VersaAI brings robotic piece picking inside the AutoStore Grid, shifting order prep, buffering, and Bin consolidation upstream before work ever reaches the picking Port. In this post, we’ll break down the core workflows it enables, why they matter for utilization and “lights-out” operations, and what early pilots like Famme are showing in day-to-day impact.
Warehouse automation has spent years optimizing how goods move to people. The next step is optimizing what happens before goods reach the workstation. VersaAI is designed for that shift, bringing robotic piece picking inside the AutoStore Grid so order preparation, order buffering, and Bin consolidation can happen upstream, inside the cube itself.
VersaAI is AutoStore’s fully integrated robotic piece-picking solution for intra-Grid workflows. It is delivered as a turnkey system designed specifically for AutoStore use cases, combining the robotic arm, Port modules, safety fencing, and supporting equipment into a single integrated workstation. The goal is not to add another layer of complexity, but to make intra-Grid automation more practical, repeatable, and scalable across different operations.
Many of the workflows VersaAI supports, such as consolidating orders or reorganizing inventory, were possible before. However, they typically required higher levels of customization and manual intervention. VersaAI standardizes those workflows inside the Grid, shifting repetitive tasks away from the Port and into the system itself.
The solution is built around three core workflows:
Order preparation: Items from multiple source Bins are picked into a single target Bin so operators receive a prepared order instead of waiting on multiple Bins with individual SKUs.
Order buffering: Completed orders are prepared and stored inside the Grid, allowing them to be released dynamically when downstream capacity is available.
Bin consolidation: Partially filled Bins are merged to improve storage density and reduce ongoing housekeeping inside the system.
Together, these workflows reduce waiting time, smooth the flow at the Port, and open up the ability to use the Grid during nights and other low-activity periods. Because the work is contained inside the cube, the system can continue performing valuable tasks even after a shift ends.
“Probably the biggest difference from what we used to have before VersaAI and after is that now we can have everything delivered in one go, meaning we are reducing the time picking by the Ports per employee — for say, two seconds per pick or four seconds per order. You immediately start to bank in all these seconds saved."
Robert Eggen Stensvold, Head of Logistics, Famme.
Discussions about “lights-out” warehouses often jump to end-state visions. VersaAI takes a more practical approach by enabling specific workflows that already make sense to run without constant human interaction. Order preparation and Bin consolidation, for example, can continue overnight inside the Grid without relying on downstream processes to be active.
When combined with adjacent automation, such as automated case handling or flexible Bin configurations, those capabilities can expand into broader end-to-end flows. At the same time, VersaAI is not positioned as a universal solution for every SKU or every process. Some items aren’t eligible for robotic picking, and some operations still benefit from human involvement. The value lies in expanding automation where it fits, not forcing it where it doesn’t.
Norwegian women’s apparel brand Famme provides a useful example of why intra-Grid automation matters. Founded in 2016, Famme operates internationally from bases in Sandefjord, Norway and Denmark. Like many fast-growing e-commerce brands, it faces increasing order volumes, rising assortment complexity, and pressure to scale without simply adding labor.
VersaAI is being piloted in the Sandefjord location that currently uses Pio, a plug-and-play version of AutoStore, to fulfill orders. The system has approximately 35,000 Bins and 16 Robots operating within the 3,000-sqm facility. The Pio Grid occupies roughly 70% of the floor space. It typically runs with around 8 to 10 people per shift.
One of the first observable changes in the pilot environment has been a reduction in waiting at the Port. By receiving orders that are already partially or fully prepared inside the Grid, operators spend less time waiting for individual Bins to arrive and more time moving work forward.
Even small savings, measured in seconds per pick or per order, compound quickly across a full day of fulfillment. Compressing those repeated pauses tightens the overall flow, reduces congestion at the Port, and contributes to a steadier operating rhythm.
“Probably the biggest difference from what we used to have before VersaAI and after is that now we can have everything delivered in one go, meaning we are reducing the time picking by the Ports per employee — for say, two seconds per pick or four seconds per order. You immediately start to bank in all these seconds saved. Invest those seconds elsewhere in the daily operation,” said Robert Eggen Stensvold, Head of Logistics, Famme.
While faster picking is an obvious benefit, Bin consolidation has emerged as one of the most valuable workflows at Famme. Consolidating partially filled Bins increases usable capacity inside the Grid without expanding the system’s physical footprint. Doing this work manually requires time and focus. But automating, it allows the Grid to continuously improve its own organization, often during overnight periods.
“For me, it’s the consolidation — the cleaning — that stands out. If you have multiple almost empty Bins with the same SKU, and having the system merge the remaining articles into one Bin instead of doing that manually saves a lot of time. The space within AutoStore is extremely valuable for us and we want to utilize that to the maximum,” said Stensvold.
This behind-the-scenes efficiency is easy to overlook, but it has real operational impact. Improved density means more available space for new inventory, less manual cleanup, and fewer constraints as the business grows.
Another important outcome of moving work upstream at Famme is how it changes the role of people on the warehouse floor. Rather than displacing employees, VersaAI shifts repetitive tasks into the system and frees people to focus on other value-adding activities such as returns, inventory control, purchasing, or exception handling.
“No one has felt replaced. It’s more like a symbiosis — the system and the employees working together to make things easier and more efficient,” said Stensvold.
For growing operations like Famme, this flexibility matters. Automation becomes a way to absorb growth and complexity without locking labor into narrowly defined roles or automatically increasing headcount with every sales milestone.
Beyond speed, VersaAI adds predictability. Robotic workflows inside the Grid operate at a consistent pace hour after hour, providing a stable baseline for planning labor, managing peaks, and forecasting capacity. That consistency makes it easier to smooth demand fluctuations and make better use of the system during off-hours.
“It operates at the same pace every hour, every minute. That predictability is important for us to know,” said Stensvold.
VersaAI is particularly relevant for operations facing labor constraints, low Grid density, or growing housekeeping backlogs. It also fits organizations looking to decouple picking from packing, increase utilization during nights, or take a measured next step toward deeper automation.
Because it is delivered as a pre-validated, integrated solution designed around AutoStore, VersaAI also offers an alternative to more bespoke robotic setups that can be harder to deploy and maintain at scale.
VersaAI is not simply another Robot added to the edge of warehouse operations. It is a shift in how work is distributed inside the system. By moving piece picking upstream, buffering work inside the Grid, and automating consolidation tasks that often go unfinished, VersaAI helps unlock more throughput, higher density, and more productive operating hours from the infrastructure already in place.
In early pilot environments such as Famme’s, those benefits are showing up in practical ways: Less waiting, reclaimed space, smoother flow, and more flexibility in how people spend their time. As more workflows move inside the Grid, the impact on day-to-day warehouse performance becomes increasingly tangible.