GreyOrange launches AI simulator for warehouse planning

GreyOrange has launched GreyMatter Foundry, an AI simulator for warehouse design and planning. The product was introduced at MODEX in Atlanta.

The simulator combines warehouse flow design, technology sizing and layout planning in one environment. It is aimed at customers, systems integrators and in-house fulfilment teams that want to model automation scenarios before committing capital.

Foundry is designed for warehouses that use a mix of robotic systems and human labour. Users can model multiple robotic agent types alongside manual processes, including robots already in use and those still in development.

The launch reflects growing demand for tools that can test complex warehouse operations before equipment is installed. Operators are under pressure to manage labour shortages, seasonal demand shifts, and rising expectations for throughput and cost control.

Design tool

The simulator can estimate system performance, build-out costs and warehouse layouts across different configurations. It also includes 3D visualisations and walkthroughs, allowing operators to assess how a facility might function under different operating conditions.

One feature is an AI design assistant that accepts conversational prompts or preset templates. This allows users to shape simulations around throughput targets without tying the process to a specific robotics supplier.

Although GreyOrange describes Foundry as vendor-agnostic, it says the tool delivers its most accurate results when modelling agents in its Certified Ranger Network. The company says that network draws on more than 1 million optimisations per minute.

The simulator can also run multiple scenarios in parallel, covering both current material flow and potential expansion. Users can test thousands of outcomes and predict performance and costs with 95% accuracy or more, including in mixed automation environments.

Planning ahead

GreyOrange has positioned the product as a planning tool for both immediate operations and longer-term investment decisions. Preset scenarios examine demand over five- and 10-year horizons and assess what mix of robots and labour may be needed.

That approach addresses a common problem in warehouse automation: operators often have to choose systems based on fragmented data from separate design, engineering and operations tools. By combining those steps in one simulation environment, suppliers aim to reduce the risk of underused assets or expensive retrofits.

Foundry can be used to test labour constraints, staffing plans and peak trading periods such as Black Friday. It can also model changes in storage needs and workflow as seasonal stock-keeping units are added.

Another use case is layout planning. Warehouse operators can compare traffic flows, storage designs and process arrangements to meet throughput or financial targets before making physical changes.

Existing network

The product builds on GreyMatter, the company's warehouse orchestration system. GreyMatter is deployed across thousands of warehouses and manages a fleet of more than 130,000 agents through the Certified Ranger Network, making 250,000 trips a day.

That installed base is central to GreyOrange's case for Foundry. The simulator uses data from live warehouse operations to make its projections more realistic, rather than relying solely on static design assumptions.

The wider warehouse technology market has moved in the same direction, as operators look for ways to combine robots from multiple vendors rather than commit to a closed system from a single supplier. Simulation tools have become more important as fulfilment centres grow more complex and as retailers and logistics groups seek clearer visibility on return on investment.

For system integrators, a tool that can test different combinations of labour and automation could support project design and customer proposals. For warehouse operators, the appeal is the ability to compare scenarios more quickly, particularly where site constraints or volatile demand make fixed assumptions risky.

Saurabh Gupta, Chief Technology Officer at GreyOrange, outlined the company's case for the new system. "Warehouse automation should not be a leap of faith," Gupta said. "By putting the intelligence of our live, global GreyMatter network behind every simulation, we give distributors, 3PL's, retailers and integrators a crystal ball grounded in real-world data. Whether you're designing from a greenfield scenario or rethinking an existing operation, Foundry lets you test thousands of scenarios, stress-test for peak demand, and arrive at deployment day with confidence."