DSV deploys Locus Robotics AMRs to reduce picker travel time and boost warehouse throughput

DSV, one of the world's largest third-party logistics providers, faced mounting pressure from surging e-commerce volumes, unpredictable seasonal demand spikes, and tightening labor markets. In contract warehousing and fulfillment, picker travel time is one of the largest sources of wasted labor — in traditional pick-and-walk models, workers can spend over half their shift simply moving between locations. As order cycle times shortened and client SLAs grew more demanding, DSV needed a way to increase throughput and pick accuracy across multiple fulfillment sites without committing to expensive fixed infrastructure like conveyors or goods-to-person systems.

DSV deployed Locus Robotics' LocusONE autonomous mobile robot (AMR) platform across multiple warehouse sites using a phased, staged rollout approach. The LocusONE system operates on a 'person-to-goods' model: robots autonomously navigate warehouse floors, carrying bins and carts directly to stationary human pickers, eliminating most of the travel burden from picking workflows. Because the platform integrates with existing Warehouse Management Systems via standard APIs, DSV avoided rearchitecting its WMS or physical infrastructure. Locus Robotics provided operator training, safety protocols, and change management support alongside the deployment, allowing human workers to coexist safely with the AMR fleet from day one. The modular, infrastructure-light design made it straightforward to replicate the deployment across additional DSV facilities as ROI was validated.

After rollout, DSV recorded measurable improvements across core fulfillment KPIs. Robot-assisted workflows sharply reduced the time human workers spent walking or transporting goods between locations, redirecting that labor toward actual picking, packing, and exception handling. Key outcomes included:

• Reduced pick-cycle times as workers remained stationary while robots handled all inter-aisle travel
• Higher order throughput per shift across deployed sites
• Improved labor utilization, with staff redeployed from travel-heavy tasks to quality control and sorting
• Scalable seasonal capacity, with robot fleet size adjustable for peak periods without proportional headcount increases or capital expenditure in fixed automation

• AMR platforms that integrate with existing WMS via standard APIs enable modernization without requiring infrastructure overhauls — a critical advantage in 3PL environments serving multiple clients.
• Phased rollouts allow logistics operators to validate ROI site-by-site before committing to fleet-wide deployment, reducing financial and operational risk.
• 'Person-to-goods' robotics generate the fastest labor-productivity gains in high-SKU, high-volume fulfillment environments where picker travel time dominates shift hours.
• Change management — including operator training and transparent communication — is as important as the technology itself for achieving safe and productive human-robot coexistence.
• Scalable robot fleets give 3PLs a structural advantage in managing seasonal peaks without locking capital into fixed automation assets.