FedEx has a new way to help customers pick, pack, sort returns
FedEx is using AI robotics technology to solve a dilemma that has vexed shippers from the beginning: How to automate fulfillment when there is no standard size or route. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
FedEx Corp. is getting “Nimble” to help customers deal with odd-sized packages and cumbersome returns.
The Memphis-based company is using AI robotics technology developed by a young company called Nimble to solve a dilemma that has vexed shippers from the beginning: How to automate fulfillment when there is no standard size or route.
Nimble, a San Francisco-based third-party-logistics provider, is expected to help FedEx customers more efficiently get items from warehouse shelves, get them packed with less repetition and strengthen package return process, the reverse sorting and shipping operation that is often more complicated and circuitous than the initial shipment.
“Our strategic alliance and financial investment with Nimble expand our footprint in the e-commerce space, helping to further scale our FedEx Fulfillment offering across North America,” said Scott Temple, president of FedEx Supply Chain. “Nimble’s cutting-edge AI robotics and autonomous fulfillment systems will help FedEx streamline operations and unlock new opportunities for our customers.”
FedEx did not say how much it is investing in Nimble.
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Jane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
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