Robotics hardware continues to pair with software to integrate into the wider warehouse ecosystem. Symbotic Inc. last week said it has acquired ARMS Innovations Ltd., which the company described as a milestone in its mission to transform supply chain operations by advancing a new industry category: “warehouse operations optimization.”
Joe Morris and Jonathan Lane founded ARMS Innovations in 2022 after collaborating on supply chain operations at TJ Morris. The Staffordshire, U.K.-based company delivers software, consulting services, and engineering to help customers reduce costs, maximize productivity, and extend the life of their assets.
ARMS said it specializes in real-time operational intelligence systems for complex automated warehouse environments.
ARMS acquisition to lead to new levels of optimization
ARMS Innovations said it has designed its software to meet real-world operational challenges. It introduced a layer of AI-driven orchestration to coordinate people, robotics, and workflows. The company said its system dynamically matches tasks with the right resources – whether human or machine – based on skills, availability, and operational needs.
The ARMS system identifies who is on-site, what skills they possess, and where they are needed most. When problems arise, the technology goes beyond simple alerts, claimed the company. It diagnoses the problem, assigns the appropriate personnel, orders parts if needed, and manages the resolution process in real time.
ARMS said this troubleshooting capability can transform operations from reactive troubleshooting to synchronized execution. The company said its software enables customers to optimize individual facilities and – ultimately – across entire logistics networks.
Symbotic asserted that the addition of ARMS will enable it to lead in a new industry category with a greater scope than traditional warehouse management systems (WMS) or warehouse execution systems (WES) — enterprise-level warehouse operations optimization. The company said that it will extend its capabilities from executing automated tasks to managing and orchestrating entire facilities.
Combined solution to be an ‘operational nervous system’
In addition, Symbotic described the combined solution as a true “operational nervous system,” delivering end-to-end visibility and control across all activities. This includes predicting maintenance needs, identifying disruptions in real time, and dynamically managing complex workflows.
“ARMS was built to solve the realities of complex automated warehouse environments, with a focus on driving continuous improvement in customers’ operations while reducing costs,” said Walt Odisho, chief manufacturing and supply chain officer at Symbotic. “We look forward to scaling that proven expertise and bringing further transformative capabilities to organizations worldwide.”
Symbotic said the acquisition strengthens its ability to serve environments that demand continuous visibility and agile decision-making, including micro-fulfillment centers and floor-loaded inbound logistics operations.
Symbotic expands beyond automation
By integrating ARMS Innovations’ advanced software capabilities, Symbotic said its offerings will expand beyond robotics into “a comprehensive, real-time operational solution that unifies and optimizes every element of warehouse performance – across both automated systems and human workflows.”
“By combining Symbotic’s automation leadership with ARMS’s proven operational intelligence software, we are taking a major step forward in our vision of delivering a fully integrated, intelligent supply chain platform,” stated Rick Cohen, chairman and CEO of Symbotic. “With this acquisition, we can help customers accelerate the transformation of their distribution centers into smart, highly synchronized ecosystems designed to maximize productivity and uptime.”
Cohen founded the company as CasePick Systems in 2007, and it rebranded as Symbotic in 2012. The Wilmington, Mass.-based Symbotic provides AI-powered robots for for the world’s largest retail, wholesale, food and beverage, and medical supply distribution companies.
The company said it applies autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), high-density automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), and machine learning to enable companies to move goods with speed, agility, accuracy, and efficiency. Symbotic in May announced that its technology has moved more than 2 billion cases.