Tompkins Robotics automation solution delivering for Kmart Australia

Tompkins Robotics, a provider of robotic automation for distribution operations, says it is delivering “big benefits” to Kmart Australia.

Kmart Australia, which owns more than 300 stores in Australia and New Zealand, selected Tompkins Robotics’ tSort automation solution to optimise its Auckland fulfilment operations.

Implemented in less than five months, Tompkins Robotics’ tSort System immediately improved the scalability of Kmart’s distributed logistics network, requiring a lower investment and utilising 60% less operational space.

“The initial challenge was finding a cost-effective solution that improved safety and increased output in our facility to support our growing store network and volume,” said Justin Boyd, Kmart head of Assets, DC Design and Automation. “Tompkins Robotics’ tSort system offered an optimally aligned solution that we were able to deploy rapidly to sustain our evolving distribution network.”

Tompkins said the tSort AMR solution provides a range of benefits for retail replenishment.

Rapid deployment with faster installation between peak seasons meant minimal disruption to Kmart’s operations, and the capital investment was approximately half the cost of large tilt tray or crossbelt sorters and additional robots. The system is also scalable and portable: all elements and robots can be easily added, removed or relocated at any time to meet changing demands.

Kmart also has a wide range of products and varying packaging. tSort is able to process a wide variety of products and packages in many different environments and applications.

“The Tompkins Robotics and Kmart teams came together to apply this exciting technology for a set of requirements and challenges that would have been difficult to meet with traditional automated solutions,” said Thompson Brockmann, VP operations, Tompkins Robotics. “Implementing tSort to redefine item and case sortation provided Kmart with a 100% modular, scalable, configurable and portable robotic solution to process goods to orders.”

Tompkins Robotics’ tSort solution was installed, tested and commissioned utilising mostly remote resources while in the midst of the pandemic, and has successfully supported the operation since it went live in May 2021.

Supporting the reduction in manual handling activities on site, the solution increased production to meet Kmart’s store growth and volume and improved inventory accuracy.