KDDI forged an alliance with a local logistics specialist group with the goal of automating warehouse distribution to minimise manual intervention in the face of a severe labour shortage due to exponential growth in the e-commerce sector.

In a statement, KDDI explained the initiative aims to develop an open end-to-end system by combining its expertise in 5G, cloud and security infrastructure with the warehouse automation experience of Tsubakimoto Chain and affiliate Tsubakimoto Machinery.

The two logistics companies develop automation systems for transporting, sorting and storing goods.

KDDI noted since the benefits of replacing one activity in a warehousing system with material handling equipment or robots are limited, the initiative plans to automate the entire process to increase labour savings, cost reductions and productivity gains.

The operator added traditional offerings generally limit customers to specific manufacturers and equipment. The alliance’s system will be compatible with a wide range of makers and apparatus to encourage digital transformation in the logistics industry.

KDDI said it will focus on developing integrated operation monitoring and maintenance systems for a single point of contact for inquiries and troubleshooting.