Walmart distribution center in Searcy to get automation update

Walmart recently announced plans to automate regional distribution centers (RDC) in Searcy, Ark., and Buckeye, Ariz. The retail giant said the Searcy RDC has been in operation for 35 years and is one of eight the retailer operates in the Natural State.

The high-tech automation from artificial intelligence-based supply chain technology firm Symbotic will increase the centers’ efficiency.

Both projects will be completed in phases over several years and are part of Walmart’s automation initiative launched in 2021 that will include all 42 RDCs in the U.S. store network. Walmart said the updates will include robotics and software automation that enables the RDC to double the number of cases processed per hour compared to a traditional facility.

Walmart said by the end of 2025 it expects roughly 65% of its stores will receive merchandise from high-tech distribution centers. The automation initiative is part of Walmart’s broader digital transformation in the supply chain to increase the speed, efficiency and safety at which products are distributed.

The retailer’s relationship with Symbotic dates back to 2017 and since that time Walmart has used the technology to sort, store, retrieve and pack freight onto pallets in the updated RDCs. Under Walmart’s traditional manual system, a product arrives at one of its RDCs and is either cross-docked or warehoused, while being moved or stored manually. When it’s time for the product to go to a store, a 53-foot trailer is manually packed for transit. After the truck arrives at a store, employees unload it manually and place the items in the appropriate places.

The Symbotic technology uses an algorithm that determines how to store cases like puzzle pieces using high-speed mobile robots that reduce the time of the intake process and increase the accuracy of freight being stored for future orders, according to Walmart. The technology uses a combination of AI-powered software systems, robotics and automation to sort, store, retrieve and pack merchandise onto pallets which are then shipped to stores. The solution is designed to get products onto shelves quicker.

According to Walmart, the system transforms existing RDCs into high-density, automated facilities that provide faster product intake, and increased inventory accuracy. The RDC transformation model is designed to save store employees time by creating store- and aisle-ready pallets, which take the guesswork out of unloading trucks.