Fortna increased investment in a new Science and Technology Center for Innovation tasked with solving complex distribution challenges.
“Today’s distribution centers are extremely complex and may store millions of SKUs while processing thousands of orders of varying configurations,” says Marc Austin, Fortna chief solutions officer. “Allocating the right work to the right people at the right time to maximize efficiency exceeds human cognitive abilities. At the heart of these operations is sophisticated software that syncs the automation, robotics and people to increase fulfillment speed and efficiency while relieving labor pressure.”
From Fortna:
- To meet these challenges, Fortna created the Science and Technology Center for Innovation to develop advanced mathematical models, algorithms and simulations that drive sophisticated, data science-based warehouse execution software and to create an integrated virtual environment that links simulation, emulation and digital twins.
- The platform can simulate a real-time distribution center before it is constructed to validate the design and software infrastructure. It can also record and then playback a live distribution environment to uncover the root cause of a problem, as well as allow “what-if” analyses of possible future scenarios.
“Fortna’s Science and Technology Center for Innovation is tasked with solving some of the most complex challenges in distribution today, using science, modeling and research to drive faster and more cost-efficient fulfillment,” says Russ Meller, principal scientist at Fortna. “We are bridging the gap between ‘what is’ and ‘what is possible.’”
