[marshallp]

But with robots, you can probably get them to be cheaper even when taking into account seasonality. The real problem is that lots of manufacturers/wareshouses only keep a 3 year investment horizon. If they invested with a 10 year payoff, a lot more automation is possible. (It mirrors the problem in the economy as a whole - short termism)

[potatolicious]

> "But with robots, you can probably get them to be cheaper even when taking into account seasonality."

I can't say much without violating some NDA or another, but I'd check that assumption. Industrial robotics are anything but cheap, and remember, you're stacking them up against near-minimum wage laborers who have little to no benefits and you only pay for them when they're utilized.

[dkersten]

Why not combine the two? Robots all year round and then hire short term laborers for the seasonal peak times.

[potatolicious]

Quite possible, and the hybrid approach is practiced quite widely - e.g., robot packing machines, robot sorting machines, etc. One big issue with hybrid approaches that require robots to run around warehouses is that humans are squishy and present a significant safety hazard that will also reduce efficiency. Much of a totally automated solution's appeal is the dramatic efficiency increase that comes from not having squishy humans on the playing field.

[vellum]

You could make separate areas. One for the robots, one for the humans.

[moheeb]

You mean have Robocop and Darth Vader stacking boxes?