO2 emission.”
According to Khalil, switching to this process offers brands “cost efficiencies and upscaling capabilities to help them streamline processes to better equip them for global growth.”
The company also claims that its warehouse storage takes up to six times less space than a traditional fulfillment warehouse, and that advanced automated packaging machines make bespoke boxes to fit products, which eliminates the need for box filling, therefore reducing space during last mile transport and significantly reducing waste.