Logistics giant UPS is leveraging technology to help reduce repetitive tasks and physical stress while promoting safety for the company’s employees.

The technologies should also improve package flow and overall efficiency of the UPS network.

“UPS has been a technology company since its founding,” said Carol Tomé, UPS CEO. “Innovation is in our DNA. We continuously look for ways to leverage technology to improve our employee experience and increase efficiency. This is how we build a better and bolder UPS that will continue to be customer-first, people-led and innovation-driven for years to come.”

The company’s innovation strategy has long included the use of digital and automation technologies and this has accelerated with advancements in AI.

Recently, UPS made several improvements in its operations targeting specific processes that can be repetitive and physically demanding such as pick-and-place, loading and unloading, and moving irregular-sized shipments.

It is using pick-and-place technologies powered by Dexterity, Fortna and Plus One Robotics to help employees sort small packages, a role that requires repetitive tasks and can be inconsistent as it flexes with customer demands. Once implemented, the technology should make these jobs easier, safer and offer a better overall experience for UPS employees.

UPS is using Pickle Robot’s unloading technologies to ease the job of unloading trailers, making the role less physically demanding for employees and delivering better package care and reliability for UPS customers.

The company is using autonomous guided vehicles (AGV) powered by Dane Technologies, Geek+, Locus Robotics, Crown Lift Trucks and Toyota-Raymond to simplify demanding jobs. Many of these AGV technologies more safely and easily move small packages and irregular-sized shipments through UPS facilities. Irregular shipments don’t fit on conveyor belts and often can be heavy and difficult to move. These vehicles streamline these movements and promote safety.

UPS is also leveraging digital technologies to ensure the safety of every delivery around the world by using Delivery Photo and Delivery Defense to decrease fraud for customers.

The innovations are being used in select UPS facilities across the USA as the company continues to execute its plan and provide service to its customers with an efficient, globally-integrated network.

“In providing industry-leading livelihoods for our people, we are now also using technology, innovation and automation to provide for their well-being,” said Bala Subramanian, executive vice president at UPS. “UPSers will always be our differentiator even as we optimise our network through technology.”

Innovation has been a cornerstone of UPS’s business strategy since its founding in 1907. This year, 57 per cent of the packages processed through the UPS network went through automated facilities that are powered by sorting, processing and data capture technologies. The company’s major air facilities are automated with package flow technology, and the company continues to embrace technologies that advance its business and the logistics industry at-large.

• UPS (www.ups.com) has acquired California-based MNX Global Logistics (www.mnx.com), a time-critical logistics provider. The acquisition should bring more precision and capability to UPS customers in healthcare and related industries who rely upon time-sensitive, often life-impacting logistics.

“UPS already brings extensive capability and industry-leading on-time delivery to our customers, and that breadth and reliability is why they place their trust in us,” said UPS EVP Kate Gutmann. “Together with MNX, we will further that reliability and speed globally, especially for our UPS healthcare customers. We continue to invest in services that bring unique value to our customers and create additional growth opportunities for UPS.”

MNX’s capabilities in radio-pharmaceuticals and temperature-controlled logistics should help UPS and its clinical trial logistics subsidiary Marken meet the growing demand for these services in the healthcare industry.

“We are excited to combine our expertise with UPS to offer the best time-critical logistics to customers around the world,” said MNX CEO John Labrie. “By joining UPS, we will be able to use the MNX team’s expertise in global, time-critical logistics within UPS’s extensive network, allowing us to provide our customers with the best possible service. “

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year.