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Эксперт Пахомов: в России нельзя заменить курьеров для внутригородской логистики
The labor shortage has affected not only the increased requirements and salaries of logistics personnel, but also the active implementation of automated systems. These technologies will partially replace human labor, but the question of how many jobs will remain remains open. Nikolay Pakhomov, head of the logistics products department at SDEK, told Gazeta.Ru what automation systems are used today and why the need for employees remains.
First of all, automation is used in areas where human resources are most in demand. In warehouse logistics, a wide variety of solutions already exist: from large-sized cross-belt lines to sorting robots and manipulators.
"The equipment is not only used for sorting goods, but also for other simple tasks such as palletising - a device that uses stretch film to form pallets. "The two or three people who used to do the packing manually are replaced by one palletiser," he explains.
Automated solutions are created for specific warehouse parameters; there is no universal solution. Each new device requires additional costs for your business. In such situations, workers are needed who can solve flexible tasks that robots cannot yet perform, with the same level of versatility. With a payback period of two to three years for robots, these systems can be about 20% more efficient than people, but people, as a rule, remain a universal solution.
"Full automation of logistics processes is not yet possible. At this stage, we are talking more about the synergy of people and technology. The introduction of automated systems is accompanied by changes in work. Tasks that were previously performed manually are transferred to technical specialists who support and service the new equipment," the expert said.
The situation with automation in different areas of logistics is different. For example, no company in Russia is yet capable of completely replacing intracity logistics couriers. Existing solutions are still expensive and require human participation.
"Monitoring and maintenance of automated systems is still necessary, and we should not expect a complete replacement of human labor until the cost of human labor reaches a level similar to the cost of automation. Now the main task of enterprises is not automation for the sake of automation, but maintaining and improving the efficiency of production processes," the expert concludes.