Four Hands, a global designer and wholesaler of lifestyle home furnishings, has experienced rapid growth in recent years. In fact, Inc. has featured the company 15 times on its list of the 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies.
As it has scaled its operations to meet growing demand, the Austin, Texas-based company had to manage a diverse product mix, ranging from 2 lb. lamps to 400 lb. coffee tables, across a growing network of warehouses. Until recently, this required eight to 10 people spending up to 90 minutes loading or unloading a single trailer by hand.
“Moving heavy products across eight buildings can create significant wear and tear on our employees and processes,” said Jim Anderson, chief operating officer at Four Hands. “It’s a Tetris puzzle of being able to efficiently load and unload between those facilities.”
To increase efficiency, Four Hands began searching for an automated system that could handle a massive SKU mix without requiring extensive IT integrations or infrastructure changes. It ultimately turned to Slip Robotics.
SlipBots simplify trailer loading and unloading
Four Hands decided to deploy Slip Robotics’ autonomous loading robots. The SlipBots are large, flat mobile robots that move in and out of delivery trucks. Workers at Four Hands can simply load the robot at the dock, and it will roll into the truck when it arrives.
For unloading, the robot rolls out into the dock area, allowing the Four Hands associates to unload it on their schedule, without the driver having to wait for the boxes to be taken off the truck individually. Slip Robotics designed the system to simplify operations while improving both safety and speed.
“It really does what it’s advertised to do,” said Anderson. “Being able to implement solutions that help the human provides a practical and realistic solution that delivers value.”
In addition, SlipBot doesn’t require Wi-Fi or IT integration, so Four Hands could rapidly deploy the SlipBots.
“The SlipBots were operational within days, and the local tech support and training exceeded our expectations,” said Michael Leuckmeyer, process engineer at Four Hands. “The rapid adoption and enthusiasm from our team was remarkable, and the constant support from Slip Robotics sets them apart.”
Slip Robotics won a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award. At the end of 2024, it raised $28 million in Series B funding. Its said its current customers include John Deere, GE Appliances, Nissan, and other manufacturers and logistics operators.
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Four Hands sees quick results with Slip Robotics
Four Hands said that deploying SlipBots across multiple facilities drove a fourfold increase in throughput.
“We’ve reduced unloading time by almost 75%, loading times by 50%, and product touches by 50%,” said Billy Malady, vice president of operations at Four Hands.
The 50% reduction in product touches has also delivered significant safety improvements, the company said. The decrease in manual handling reduces the physicality of employees and allows them to stay on the dock to avoid the trailer heat.
But Slip Robotics hasn’t just sped up the process; it has also changed the way Four Hands operates. With the SlipBots, operators load and unload trailers from all sides, rather than from a single access point to the trailer.
So, by loading the bots on the dock, the team can load faster and maximize trailer space utilization, fitting more product into each trailer.
Looking ahead, Four Hands plans to implement Slip Robotics to support its expanding operations. With plans for additional warehouse facilities, the company said it is well-positioned to remain a leader in the furniture industry.
“We’re very comfortable that as we continue to grow, this will be a permanent part of our solution,” said Malady.
