Global sportswear brand, On, along with Verity, a leader in AI and robotics, have announced a strategic collaboration to revolutionize warehouse operations and optimize inventory management using artificial intelligence.
By utilizing fleets of fully autonomous drones from fellow Swiss manufacturer Verity, sportswear giant On says it will move closer to achieving comprehensive operational visibility through intelligent, real-time inventory tracking. This initiative is designed to reduce stockouts, misplacements, and shrinkage throughout the supply chain, ensuring seamless order fulfillment for both retail and e-commerce customers.
The announcement is part of On’s sustainability commitment, something it says is critical as one of the fastest-growing sportswear brands in history since its launch in 2010. On says it is keen to leverage every technical advantage in its supply chain execution to support its growth. Verity, known for its expertise in AI and robotics, was chosen as the ideal partner due to its advanced, intelligent, and efficient systems. Verity’s solution conducts millions of fully autonomous inventory checks monthly across over eighty warehouses globally.
“We are excited to partner with Verity to transform our supply chain operations,” Caspar Coppetti, Co-Founder and Executive Co-Chairman at On, said in a statement. “Verity is a pioneering brand in the field of AI and robotics, and a perfect fit with On’s values of harnessing innovation for the benefit of the customer experience.” By leveraging Verity’s innovative technological solutions, Coppetti says On will be able to improve operational efficiency and help it become a more sustainable brand, while also elevating customer satisfaction.
Currently operational at a U.S. facility, Verity’s autonomous drones are scanning On products daily to ensure complete stock availability for customer fulfillment. This system is already improving key performance indicators and supporting On’s goals as a leader in sustainable supply chains by reducing CO2 emissions linked to warehousing. Verity clients report an average reduction of one thousand tons of CO2 emissions per warehouse annually. The collaboration aims to explore new technology solutions to drive operational excellence and enhance inventory visibility, with On incorporating Verity into its partnerships with third-party logistics providers.
The collaboration is set to deliver significant business benefits by enhancing immediate product availability at On’s customer touchpoints, both in physical stores and online. It aims to maximize successful order fulfillment by ensuring on-time and accurate deliveries. Verity’s clients have seen their operational issue rates drop from five to twelve percent to less than one percent, significantly improving labor efficiency in their warehouses. By further digitizing On’s supply chain, Verity enhances data accuracy and improves decision-making quality and speed.
“At Verity, we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of AI and robotics to drive operational excellence,” said Raffaello D’Andrea, Co-Founder and CEO at Verity. D’Andrea says partnering with On offers a great opportunity to apply both brands’ shared commitment to leveraging technology to meet customer expectations. “We share the same goals with On, in particular that of delivering an exceptional customer experience. This synergy is further amplified by our highly robust systems, boasting better than 99.99 percent reliability rates,” D’Andrea said.
AI potential
AI has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the fashion industry, particularly fast fashion, by enhancing supply chain efficiencies, according to a recent study. The study emphasized AI’s ability to collect, integrate, and analyze large data sets, proposing an AI framework to address climate risks systematically, including the potential for AI to help companies meet emissions targets and fulfill reporting requirements for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
The researchers also examined Bangladeshi manufacturers, who supply major fast fashion brands like Primark, Nike, and H&M. These companies are under increasing pressure from consumers and governments to reduce their environmental impact. The study surveyed 211 managers at Bangladeshi manufacturing firms with experience in basic AI-powered climate services. Results showed that businesses using these AI innovations improved energy efficiency, reduced emissions, and increased the use of renewable energy. AI-powered climate service solutions can automate tasks such as emission measurement and waste reduction, the researchers noted, ultimately supporting firms in managing climate-related risks and opportunities.
AI has seen a rise in uses aimed at streamlining operations and improving sustainability across numerous sectors. Last week, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced it is committing to implement Winnow’s AI-driven food waste technology across all its hotels by the end of 2025. Winnow’s technology employs a combination of a camera, smart-scale, and tablet to identify, weigh, and calculate the cost of discarded food items, providing real-time data for Mandarin Oriental kitchens. This AI-driven system, designed for minimal interaction, tracks food waste and uploads the data to the cloud for analysis. The insights derived from this data enable hotel teams to optimize efficiency, reduce waste, and create zero-waste menus, ultimately contributing to the group’s goal of reducing waste intensity by 50 percent by 2030.
Last month, Purdue University and Google announced a collaborative research project aimed at leveraging AI to create low-carbon industrial building designs. This project focuses on using AI to explore new materials, technologies, and design strategies that can reduce the carbon footprint of industrial buildings such as data centers, both in the U.S. and globally. “Google is committed to using AI to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including climate change,” Ben Townsend, global head of infrastructure and sustainability at Google, said in a statement. Townsend said the research effort has the potential “to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon building practices in the industrial sector.”
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