Questions and answers

Q: What is warehouse automation?
A: Warehouse automation uses technology to replace tedious, repetitive warehouse tasks with automated systems. Automating labor-intensive, time-consuming work (e.g. storage and retrieval) minimizes human fatigue, leaving workers free to focus on tasks with greater human value (e.g. quality control). At its core, this technology exists to enhance the flow of products in and out of warehouses - helping businesses bring their products to people more quickly, accurately, and efficiently.

Q: What is Pio?
A: Pio is a rising warehouse automation solution – a plug-and-play version of AutoStore’s pioneering cube storage technology, tailored specifically for small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) and independent brands. By making this best-in-class automation technology more accessible, Pio primes SMBs for future growth and competition in the fast-paced world of ecommerce.

Q: What does Pio stand for?
A: Product in. Product out.

Q: What is the purpose of Pio?
A: We exist to fuel growth, empower brands, and fulfill ambitions. With Pio, we want to support "The ambitious independents," who work against the odds to make their dreams a reality.

Q: Where is Pio available?
A: Our current customers are based in Scandinavia, but we built Pio to be global.


Q: Who will benefit from Pio?
A: SMBs who want to speed up order processing and fulfillment, while saving space and eliminating inefficiencies. Pio helps you get orders shipped on the same day they're placed.

But by boosting SMBs to thrive, we're also enabling a future with more independent brands, and more freedom of choice for us as consumers.

Q: How do we know Pio works?
A: We've been developing this technology for over 25 years through our parent company, AutoStore. Industry giants already trust us with their warehouses, and we've seen incredible success stories with high-profile customers. All of our customers thus far have reported that Pio has significantly improved and boosted the flow of their operations.

Q: What are some of Pio's benefits?
A: Pio enables 4x more effective space utilization and up to 5x faster picking and packing operations. This empowers businesses to spend less time managing inventory and more time focusing on ensuring continued success.

Q: What does it cost to get Pio?
A: The business model behind Pio makes it possible to acquire robot automation at an entry-level cost. Pio’s pay-per-pick model dramatically reduces the initial CapEx, meaning more businesses can afford the world’s best automation technology earlier in their life cycle than ever before.

Q: Why is Pio a smart investment?
A: By transforming a business’s entire logistics operation, Pio is an investment that pays for itself very quickly. By providing a ticket into warehouse automation for a relatively low investment, small businesses now have the option to keep their operations in-house instead of requiring a 3PL or significant real estate and labor investments to scale up.

Q: How does Pio adapt to the target market?
A: Traditional enterprise software suites are complex and time-consuming to implement for SMBs, who need agile, lean, user-friendly, self-supported, and future-proof solutions. Pio adapts to tech stack of SMBs, connecting individual, best-in-class software through simple plugins and APIs.

Q: Is Pio sustainable?
A: Pio is more sustainable than traditional methods of expansion. By making existing spaces more efficient, fewer warehouses will need to be built and those that are can be on a smaller footprint. And those warehouses can stay in more centralized locations too — reducing the number of long-haul shipments.

Q: Is Pio going to be a competitor to AutoStore’s partners?
A: On the contrary. To begin with, Pio is targeting a customer segment that is not covered by AutoStore’s partners today. Pio will in fact act as a "lead generator" for the partners. As customers grow and their warehousing business becomes more complicated, it will gradually become relevant for them to invest in expanding their system by investing in additional AutoStore modules in the usual way via the partners.

Q: Where are Pio's headquarters?
A: In Stavanger, Norway, and New York City.