– Just as in industrial automation, warehouse automation drives not only productivity and efficiency, but also greater safety, better ergonomics, and more inspiring and value-creating professional roles.
That’s according to Ankush Malhotra, who has been Group CEO of the fast-growing automation company Element Logic for nearly two years. Prior to that, he worked for eighteen years at Fluke Corporation—a corporate group that specializes in industrial test and measurement technology to improve the efficiency of manufacturing facilities.
– When I started at Element, I saw many parallels with the manufacturing industry: the shortage of skilled labor, the need for skills development, and a stable production system where people and automation work well together. “There are many similarities here and a great deal to learn,” he says, noting that modern warehouses are, in many ways, becoming more like production environments.
Efficient warehouses need people
At Element Logic, the long-standing philosophy has been that robots should enable people to perform more value-added tasks. From this perspective, incorporating automation is intended to make people’s work more meaningful and stimulating.
“The most efficient warehouses aren’t fully automated; rather, they’re well-organized environments where people and technology work together effectively. With that in mind, we aim to be a solution partner that designs integrated systems centered on people, software, and automation,” explains Ankush.
Looking ahead, he believes that the most successful warehouses will be those that combine human strength, robotic precision, and software intelligence. Collaborative environments, where people and machines interact rather than work in isolation.
An investment in our staff
In practice, this means designing technological solutions based on how people actually work. From that perspective, robots should perform high-volume, repetitive tasks where precision and predictability are important. People, on the other hand, should use their experience and judgment to solve problems and contribute to continuous improvement.
– Automation is transforming the workplace by eliminating many physically demanding and repetitive tasks. At the same time, job roles in automated warehouses are becoming more numerous and more engaging, with employees controlling and monitoring systems, troubleshooting issues, and improving performance. In that sense, automation is as much an investment in the workforce as it is an investment in efficiency, Ankush says.
And the fact is that warehouse automation is creating many jobs and driving the need for new roles. At the same time, there is a severe shortage of people willing to work in the more traditional, simpler warehouse jobs.
”When I meet younger people who are just starting their careers and ask them what they want to do in the future, no one spontaneously says, ”I want to work in a warehouse.’” “This is a demographic reality that means many more companies will need to automate and implement robotics,” says Ankush, noting that the overwhelming majority of all warehouses are still largely manual.
+600 AutoStore installations
To many, Element Logic is best known as the company that has delivered the most units of the Norwegian AutoStore system—more than 600 in over 35 countries. The popular robotic solution is used to store, retrieve, and pick boxes that are transported to a station where a human or a robotic arm picks the items.
– We are one of many integrators helping to democratize AutoStore technology by making it accessible to many companies across a wide range of industries. “From the very largest companies all the way down to fairly small ones, everyone can use this technology because it’s simple, modular, scalable, and flexible,” Ankush notes.
Element Logic was founded in 1985 by brothers Kjell and Dag-Adler Blakseth. The company was named AutoStore’s first integrator and was responsible for installing the world’s first AutoStore system in 2003. Since then, the business has grown rapidly and is now a global company with a broad portfolio of solutions.
– Today, we have evolved into a full-service systems integrator for warehouse solutions. This means we offer various types of hardware, proprietary software, consulting, and service and maintenance services.
The portfolio has been expanded both organically and through a number of strategic acquisitions in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, among other places, which have complemented the company’s ability to take a comprehensive approach to its customers’ warehouse automation.
”The shift is all about intelligence”
Ankush explains that Element Logic chose early on to embrace technological advancements in artificial intelligence and data analysis. This rapid development is fueled by data, AI, and customer orders, which drive intelligent, automated, and agile warehouses.
– As AI becomes more widely used around the world, it enables greater automation, deeper insights, and more analysis, which allows our customers to make difficult tasks easier. With increasing intelligence, operations can be optimized in real time, tested through simulation, and performance can be continuously improved.
That said, he also notes that there will be a wide range in terms of the level of maturity in automation and AI use. While some are highly advanced, highly automated, and data-driven, others use robots solely to perform the most repetitive tasks.
Ankush views the development of AI in society as a transformative force that places greater demands on change, transformation, and professional development. He considers these areas to be part of his own ethos—the foundation of his professional practice.
– Working with change has defined my professional life. I’m a strong believer in continuous improvement and ongoing change. It’s about creating a culture where people are willing and able to embrace the difficult challenges—even when we don’t reach our goals. It’s about stepping outside your comfort zone and going the extra mile. Because that’s when real innovation happens. That’s when good things happen,” he concludes.
