Canadian firm Nulogy and Illinois-based Formic and combining their respective software- and robots-as-a-service to strengthen manufacturing supply chains.

Their SaaS (software-as-a-service) and RaaS (robotics-as-a-service) together should let users implement value-driven digital shop floors with speed, agility and flexibility without requiring outsized capital investment.

As manufacturers and their supply chain partners continue to grapple with labour shortages, competition and shifting customer demands, many businesses are turning to technology for a competitive advantage in cost, efficiency and customer service.

“Manufacturing cannot survive without automation, whether it’s automated data flow or physical automation on the production floor,” said Misa Ilkhechi, Formic vice president. “At Formic, we’re focused on finding ways to make it ten times faster, easier and cheaper to deploy a robot and increase productivity. We are excited to work with Nulogy, whose real-time data visibility and dynamic collaboration will add time to value for our customers.”

This partnership will present contract logistics providers, contract packagers, contract manufacturers and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands with a suite of automation capabilities, including shop floor data and workflow automation through Nulogy’s cloud-based platform and physical production floor automation through Formic’s array of accessible robotics.

“Manufacturers and packagers in today’s consumer market can no longer afford to ignore the agility and competitive edge that data automation offers,” said Jason Tham, CEO of Nulogy. “The shop floor efficiencies gained by Formic’s robotics technology combined with Nulogy’s collaborative platform present a powerful, scalable option for companies to operate with greater efficiency, accuracy and flexibility.”

Leveraging engineering expertise, on-site customer support and monitoring technology, Formic’s RaaS delivers full-functioning robotics to users who pay from $8/hour for usage. Formic programmes, installs and maintains all its systems at its own cost, which means manufacturers receive unlimited, round-the-clock service and do not pay anything until and unless their operational output meets performance guarantees.

Nulogy has a purpose-built multi-enterprise collaboration platform for supplier networks and digitally enables FMCG companies and their external supplier networks to collaborate seamlessly on a centralised, data-driven, AI-enabled platform. Nulogy’s offerings run within the supply networks of global FMCG companies such as L’Oréal, Colgate-Palmolive, and Church & Dwight, as well as hundreds of supplier sites around the world.

Founded in 2020, Formic (formic.co) has a full-service offering that includes planning, deployment, maintenance and upgrades.

Nulogy (nulogy.com), a supplier of digital supply chain offerings, helps FMCG companies and their supplier communities collaborate on a multi-enterprise platform to deliver to an ever-changing consumer market. Its cloud-based platform optimises upstream supply ecosystems composed of brand manufacturers, contract manufacturers and packagers, third party logistics providers, and raw material and packaging suppliers to accelerate supply chain responsiveness and collaboration.