Automate to Augment: How Covariant Helps Capacity Handle Spikes and Meet Demand Without Missing a Beat
Roughly three years ago, Waldo joined the Capacity team. Waldo is an AI-powered robotic putwall that autonomously sorts items from mixed-SKU totes to increase throughput.
Said differently, Waldo is a robot.
Developed by our partner and one of the world’s leading AI Robotics companies, Covariant, Waldo has been instrumental in our ability to support our clients in an ever-changing ecommerce world – so much so that since Waldo’s first day on the floor, we’ve added four more robotic putwalls to the team: C-3PL, Maggie, PutWALL-E and Jarvis
With five robots essentially on staff, we’re able to scale fulfillment operations for our brands at a moment’s notice. When a celebrity-led beauty brand does a new product launch at midnight on a Tuesday, we’re able to instantly meet that demand without having to scramble for additional staff. The same can be said for the peak holiday season.
But that’s not to say Waldo and his crew are here to replace our people. It’s actually quite the opposite. Core to our strategy as a business is building technology around knowledge. As much as fulfillment is moving things from one place to another, doing it at scale requires deep experience and informed decision-making. It is equal parts art and science.
Through this strategy we are reshaping the responsibilities of our associates and building the next generation of warehouse operators that are capable of maintaining and troubleshooting complex automated systems.
“Covariant’s technology has absolutely given us an edge. When prospective clients ask us about our ability to handle unexpected spikes, our answer is twofold: ‘We have an incredible team of ops specialists and engineers leading the way and elite tech to support.’”
Karim Fofana
Chief Operations Officer
Capacity
Expanding the Mix
When we first started working with Covariant, we collectively had a clear idea of the order profile that Waldo would be best suited for: beauty products. It didn’t take long for us to hit the accuracy and reliability proof points we were looking for. And as we continue to expand our client profile, we’re excited by the prospect of potentially replicating those successes across industries.
“This has been a great partnership - and we believe it’s only going to get better. The underlying artificial intelligence at work here gets wiser over time. That drives consistency and minimizes variability.”
Lauren Ziccardi
Customer Success Lead
Covariant
Lots of Robots, One Robot Brain
Waldo and his colleagues aren’t alone here at our New Jersey headquarters. All of Covariant’s robots worldwide are connected, generating data and insights to a single Covariant Brain. As a partner, Capacity has access to this knowledge. If Covariant robots picking and packing, say, poly-bagged apparel items or home goods or even grocery items in Germany are doing something unique and potentially valuable to us and our clients, we have the ability to know about it.
A Bright Future
When we began exploring robotics and warehouse automation, we were clear that any organization we partnered with had to be in it for the long haul. Covariant gave us that confidence and we couldn’t be happier with how far we’ve come and where we’re headed.
Interested in learning more about how warehouse automation and fulfillment robotics can level up your brand? We’re here to help.