Transforming the face of e-commerce logistics

From locations on city-outskirts housing uninteresting line-ups of endless packages to becoming fascinating places where robots run the show, warehouses are nearing the pinnacle of the paradigm shift that might change the way the world has understood logistics as an industry. Thanks to technology and its impactful derivatives, like artificial intelligence and robotics, warehouse automation is no more a fanciful concept but a reality that is fast changing the storage and logistics landscape. This has led to an increase in investment in warehouses, driven by high levels of automation both within the warehouse and supply chains.

As per the ‘Warehouse Automation Middle East’ report, “In 2018, the warehouse automation market grew by more than 13 percent globally to an excess of $12.5 billion.” It also predicts that the global warehouse automation market will grow more than two-fold from 2019 to 2025.

Today, across global warehouses, automation is being used to increase speed, efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. Pioneering this technology in the UAE and beyond is IQ Fulfillment. An artificial intelligence (AI)-driven, fully robotic business, IQ Fulfillment has been spearheading the digital transformation of the logistics sector in the country since September 2019. A subsidiary of IQ Holding, a technology holding group that specialises in the supply chain and logistics sector, IQ Fulfillment provides full back-end solutions using the latest in robotics, AI, and software platforms to support supply chain and logistics.

IQ Fulfillment is a provider of tailor-made technology turnkey solutions that seek to promote the automation of all processes, bringing significant benefits to B2B customers. It harnesses the power of technology with a focus on enhancing customer satisfaction and giving the end-users a better user experience.

Redefining the logistics technology in terms of leveling the playing field and setting a new digital standard by raising the bar and setting high expectations, IQ Fulfillment is leading by example. It works in robotics, warehouse automation, software solutions, package protection, labeling solutions, and other related services with exclusive and international partnerships with companies like Quicktron, Honeywell Logistics Technology company, Damon technologies, Locked Air, COTAO, and CubiLink, among others. The services offered by IQ Fulfillment, through its partners, include autonomous picking and sorting vehicles that will make logistics more seamless and efficient for SMEs as well as large-scale enterprises.

IQ Fulfillment is currently catering to a sector that holds a huge potential for growth, e-commerce, which is perhaps one of the biggest growth drivers for warehouse automation technologies. In the Middle East, e-commerce fulfillment is driving the demand for more warehouse spaces, thereby increasing the adoption of automation solutions. As per the estimates from the aforementioned report, the warehouse automation market in the Middle East was worth $500 million in 2018 and is set to grow to $1.6 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 17.5 percent.

This creates a huge potential for automation, especially in warehouses, to ease out the process, which becomes more complex with the magnitude and pace of growth of sectors like e-commerce are expecting. IQ Fulfillment’s technology stack includes warehouse, order, and transport management solutions that are linked to a data hub. It provides the right tech solutions that add value to B2B and e-commerce customers from various industries and sectors. In this context, IQ Fulfillment addresses a vital market requirement, especially as the region focuses on digital transformation. It brings world-class automated and robotic technologies that will enable businesses to scale up their growth.

IQ Fulfillment is catering to a global market. The logistics robots market is expected to reach a worth of $18.58 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 21.3 percent in terms of value, according to a new report by ‘Reports and Data,’ while the valuation for the global logistics robots market was $3.9 billion in 2018.

However, the shift to warehouse automation is a journey of transformation that needs a pre-defined roadmap to achieve maximum benefits. Instead of debating how automation will affect jobs and robots will compare to the human element at work, businesses should look at ways to harness the power of technology and integrate it with a human vision for guidance. Humans and robots will always work hand in hand towards a better and smooth transformational journey for industries across the board, ranging from logistics to education.

To learn more about IQ fulfillment visit: www.iqfulfillment.com