Waco will soon be home to a new Amazon fulfillment center, this one enhanced with high tech robotic technology, reports Chain Storage.

Amazon plans to open a robotics fulfillment center in Waco, Texas, in 2021.

With the mounting challenges brought about by the rising customer demands and complexity of the work environment, companies are always looking for ways to improve their operations and deliver the best service. Technology is one thing that promises to transform different industries and facilitate innovation. Supply chain is one of the industries that have benefited immensely from technology. Here are some of the technologies that you can make use of if you are to be competitive:

Disruptive technologies have altered the landscape in modern organizations. In the realization of this, business leaders are coping with these technologies and identifying opportunities and challenges that their businesses can address if they adopt them. In warehouses, for instance, robots have proven to be efficient and quick compared to humans. However, although managers and leaders in the supply chain may be longing to acquire robots in their companies, huge amounts of money and expertise can be obstacles.

Warehousing is witnessing a dramatic shift from traditional human labor to an army of robots. For example, Amazon has been adding robots to its warehouse workforce since 2012 for moving items and assisting human workers. These robots have helped reduce operating costs at each warehouse by 20%, which translates to almost $22 million. The cost savings are mainly derived by improving warehouse efficiency. According to one report, after deploying the robots, cycle times were reduced by 15 minutes from 75 minutes to 60 minutes. Inventory space has also grown by 50% due to smarter use of space.