Industry

Warehouse Automation Needs This Software to Reach Its Full Value     Analyst insight: In today’s increasingly automated warehouses, managers are placing a greater emphasis on warehouse execution system (WES) software — the underlying platform that ensures automation technologies and labor are synchronized and optimized in real time within the distribution center and outside systems.  Today, orders are smaller, order-to-delivery cycles are shorter, and distribution centers are busier. As a result, they require highly dynamic, real-time workflows. DC leaders are investing in automation to help them make the transformation to “wave-less” or “order-streaming” — where workflow is planned as orders are...

Tesla is building a pilot battery cell manufacturing line in Fremont If you needed more proof that Tesla is going to make its own battery cells, we’ve now learned that Tesla is building a pilot battery cell manufacturing line in Fremont and designing its own equipment to produce the cells. For a few months now, Tesla has been rumored to be working on making its own battery cells for its electric vehicles. It started with the acquisition of Maxwell, a supercapacitor manufacturer with some battery cell technology, and later at its annual shareholder’s meeting, Tesla all but confirmed that it’s going...

Coronavirus And China Manufacturing: Restarting Production Is Hard The Nikkei Asian Review reported that Apple’s iPhone supplier Foxconn has been advised that its Longhua campus in Shenzhen, China faced a high risk of coronavirus infection, and the company has announced at least another one-week delay in the resumption of production. This is not surprising, as we previously pointed out that many Chinese factories have employees working and living in close quarters, circumstances that are not conducive to stopping the contagion cycle. Nobody wants to take responsibility for restarting work if it turns out that will make the situation worse, as the Nikkei reporters pointed out. We...

Tata launches 'ecosystem' to kickstart Indian clean vehicles MUMBAI (Reuters) - India’s Tata Group is making its biggest push yet toward clean vehicles with plans to make electric cars and batteries, set up charging stations and build a battery recycling plant, senior executives said on Tuesday. Ratan Tata, former chairman of Tata Sons, attends the launch of Tata Motors electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV) Nexon EV, in Mumbai, India, January 28, 2020. REUTERS/Hemanshi Kamani To try to curb pollution and reduce its fuel import bill, India is pushing automakers to produce electric vehicles, but has faced resistance from some that say...

Starbucks sees hit as coronavirus prompts over 2,000 China store closures (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) on Tuesday became the first major U.S. company to warn of a financial hit from the new coronavirus outbreak in China, as it closed thousands of restaurants and adjusted operating hours in its biggest growth market. The world’s largest coffee chain delayed a planned update - based on strong quarterly earnings results - to its 2020 financial forecast because of the outbreak, which has caused over 100 deaths and over 4,000 confirmed cases in China. Shares of the company, which operates 4,292 stores in...