DHL Standardises Automation Middleware

DHL Supply Chain is rolling out SVT Robotics’ SOFTBOT software across its global warehouse network to connect robots faster and standardise how new automation gets added. (dhl.com) DHL said the platform lets it integrate robotics up to 12 times faster than traditional custom coding. The company said it already has more than 8,000 collaborative robots operating across its global sites. (dhl.com) Before this rollout, DHL said each new automation project often needed separate custom code for each technology, adding six to eight weeks before a new system could start. SOFTBOT works as a software layer between warehouse systems and machines, using pre-built connectors instead of fresh integrations each time. (group.dhl.com) DHL is standardising that software layer, not locking itself to one robot maker. Tim Tetzlaff, global head of digital transformation at DHL Supply Chain, said the platform gives the company a way to connect different types of robotics, monitor performance in real time and scale them across sites. (automatedwarehouseonline.com) That reflects a broader logistics problem: warehouses rarely run one machine from one vendor. Operators often mix autonomous mobile robots, robotic arms, conveyors and warehouse software, and each extra connection can slow deployment and make multi-site rollouts harder. (robotics247.com) DHL’s move puts more value on interoperability — software that lets different systems work together — than on any single robot model. In practice, that means a warehouse group can swap in new hardware, copy a working setup from one site to another, and manage a larger fleet without rebuilding every connection from scratch. (mmh.com) SVT Robotics sells that compatibility layer as a technology-agnostic platform, meaning it is designed to work across brands rather than tie customers to one equipment stack. DHL said that approach helps “future-proof” automation deployments as new robotics systems are added over time. (dhl.com) The immediate test is scale. DHL said the platform is already live in 30 sites and is planned for more than 100 sites across regions over the next few years, turning middleware — the software glue between machines and warehouse systems — into a core part of how the company expands automation. (mmh.com)