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Cross-indoor/outdoor automation to optimize flows

Mastering the automation of outdoor and intralogistics processes on factory premises, TractEasy not only brings increased safety and flexibility, but also significantly reduces operating costs.

Moving toward the goal of compaction

Indoor-outdoor automation is bettering the movement of parts at PSA’s Sochaux plant. The spaces are large and they need to move goods from point A to B. PSA is looking to this type of automation to make their flows more economical, as well as more strategic. The goal of the Sochaux 2022 plan is to go from two lines of production to one, that will go a bit faster, producing 24/7. By reducing the surface area used, costs are also reduced. These are complex factories that are being streamlined with the use of TractEasy.

The evolution of the supply chain has started

The key to this is in the timing. For PSA Sochaux, Thierry Schnepp, GEODIS’ Projects Director for the Contract Logistics industry market line has a vision.
 
“The technology is new. We have a number of flows that are still in the ‘old’ way.  We have already industrialized a number of these but there is a lot more to do with this new technology. But the evolution of the supply chain has started,” he says.
 
André Fussinger, PSA’s Internal Logistic Flows Automation Referent agrees and points out that when people carry out tasks, they must be used to their maximum capacity.
 
“People do more than simply driving. We need to understand the limits of automation and create flows that use people’s skills at maximum capacity and automate other processes,” he explains.

“In the next 5 years, I see connected 4.0 warehouses, a lot of automation and other ways of identifying flows. I think we’re really at the beginning of a new era that will be highly automated.”

Thierry Schnepp
GEODIS Projects Director for the Contract Logistics Industry Market Line

Solving a common problem

Today you can find indoor automated guided vehicles (AGVs) that are closer to autonomous vehicles (AVs), but, overall they don’t go outside. This creates pain points like:
 

  • Driver shortages
  • Lengthy processes
  • High cost of labor
  • Out of date technology

 
The promise of the TractEasy is to cross this line – and bring AGVs outdoors. We are upping the level of autonomy and delivering all the benefits of AGVs plus more. 
 
 

We have built-in fleet management software that gives very clear visibility on what is where, when. It’s a live view of operations that is a gamechanger for the industry.
 
EasyMile’s solution offers a holistic approach to logistics – not just the vehicle but the whole process, outdoors included, with an ROI in less than 2 years.

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