An online shoe vendor has deployed robotic devices that retrieve stock from around its warehouse to help it fulfil orders faster and more economically.

Zappos.com implemented the system from Kiva Systems in its Kentucky warehouse. Each robot, a small orange cube that rolls across the warehouse floor between specially designed shelving units, is ‘aware’ of its location, and jobs are allocated according to which robot is in the best position.

The devices fetch stock to be packed by human employees and then take the package to the dispatch area.

“We were amazed that Kiva transformed our new warehouse from bare concrete to fully operational readiness – with trained supervisors and associates – just four months after we signed the purchase order,” said Craig Adkins, Zappos.com’s VP for fulfilment, in a statement quoted on a press release from the vendor.

Kiva Systems was founded in 2003, and counts US retailers including Staples and Walgreen Co. among its customers. The company shipped its 1,000th inventory robot in April 2008.

Further reading

Kiva Systems - company website

East of England Co-operative Society's warehouse management system

Find more stories in the Business Applications Briefing Room