Rhenus and Geek+ develop first AMR warehouse in Asia

January 4, 2022

Geek+, a global AMR leader, and Rhenus Logistics have announced the successful deployment of the first AMR-operated Rhenus warehouse in Hong Kong.

The impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt on global supply chain operations, with the disruption of the labor market having exacerbated labor shortages.

Rhenus Hong Kong will adopt Geek+’s advanced robotics and AI technologies in a proof-of-concept warehousing project in the country. This is the latest Rhenus initiative in the region and is part of its ongoing strategy to deepen its focus on IT-driven digitalisation by tapping into smart logistics to build a sustainable and robust supply chain.

Since 2019, Rhenus has been making strategic tech-driven investments in Greater China, especially across its warehousing business division, including automated solutions to improve the efficiency of its warehouses and operational processes. With the Geek+ solution, Rhenus Hong Kong can handle large volumes of orders, flexibly meet rapidly changing SKUs, and improve order-fulfilment performance. The Hong Kong site will be the first smart Rhenus warehouse in the Asia-Pacific.

Cliff Xu, CEO of Rhenus Air & Ocean Greater China, said: “Our goal is to provide the best and most innovative logistics service to achieve faster and more flexible movement of goods, to cater to the rapid growth in e-commerce. By working closely with Geek+, we not only realise warehouse digitalisation, but also improve operational efficiency and accuracy, translating to greater cost-savings for customers in the long run.”

The Rhenus Hong Kong warehouse will use Geek+ Goods-to-person solutions. Robots will be used as part of the system to automatically bring goods to the operators, achieving 99.99% accuracy. The solution also helps maximise warehouse storage as aisle space is minimised.

One of the features of the AI-driven system are Geek+’s proprietary algorithms. They optimise order combinations and adjust the inventory layouts in real time, maximising efficiency. In the Rhenus Hong Kong warehouse, over 2,000 SKUs of cosmetic products are constantly arranged according to popularity and expiry date.

Lit Fung, VP, managing director APAC, UK and Americas at Geek+, said: “We believe that the smart warehouse upgrade is the only answer to the rapid growth of e-commerce business and growing customer expectations. We will continue to support Rhenus with tailored solutions that best fit their multi-customer business.”