Building smarter warehouses

Forward-thinking companies—facing the challenges of supply-chain disruptions and rising consumer demand for ever-faster deliveries—are paying more attention to the business of moving goods from place to place.



Symbotic, a warehouse automation company based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, has emerged as an industry leader in developing innovative solutions for businesses looking to improve supply-chain efficiency. Its autonomous AI-powered mobile robots—called SymBots—are deployed in the warehouses of companies all over North America. Computer vision and sensing technology embedded throughout the system allows the robots to “see” (and immediately react). And sophisticated routing algorithms help choreograph a complex dance in which hundreds of bots can autonomously travel at speeds of more than 20 miles an hour.



“Throughput, accuracy, and flexibility are huge differentiators for us,” says Bill Boyd, chief strategy officer at Symbotic. The game-changing capabilities of Symbotic technology have earned it a spot on Fast Company ’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2024.



TAKING THE TIME TO GET IT RIGHT



That deliberate approach continues to inform the company’s product development process—and was behind their distinctive Smart Pallet technology. A proprietary algorithm directs robot-to-robot handoffs in tightly specific ways that boosts the speed and efficiency of moving goods through the warehouse (as well as their unpacking after reaching their destination). Retail goods, for example, can be organized into groups that make it easier to replenish store shelves—say, in the cereal aisle or pets department.







Symbotic was founded, nearly 15 years ago, by a prescient supply-chain veteran who understood how emerging technologies could redefine the future of warehouse operations. A key component to Symbotic’s success, Boyd says, is a work culture that prioritizes real and measurable innovation. Beyond applying new technologies to solve some of the toughest supply chain challenges, Symbotic’s goal is to create solutions that can reshape the industry. “We’ve had the time and the resources to make mistakes, get better, be thoughtful, and also look to the future,” Boyd says. “That isn’t true for every tech startup.” 



MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS



The algorithm behind the Smart Pallet was developed in house at Symbotic. The company began by working with an outside firm to develop a solution, but the results were underwhelming. “We were constantly pushing them to go faster and to think differently,” Boyd says. “We didn’t make a lot of progress, in part, because their problem-solving was based on existing technology.”



So Symbotic looked inward to solve the problem—creating space for a different approach. Ultimately, a Symbotic engineer developed a new algorithm that accomplished exactly what the company needed—by anticipating the direction the technologies were heading. “He knew the challenge, knew he could solve it, and got to work,” Boyd says. “And that began an ongoing cycle of iteration and improvement which allows Symbotic to remain agile and act on ideas quickly.”



Symbotic continues to emphasize experimentation and multidisciplinary collab-oration. Several times a week, the company holds cross-functional meetings—involving coders, engineers, technicians, analysts, and even patent attorneys—to engage in ideation and problem -solving. 



“Ultimately, we’re creating a system,” Boyd says, “and creating a system is different from creating a piece of technology. It requires a team that is fearless, creative, and able to see what may be possible in the future in addition to what is possible today.”