Anyone who has lifted a 30-pound bag of dog food knows that caring for a pet is no light matter.
Many pet parents have come to rely on Chewy for this very reason, as it removes the burden of dragging heavy pet supplies to and from a store.
Chewy has always focused on ergonomically designed processes to make it safer for team members to transport heavy items; however, the company’s robotics team saw additional opportunities to leverage robots to further simplify warehouse processes and improve the team member experience.
For Senior Director Tim Foley, the impact of this innovation is twofold: “We not only seek to improve the efficiency of our fulfillment centers, but specifically target the type of items that are really challenging for our team members to pick and pack.”
About Chewy
Since its inception in 2011, Chewy has become a household name for pet owners across the country, offering a broad range of pet supplies through its online marketplace, pet prescriptions through its online pharmacy, and services through its veterinary practices. The company currently employs roughly 18,000 individuals across its fulfillment centers in 11 states, four corporate hubs and multiple veterinary practices, pharmacy, and customer service centers.
Having an effective process for picking and packing items is important, considering Chewy has scaled significantly over the past few years, and has recently expanded into the Canadian market. Through the company’s focus on efficient in-house robotics technology, the fulfillment center robotics engineers ensure the organization can keep up with this continued growth. The team is dedicated to helping improve the experience throughout Chewy’s fulfillment centers, currently located in 11 states nationwide.
Referring to a recent robotics project, Foley added, “This project solidifies Chewy’s investment in robotics technology and its focus on improving the experience of our team members. Not only is it delivering value here and now, but it’s also serving as the technical foundation for our future.”
So how does Chewy leverage robots?
Foley explained that their solutions combine robotic arms to pick and pack items with cutting-edge computer vision systems and advanced material-handling systems.
“The robotics team was created to help take our automation projects internal,” Robotics Engineer Olivia Ordonez noted. “Keeping work internal makes sure that we can get our fulfillment projects done faster, because the team is right here at Chewy.”
In Ordonez’s mind, it was important — and unique — for the company to establish an in-house robotics team dedicated to working on building this technology. “It’s something really unique that we added that not many corporations like this do,” she said, “and I’m really excited to have been one of the first team members.”
Ordonez also talked about how these systems create opportunities to upskill team members and help them grow in their careers. She and her peers worked with the fulfillment center operations team to build training materials for team members who interact with the robotics on a daily basis. These materials helped team members feel confident when working with the new technology and provided feedback to the designers about how team members interact with their systems.
She concluded, “We’re excited to continue to innovate and leverage new technologies in exciting ways that further improve the experience of our pet parents, team members and operations.”
'Think Big' and Build Things
This robotics project for fulfillment centers reflects one of Chewy’s core operating principles, “Think Big,” which identifies the aim to set bold visions that challenge team members to think and act with the long-term in mind.
The Foundation For Innovation
Robotics innovations aren’t only exciting due to their current impact on Chewy’s operations. According to Foley, they’re also a precursor of what’s to come. Chewy is working with industry leaders and startups through a partnership with MassRobotics to develop new and innovative solutions to automate physically demanding processes that require a combination of mobility, manipulation and advanced AI.
In 2023, the retailer opened its fourth automated fulfillment center, reflecting its commitment to more robust, productive shipping operations. The company also aims to refit its older fulfillment centers with automation technology to increase their capacity while making them safer and more efficient.
