SEARCY, Ark. — As part of a commitment that they’re making to automation and robotics, Walmart’s regional distribution center (RDC) in Searcy is hopeful that they will soon be able to work faster than ever before.
Currently, associates at the distribution center work every day to take freight into the facility, stack it, load it, and then deliver the materials to Walmart stores around the country that have ordered them.
Previously, that was all done with manual labor, but now the center will switch to an automated system.
"The robots will actually put the freight into the structure and pull the freight out of the structure,” said Melody Shoptaw, the Human Resource Manager for Walmart's RDC. “And our associates don't have to do that manually anymore."
Shoptaw explained how not only will the robotic stacking and loading make things easier for associates at the RDC, but it’ll also make it easier for associates at Walmart stores. This is because the automated system will load the materials in an order that fits the store that those materials are going to.
“By using high-speed palletizing robotics to organize and optimize freight, it creates custom store and aisle-ready pallets, which take the guesswork out of unloading trucks,” Walmart announced in their original 2021 announcement of the changes.
The new way of doing things may make the job easier for associates— but some have been left wondering if robots in the facility will pose a threat to human jobs.
Shoptaw explained how that won't be the case.
"We are not eliminating any positions. We're taking our associates and teaching them and upskilling them to work on the robots in the structure," she said. "They go from a physical job to a job where they stand there and make sure the robot is doing what it's supposed to do in the way that it's supposed to do it. If there's an error, that's when they jump in and fix it.”
The company said once the process is finished, the centers will be able to ship nearly double the amount of cases they could previously.
“We will be able to ship more in the same amount of time,” Shoptaw said. “We can get it to the stores faster, and the associates at the store can get it to the shelves faster, which means you can pick it up or buy it faster.”
Searcy’s RDC is one of 42 distribution centers that Walmart has across the country, and it’s one of two in Arkansas. However, it’s the only one located in Central Arkansas, the other is in Bentonville.
Shoptaw said their job at the distribution center is to supply the general merchandise that you typically see in Walmart stores, as opposed to the groceries that make up the rest of the store.
"This facility serves 110 Walmart stores across Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kansas, and Missouri,” she described.
Searcy Mayor Mat Faulkner expressed his excitement and said he can’t wait to see the changes implemented.
“The Searcy Walmart distribution center has long been a major employer and a cornerstone of the economic landscape in Searcy and White County," Mayor Faulkner said. “We deeply appreciate Walmart's ongoing investment and are enthusiastic about the new technology-driven career opportunities it will bring to our community.”
Walmart has plans to roll out the new automated system in all 42 of their RDCs and said they plan to do it in phases over the next several years.