The automated systems,part of a $1 billion investment by Coles into more streamlined production facilities,remove the need for human forklift drivers or packers typically seen at a grocery distribution centre.
But Cain said the move to automation doesn’t mean fewer staff on site. Instead,the use of technology means the skills required at a distribution centre are changing,with a greater focus on workers overseeing the operation of the systems provided by Witron,Coles’ technology partner.
“The nature of roles in retail is changing,like it is in a lot of areas... The jobs that are in here are much more likely to be tech-based as opposed to manual-based,” he said.
“There’s probably a similar number of people on site to a[standard distribution centre]. However,it’s doing twice as much.”
Cain willhand over the reins at Coles to his successor Leah Weckert on May 1. Weckert,who joined Coles in 2011,had been mooted for the role after being appointed chief executive,commercial and express,last April.
Coles announced its foray into the automated distribution space four years ago,partnering with German logistics automation specialist Witron Logistik + Informatik to build the Ipswich facility as well as another site inNSW,which opens in 2024.