The introduction of automation has revolutionized the landscape of modern warehouses, fundamentally altering how they operate and reshaping the role of human workers. This report explores the transformative impact of automation, the evolving role of human workers on-site, and the critical imperative of achieving optimal warehouse efficiency in the digital age.

1. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
bridgingthegapbetweenhumansandautomation
inthemodernwarehouse
Fromworkstationstowearables,warehousesareadaptingtoincreasing
demandsandachangingworkforce—oneworkerandonetechnologyat
atime.

2. 2
Theintroductionof automation hasrevolutionized
thelandscapeof modernwarehouses,fundamentally
altering howtheyoperateand reshapingtheroleof
humanworkers.Thisshift bringsforth a multitudeof
opportunitiesandchallengesasbusinessesseekto
optimizewarehouseefficiencytostaycompetitivein a
rapidlyevolving market.
Asmachinesand technologyincreasinglytakeon routine
tasks,human workersfind themselvescollaborating
with theseintelligent systems,requiring newskillsand
adaptabilitytonavigatethechangingdynamicsofware-
houseoperations.In thisinterplaybetween automation
and human labor,creatingtherightbalance iscrucial
tounlocking thefull potentialof a highlyefficient and
seamlesslyintegratedwarehouseecosystem.
Thisreportexploresthetransformativeimpactof auto-
mation,theevolving roleof humanworkerson-site,and
thecritical imperativeof achievingoptimalwarehouse
efficiencyin thedigital age.
ROBOTSARENOTTAKING
JOBS,BUTTHINGSARESET
TOCHANGE

3. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
3
KeepingUpWithan
AutomatedFuture
In theageof automation andever-changing
worksites,modernwarehousesmust adapt to
integratedynamicautomated systemseffec-
tivelyandcontendwithevolving rolesof human
workers.
In pursuitofenhanced throughput,efficiency,
accuracy,and adaptability,numerouscompanies
areintegrating automation intowarehouse
operations.Surgesinecommerceorders—online
salesin theU.S.areanticipated toreach $1.1
trillion by2025,andexceed $1.6trillion by2027
according toForresterResearch—coupled with a
widespread laborshortage—theNational Asso-
ciationof Manufacturersreportsthat morethan
twomillion manufacturing jobscould gounfilled
by2030—hasfurtheraccelerated thistrend as
organizationsstrivetoswiftlyadapt tofluctua-
tionsindemand andcustomerpreferences.
Although roboticsand automation arebecoming
morerelevant inwarehousesacrosstheglobe,
workersarestillessential resourcesin these
workplaces.Automation assistshuman workers
tobecomemoreproductiveandefficient.
EcommerceOrders
Onlinesalesin theU.S.areanticipated toreach $1.1trillion by2025,
andexceed $1.6trillion by2027.
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
1.0 trillion
1.5 trillion
2.0 trillion
1.1 trillion
1.6 trillion
0.5 trillion

4. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
4
Manualvs.AutomatedFulfillmentOperations
According toa recent surveyconducted byNewcastleSystems,50%ofcompaniesarerunning fulfillmentoperations
that includeacombinationof automated and manual processes.Forty-sixpercent saythat mostorall fulfillment
processesarecompletelymanual,and only2%saytheyhave“highlyautomated”fulfillmentoperations.
In short,thesecompaniesarecreatingwarehouseswhich relyon hybridautomation—a pragmaticblendof automat-
ed processesofdifferent toolsand resourcesallowingworkerstobeasefficient aspossible.From untetheredwork-
stationsthat flowwith workersmovementstowearabledevicesthat augment theirworkdaytoscanners,eyeglasses,
exoskeleton suitsandcobotsin manufacturing,companiesarecreatingcustomized hybrid solutionsdesigned towork
fortheirenvironment andworkforce.
50%combinationof
automated & manual
46%completely
manual
2% highly
automated
2%other
FULFILLMENT
OPERATIONS

5. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
5
WhatMakesaGreatHybridWarehouse?
A great hybridwarehouseischaracterized byitsabilitytoeffectivelycombinetheadvantagesof automation and human
labor,leveraging technologyand skilledworkerstooptimizeoperations.Several keyelementscontributetomaking a hybrid
warehouseincluding flexibilityand scalability,efficient automation integration,a skilledworkforce,and theabilitytoadapt
tochanging technology.
InefficiencyWithinaWarehouse
Inefficiencywithin awarehousecan lead tosignificantlossesinbothtimeandrevenue.Surprisingly,theaverage
warehouseworkerremainslargelyunawareof theextentof timewasted in theirdailyoperations.Thislackof awareness
compoundsthecosts,including both material and fiscal aspects,associatedwith inefficiency.Tooptimizewarehouse
performanceand mitigatetheselosses,it iscrucial toaddressinefficienciesproactively,improveworkerawareness,and
implement streamlined processesand technologiestoenhanceoverall productivityand profitability.
Enhancedefficiency Reducedoperationalcosts Improvedcustomer
satisfaction
Byintegratingseveraloftheseelements,agreathybridwarehousecanachieveenhancedefficiency,reduced
operationalcosts,andimprovedcustomersatisfaction,providingacompetitiveadvantageinarapidlyevolving
businesslandscape.

6. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
6
OutWiththeOld,InWiththeNew
Tetheredconnectionsareconsideredold school and inherentlydangerousin today’s
rapidlyadvancing technological landscape.Theseconnections,which requirephysical
cablestolinkdevices,limit mobilityand flexibilityin a world thatvaluesseamless
integration andconvenience.Tetheredconnectionsposepotentialdangers,such as
tripping hazardsandcableentanglements,whichcan lead toaccidentsand injuries
within awarehouse.In industrial settings,cablesmaybeexposed toharshconditions,
riskingdamage,andcompromising safety.
Asmodern technologycontinuestoevolve,theadoptionof wirelessand moresecure
communication methodshasbecomethenorm,reducing therelianceon tethered
connections,and promoting a saferand moreefficientdigitalecosystem.
Incorporating“LeanTechnology”
Leantechnology helpsemployeesmoveproductsmoreefficiently,ergonom-
ically,and safely—allofwhich add uptoincreased productivity,employee
satisfaction,fasterfulfillment,and reducedcosts.
“Lean labeling”referstoan approach tothelabeling processeswithinware-
housesanddistributioncentersthat focuseson streamlining,aquestionof “the
right label”ornot,but “theright labeling solution”which meansgetting theright
printer,ribbon,and labelcombination.
old new

7. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
7
TechnologiesHelpingCompanies
EmbraceHybridAutomation:
1. Mobileworkstations
Thetraditionalcomputerworkstation in awarehouseistethered toa particularlocation
wherethemonitor,computer,and printersit.Thisisanoutdated,tedioussetupwhich
wastestimeasworkersareconstantlymoving toand from it in thewarehouse.So,rather
than making theworkerwalktoand from theworkstation,morecompaniesarebringing
theworkstation totheworker.NewcastleSystemsmobilecomputerworkstations
eliminatewasted timebyprovidingeverythingworkersneed tostayon task—effectively
doubling theproductivityand throughput foreach andeveryworker.
NewcastleSystems’unrivaled lineupof solutionshavemadethecompanythe go-to
sourceformobileproductivitysolutions.Thecartsoffermobilityand flexibleconfigu-
rationswhichcan transform anyprocessandcreatemeasurableefficienciesforsupply
chainoperations.
Theproofisinthenumbers: Thecompany’ssolutionsproducesignificant benefitsfor
companiesof all sizes.In fact,thetopreasonswarehousemanagerssaytheyembrace
NewcastleSystems’mobilepowercart solutionsare:
2xproductivity
Twicetheproductivitywithout having
toaddemployeesduring a labor
crunch.Get themost fromevery
valuableemployeeand givethem
higherjobsatisfaction in return.
92%fewererrors
Whenworkersinput,print and
applylabelsat thedock,you’ll
beabletokissallof thosepricey
mistakesgoodbye.
NewcastleSystemsNB SeriesWorkstation with
PowerSwapNucleus® Lithium PowerSystem
trimmedpayroll
Higherthroughput in fewer
hours;cut payroll and
overtime.
quickpayback
Thecompany’ssystemsoffera
predictable6-10 month return
on investment (ROI),followed by
manyyearsof additional benefits
and “wins.”

8. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
8
2. Wearabledevices
Sixbillion barcodesarescannedeverysingleday—practicallyonebarcodeforeveryhuman.
Andyet,until recently,thesewerescanned using toolslikea scanning gun that peoplehold in
theirhandstooperate.
Enterwearablesolutions.Onestartup,ProGlove,hasmadea nameforitself astheindustrial
barcodescanner.Overthelast sixyears,thecompanyhasgrown from an ideaof a founder
looking tomakescanning moreefficient forautomotivemanufacturerstoa globalcompany
workingwith majorcompaniestohelpworkerssave3-4 secondsforeveryscan.Thosenum-
bersadd up,especiallyin high-scanenvironmentswhereworkersmaybemaking hundredsif
not thousandsof scansperdayperemployee.
Otherwearabletoolslikesmart glasses
offeremployeesadditionalenhance-
mentsthroughout theirworkday,
augmenting thehumanworker.Take
Vuzix’sSmartGlasses.Theglasses
areboth a meanstoprotect and make
workersmoreefficient.VuzixBlade®
smart glassesaredubbed asthe“first
self-contained Augmented Reality
(AR) smart glassesfeaturing advanced
waveguideopticsforhands-freemobile
computing andconnectivity.”
Eyesareprotected andworkerscan maintain focuson theirwork.Thesee-throughwaveguide
opticsmergedigital instructionsontoreal-world tasks,which aimstoremovedistractionsand
visionocclusion whilereducingerrorrates.
Wearablesalsoofferotherbenefitsthat improve
workerwell-being.In acasestudy,GapInc.
Directorof Distribution Engineering noted
someof thepositiveimpactsof implementing
ProGloveSmartGlovesintotheirworkflow:
•The form factorof theProGlovescanner
eliminatesexcess motion and a lighterweight
design ismorecomfortableforoperatorsto
use
•Ergonomicsandeaseof usereducefatigue
and improvequality
•By minimizing focuson thetool,ProGlove
scannersallow associatestoconcentratemore
fullyon theiroperational tasks

9. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
9
3. Exoskeletontools
In therealmof biology,exoskeletonsservethepurposeof providing
support and safeguarding an animal’sbody.Similarly,industrial
exoskeletonshaveacomparablefunction.According toEHS Daily
Advisor,theseareexternaldevicesdesigned toenhance,amplify,or
reinforce theperformanceof anemployee’sexisting functions.
Twoprimarycategoriesofexoskeletonsexist:activeand passive.
Activeexoskeletonsaredriven bymechanismslikeelectricmotors,
pneumatics,hydraulics,ora blendof thesetechnologies,often
referred toas“roboticexoskeletons.”Passiveexoskeletonsoperate
basedon thenatural movementsof thehuman bodyand utilize
springsandcounterbalancing forces.Theyoffersupport fortheback,
shoulders,arms,and legs,andcaneven assistwith holding tools.
Theprimaryaimofwearableindustrialexoskeletonsisonceagain to
augmenthumanperformance.Thistechnologyholdsthepotential to
contributepositivelytothereductionof work-related musculoskeletal
disorders(MSDs) that arisefrom taskslikelifting and handling heavy
materials,orsupportingweightytoolsduringoverheadwork.Exo-
skeletondevicesarebeing introduced and tested invariousindustry
sectors,includingcarand aircraft manufacturing,construction,
wholesale,and retail trades.

10. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
10
4. Cobotsinthewarehouse
Manypeoplefearthat soon industrial spaceswill bevoidof human workersand
exclusivelyfilledwith automated systems.That iswhycomplexroboticsystems
working in tandemwith humancounterpartsmaybetheepitomeof hybrid automa-
tion,becausethehumanelement remainsvital and necessaryforproduction.
Collaborativerobots,orcobots,aregaining momentum in thematerial handling
and industrial spacesbecausetheyoffera great balancetooperationslooking to
modernizewithouteliminating anyrolesof humanworkers.According toUniversal
Robots(UR),a primarysupplierofcobotsin North America,“Cobotsare
designed toshareaworkspacewith humans,making automationeasierthan
everbeforeforbusinessesof all sizes.Allof thesebenefitshavemadeour
cobotsa game-changerforawidevarietyof applications.”
Systemssuch asKuka’s“ArcWelding Robots”orBoston Dynamic’s
“Stretch Arm”arehelping alleviatemuchof thephysicallydemanding
taskswarehouseworkersendureand allowing them tofocustheir
workon morepressing priorities.Universal Robots(UR) hassold
tensof thousandsof cobotstoproductionenvironmentsaround
theworld that helpcompaniesaddressmarketvolatility.UR’s
cobot solutionsprovideflexibilityand financial return that
manufacturersneed toremaincompetitiveand adaptableto
thechanging marketplace.

11. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
11
LookingtotheFuture
Modernwarehousesneed tostayupdatedon thelatest technologytooptimize
efficiencyand match therecent innovativetrendof theindustry.Without it,thefull
potential formaximized timeand throughputwill not beachieved,thus,lessrevenue
growth.
Asanexample,NewcastleSystemsrecognized awidespread problemwithin
warehousesand setout tobethebest possiblesolution forcompanies.Mobilepower
workstationsprovideintegrated poweron thecart and aredesigned tomakeindus-
trial barcodeprinters,scanners,andcomputersasanergonomicproductivitytool to
physicallytaketheneededelement tothework,in mostcases,allowforon-demand
label printing.
Companiesliketheonesreferenced in thisreport andothersarehelpingworkers
stayefficient andembracetechnology.Thisispropelling industrialenvironments
toward a futurefullof hybrid automationwithinwarehouses,elevatingoperationsto
unprecedented levelswhileeffectivelybridging theinteraction between humansand
machinecapabilities.

12. HYBRIDAUTOMATION
12
Reportauthor:NewcastleSystems
In 2005,NewcastleSystems,Inc.wasthefirst U.S.companytointroducemobilepowered industrialcartstosupport supply
chain applications,bringing leading-edgeefficienciestothemarket.Thecompanyhascontinuouslypioneered newtechnol-
ogydeveloping thefirst swappablelithium batterysystem forindustrial applicationsin 2016,aswell asthemostergonomic
mobilecartsavailable.A privately-owned,Massachusetts-basedcompany,NewcastleSystemsservessomeof thelargest
retailers,manufacturersanddistributorsin theworld tohelptoincreasesupplychainefficiencybyconsistentlydoubling
employeeproductivitywhilereducingcostlylabelingerrorsbyover92 percent.
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