The Automation Journey | A Podcast from Rocrich AGV Solutions

Vendors are pitching humanoids and AI-native robots. Finance wants ROI. Your executives saw a demo and want a hundred units next quarter. Which technologies are ready for your warehouse, and which are still in the lab? Ram Devarajulu is Vice President and Head of Robotics and Automation at Cambridge Consultants, part of Capgemini Invent, where he leads automated and autonomous systems work across logistics, warehouse and industrial clients in North America. A mechatronics engineer with 20+ years in hardware product development, he started out deploying a robotic crawler to mine minerals on the ocean floor. You'll get a clear way to judge technology maturity, from proven AGV and AMR fleets to early-stage humanoids. Ram shares the questions to ask vendors, how to set realistic expectations with leadership, and how to build a 12-month warehouse automation roadmap that holds up. Ram and Colin cover vendor vetting, safety standards that lag adoption, data readiness for multi-site scale, and long-term service and support. Key Takeaways Baxter, Anki and Segway were bold ideas that never reached the mass market. Ram explains the three-question test that would have flagged their problems early.A startup's tech is only half the story. Ask about the founders' track record and who funds them, because investment clocks rarely match hardware timelines.Humanoids will likely land in fenced warehouse and manufacturing cells first. Ram lays out a three-year path from there to unstructured spaces. Useful Links & Resources Ram Devarajulu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramkumaralways/ Rocrich AGV Solutions: https://rocrich.com Colin Hutchings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinbhutchings/ Rocrich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocrich/ Website: https://rocrich.com/contact/ Disclaimer: By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that Rocrich(R) AGV Solutions LLC ("Rocrich") MAKES NO WARRANTY, GUARANTEE, OR REPRESENTATION AS TO THE ACCURACY OR SUFFICIENCY OF THE INFORMATION FEATURED IN THIS PODCAST. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for informational and entertainment purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered legal, tax, financial, investment, or other professional advice. Unless specifically agreed to in writing otherwise, Rocrich does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Moreover, Rocrich makes no warranty that this podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. ROCRICH EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. Notice: By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents and design of this Podcast, are the property of Rocrich, or used by Rocrich with permission, and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of the Rocrich, which may be requested by contacting [email protected]. (c) 2026 Rocrich AGV Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.

Ask a vendor where their system has failed before, and you learn fast whether they are being straight with you. Adrian Kumar of DHL Supply Chain tells host Colin Hutchings why suppliers sometimes quote productivity numbers that only work in theory, and what customers should ask before signing. Kumar walks through a pick-to-belt project that got pulled years after go-live once the real numbers stopped adding up. KEY MOMENTS: - Suppliers can quote "in theory" numbers, like 600 picks an hour, that drop closer to 300 in daily operation - Customers should ask vendors directly where their solution has fallen short and what they changed afterward - Most major installation problems surface within the first year, but full reevaluation often waits for new leadership - A pick-to-belt system from the 1970s was ripped out years later once ongoing operating costs outweighed the gains Visit rocrich.com to learn how Rocrich AGV Solutions can help you start or scale your automation journey.

A former DHL executive who oversaw as many as 500 automation projects a year explains why so many warehouse automation business cases fall apart after go-live. You built the business case, got sign-off, and installed the system. Then the SKU mix shifts, peak volume spikes, and inventory accuracy falls apart, and suddenly the numbers don't add up. Adrian Kumar spent more than two decades at DHL in third-party logistics, designing and evaluating automation solutions across hundreds of projects a year. Now working independently, he brings a bias-free view of where mobile automation pays off and where it quietly fails. Listen and you'll get a practical checklist for evaluating any automation project: the vendor questions that expose weak business cases, the assumptions that get glossed over during solution design, and the operational realities that only show up after go-live. Adrian breaks down why some AGV and robotics investments scale successfully for years while others get ripped out after five. This episode covers due diligence for vendor selection, brownfield constraints, peak-volume stress testing, inventory accuracy, and the indirect labor costs automation vendors don't always mention. It's built for operations leaders preparing their first automation business case, not for anyone looking for a vendor sales pitch. ## Key Takeaways - One vendor question separates the honest suppliers from the ones overselling their technology, and it's not about their success stories. - Solution designs get built on ideal-case assumptions. Adrian explains which real-world variables (SKU mix, returns, non-conveyable items) blow those assumptions up on day one. - A major retailer invested tens of millions in a pick-to-belt system that got ripped out years later. The reason wasn't the technology, it was math nobody stress-tested upfront. - Peak volume planning isn't a formula. Adrian lays out when designing to peak makes sense and when leasing flexible capacity is the smarter play. ## Chapter Markers 00:00 Cold open: the risk of large automation write-offs 00:32 Guest introduction: Adrian Kumar's 3PL background 01:20 What the automation market gets wrong today 02:51 Why solution design assumes ideal conditions 05:13 Go-live surprises that expose bad assumptions 08:13 Cookie-cutter rollouts versus bespoke automation builds 10:35 How automation decisions changed over 20 years 12:53 Are automation success rates actually improving 15:31 Where customer assumptions go wrong upfront 18:08 Starting small before a big-bang investment 20:53 Lighthouse sites versus multi-site pilot testing 23:43 Where suppliers overstate achievable productivity 26:39 The vendor questions every customer should ask 30:24 Auditing automation performance years after go-live 34:41 The pick-to-belt system that got ripped out 36:13 Ergonomics and the human case for automation 38:13 Has brownfield-friendly automation caught up 40:43 Evaluating new mobile robot technology 43:14 Where automation wins are today: travel, pick, storage 46:06 How bad inventory data breaks automated systems 49:20 The assumption to stress-test before sign-off 51:50 Designing for peak volume versus staying flexible 54:51 The McDonald's lesson in balance and ergonomics 57:48 Closing thoughts: the vendor question that reveals honesty Useful Links & Resources Adrian Kumar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriankumar/ Rocrich AGV Solutions: https://www.rocrich.com Connect With the Show LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocrich/ Website: https://rocrich.com/contact/

A former DHL executive who oversaw as many as 500 automation projects a year explains why so many warehouse automation business cases fall apart after go-live. Adrian Kumar spent more than two decades at DHL in third-party logistics, designing and evaluating automation solutions across hundreds of projects a year. Now working independently, he brings a bias-free view of where mobile automation pays off and where it quietly fails. Chapter Markers 00:00 Cold open: the risk of large automation write-offs 00:32 Guest introduction: Adrian Kumar's 3PL background 01:20 What the automation market gets wrong today 02:51 Why solution design assumes ideal conditions 05:13 Go-live surprises that expose bad assumptions 08:13 Cookie-cutter rollouts versus bespoke automation builds 10:35 How automation decisions changed over 20 years 12:53 Are automation success rates actually improving 15:31 Where customer assumptions go wrong upfront 18:08 Starting small before a big-bang investment 20:53 Lighthouse sites versus multi-site pilot testing 23:43 Where suppliers overstate achievable productivity 26:39 The vendor questions every customer should ask 30:24 Auditing automation performance years after go-live 34:41 The pick-to-belt system that got ripped out 36:13 Ergonomics and the human case for automation 38:13 Has brownfield-friendly automation caught up 40:43 Evaluating new mobile robot technology 43:14 Where automation wins are today: travel, pick, storage 46:06 How bad inventory data breaks automated systems 49:20 The assumption to stress-test before sign-off 51:50 Designing for peak volume versus staying flexible 54:51 The McDonald's lesson in balance and ergonomics 57:48 Closing thoughts: the vendor question that reveals honesty Useful Links & Resources Adrian Kumar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriankumar/ Rocrich AGV Solutions: https://www.rocrich.com Connect With the Show LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocrich/ Website: https://rocrich.com/contact/

The robot is the easy part. What happens around it decides whether your automation project works or ends up gathering dust in the corner. You've seen it happen: a company buys the flashy AGV or AMR, it doesn't hit expectations, and within a year it's sitting unused while everyone blames "the technology." If you're weighing a warehouse automation investment and worried about repeating someone else's mistake, this one's for you. Brian Spradlin is President of Rocrich AGV Solutions, with two decades in automation and robotics including a run as Vice President of Global Product Development at KION Group. He also hosts this podcast, which means he's heard these lessons from the guest chair as often as the host's. Brian breaks down why the hardest part of automation was never the robot itself, and what actually separates a deployment that pays off from one that ends up switched off in a corner. You'll walk away knowing what questions to ask a vendor, what to demand in a service contract, and where the line sits between smart scope-cutting and a mistake you'll regret for years. Expect a conversation on how buyer behaviour has shifted from chasing shiny trade show demos to demanding real ecosystem thinking, where humanoid robots genuinely stand today, and what "invisible" project work actually looks like on the ground. This is for operations, supply chain and warehousing leaders evaluating automation vendors, not for anyone looking for a product pitch. Key Takeaways - The industry has moved past "should we automate" toward a harder question about long-term partnership, and Brian explains why that shift is protecting buyers from repeating old mistakes. - Humanoid robots draw the crowds at trade shows, but Brian lays out the cost, battery life and safety realities that put real commercial viability years away. - Systems fail at interfaces, not inside the robot itself. Brian explains why the software connections nobody demos are where most automation projects actually break. - Ask who picks up the phone at 2am before you sign anything. Brian shares exactly what to demand from a vendor's service and support contract, and why the answer often surprises buyers. Chapter Markers 00:00 Intro and the LinkedIn post that started it 02:33 Why customers now buy the ecosystem, not just the robot 04:56 Humanoid robots: hype or real solution? 09:09 What's actually interesting beyond the trade show floor 10:30 Sponsor break 10:55 The invisible work behind every automation project 12:50 Red flags in "easy deployment" marketing claims 14:46 Rebuilding trust after a failed automation attempt 17:42 What a proof of concept should look like in 2026 19:02 What to expect from a good automation vendor 21:11 The most underestimated parts of deployment 23:54 What keeps a system running at 2am 26:56 Sponsor break 27:26 Do you need the same technician who installed it? 30:10 Three takeaways for getting automation right 32:22 The tension between procurement and operations 35:08 Where the line is on cutting scope 38:36 Behind the scenes of The Automation Journey Useful Links & Resources Brian Spradlin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-spradlin-40450620/ Rocrich AGV Solutions: https://www.rocrich.com Connect With the Show LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocrich/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocrich_solutions/ Website: https://www.rocrich.com Got a story about an automation project that went sideways, or one that worked better than expected? Tell us in the comments. We're curious how many of you have equipment sitting unused because the "invisible" work got skipped. Visit rocrich.com to learn how Rocrich AGV Solutions can help you start or scale your automation journey. #AutomationJourney #WarehouseAutomation #AGV #SupplyChain #ManufacturingAutomation