Goods to Person Robotics at the heart of CSR performance in the warehouse!

Opinion column by Ludovic Fenelon, Sales & Marketing Director| SCALLOG

CSR is now a central concern for Supply Chain Departments, as they seek to improve their image in the eyes of their customers, partners and employees. According to Pwc, in France, more than half of SC Departments consider environmental issues to be one of their priority challenges in 2025.

90% of them have implemented or will implement a CSR roadmap based on three pillars: environmental, economic and social or even societal. Warehouses can play an active role in this, going beyond eco-responsible design to optimize the well-being at work and the employee experience of logistics operators, who are affected by the arduousness of their tasks, RSI and stress. Good to Person Robotics for automating picking operations, which are time-consuming in terms of time, movement and handling, is today proving to be a key lever for promoting the well-being, commitment and productivity of warehouse staff!

Improving the Quality of Life and Working Conditions in the warehouse!

In France, the logistics-transport sector is one of the most exposed to MSD disorders, according to France Supply Chain; 95% of occupational illnesses are linked to it, according to the latest AMELI data. What's more, according to INRS, the sector's accident rate is as high as that of the construction industry. To prevent and drastically reduce physical risks and mental workload, it has become imperative to implement a genuine Quality of Life and Working Conditions approach in warehouses, with a view to creating an environment and conditions conducive to the well-being, health and de facto operational performance of operators. Focus on picking or order preparation, which involves a number of constraints for operators: incessant travel - up to 10 kilometers a day, handling at arm's length - from 1 to 10 tons a day, a noisy environment and a heavy mental workload to keep up with the pace and quality expected.

Goods To Person Robotics, like SCALLOG - shelves transported by robots to operators - is ideally suited to a QWL (Quality of Life and Working Conditions) approach, offering a truly ergonomic environment that protects operators' physical and mental health, while boosting their productivity. Positioned at picking stations, operators no longer have to move around, and are guided at every stage by beams of light in a silent environment to prepare several dozen orders, without any risk of bad posture, stress or machine/pedestrian collisions. Workstation ergonomics is a top priority, from anti-fatigue mats to beehive corners. Indeed, more and more companies are involving their operators in the design and ergonomics of their workstations, so that they can take responsibility for their well-being and embrace change. What's more, Goods to Person Robotics can be a tool for inclusion in a QWL approach; proof of this is provided by the logistics company DISPEO, which dedicates its logistics employees with restricted mobility to this technology!

From protecting physical health to lightening the mental load of the operator, who always remains in control, Goods to Person Robotics assists him on a daily basis, rather than replacing him, and even adds value to what he does!

Strengthen employee experience and commitment!

A sector under pressure in terms of employment in certain areas, logistics, often associated with arduous working conditions, struggles to recruit and retain its employees. And yet, it is one of the most dynamic sectors that innovates the most in terms of technologies - robotics, blockchain, AI and practices.

The same is true in warehouses: Goods to Person Robotics, a guarantee of an environment conducive to the well-being and skills enhancement of operators, helps to recruit, retain and engage them. It makes the operator's job more attractive to the young "techie" generation, and accessible to as many people as possible. Above all, it ensures a better employee experience: logistics operators gain in skills, versatility and social fulfillment. With a job and missions that make sense, the operator is more motivated, involved and efficient; absenteeism, turnover and error rates are drastically reduced.

As part of a CSR approach, Goods to Person Robotics guarantees that the company will preserve its human capital and the logistics operator will increase its personal capital of skills - a win-win cooperative relationship!

With the advance of new technologies, from AI to robotics, logistics professions and practices will change; the transformation of skills and talents will intensify. At a time when one in 5 warehouses is automated, Goods to Person Robotization according to SCALLOG is already raising both economic and societal stakes in the warehouse; industrializing processes for greater productivity and efficiency without losing meaning and value for operators. Today, this technology considerably improves their Quality of Life and Working Conditions, and contributes to their future employability, while meeting the CSR objectives of the warehouse!