DHL taps robotics to boost productivity 25%

Package delivery companies tend to build up their workforce numbers during the holiday season to help with the extra demand from e-commerce deliveries. But the industry saw its overall employment numbers decrease during the month of December with a loss of 5,200 jobs, according to Labor Department numbers reported by The Wall Street Journal.
UPS and FedEx planned to bring in 100,000 and 55,000 seasonal workers, respectively, in addition to relying on increased automation to help during the busy season. This is a strategy DHL is similarly relying on. Automation, specifically robotics, helps boost productivity, but also means DHL doesn't have to train employees on how to perform the automated processes. And tools like cobots can make a human's job easier, Sureddin said. "It does replace the need for some people, but I would say the bigger piece on this is if it helps you with the peaks and valleys or seasonality of business," he said on the call, adding that no one has lost a job at DHL as a result of robotics though the company doesn't need to hire as many extra employees during the busiest periods.

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PR Newswire | February 02, 2024

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