DHL Supply Chain

Logistics · International

500M robot-assisted picks

DHL reaches 500 million robot-assisted picks with scalable Robotics Hub platform

60% faster implementation. 80% less training time. Robotics as a platform, not a pilot.

Friction

Large logistics network with urgent need for robotics scaling, but integration with existing WMS systems was always the bottleneck. Every deployment became a custom project.

Breakthrough

DHL combines physical automation (AMRs) with a standard integration and orchestration layer (Robotics Hub), making automation scalable as a platform rather than isolated pilots.

Impact

500M robot-assisted picks reached. Last 100M picks completed in 154 days, a strong acceleration. 60% shorter implementation time. 80% saving in training time.

Unlock the full analysis with breakthrough, impact, what made it smart and its technical approach below!

Name

Organisation name

Problem

Large logistics network with need for fast robotics scaling, but WMS integration was the bottleneck. Each deployment was a custom project, limiting speed and repeatability.

What made it smart

The Robotics Hub abstraction layer: a platform-agnostic integration layer that connects any robot brand to any WMS through a single API. This turns automation from a one-time project into a repeatable capability.

Technical approach

Robotics Hub is cloud-based SaaS on Azure, API-driven, brand and platform agnostic. One dashboard connects robot status and work orders back to WMS. 3D warehouse view for real-time insight. Next step: AI and ML orchestration to optimally distribute tasks between humans and robots.

Strategic lesson

Automation at scale requires a platform mindset. Standardise the integration layer before you standardise the robot.

Reflection question

Is your automation strategy a series of individual pilots, or a platform that gets cheaper and faster to deploy with every new site?