If autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are not already zipping around your warehouse or logistics facility, they soon could be. Not only can they improve efficiency, they can also boost employee safety and job satisfaction, reports a Prologis study of technologies reshaping supply chains.

It predicts that mobile robots will make their way into half of logistics facilities over the next decade. Payback takes two to five years, and returns on investment of 30% or more are possible. Generally, AMRs do not require more space to operate – just a flat floor and power supply – though in some cases additional space is needed for charging and integration points. 

A much more expensive technology that can enhance storage efficiencies is automated sortation/retrieval (AS/RS). It has a more limited potential market and enables savings through greater storage density of sortable inventory. "AS/RS adoption leads to 10-20% logistics real estate space savings across a retailer's distribution network," Prologis stated.