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CASE STUDIES

GE HealthCare achieves lean efficiency in Milwaukee facility

Healthcare Large Enterprise (500+ FTE) United States Indoor High Mix/Low Volume (HMLV) Fully Automated (lights out)
BY: OTTO by Rockwell Automation
|
Feb 19, 2026
OTTO 1500 delivering repaired medical equipment

AT A GLANCE

CLIENT
GE Healthcare

LOCATION:

Wisconsin, United States

SECTOR:

Healthcare

SUPPLIER:

OTTO by Rockwell Automation

Otto logo

 

TECHNOLOGY / PRODUCT USED:

OTTO 1500 Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) & OTTO Fleet Manager

TARGETED APPLICATION

On-demand Delivery for High-Volume Repair Operations

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Read The Full Case Study Here

Transitioning from inefficient manual batching to on-demand material flow to maximize throughput and facility space

66%

Increase in productive floor space

2000+

Medical equipment
repairs supported weekly

↗↗↗

Process analytics via
data-driven analysis

"OTTO makes our jobs easier. Space is a shortage in our work areas, so it’s helpful that we call OTTO on demand and have it come pick up our parts. The pick up times are really quick, and it allows us to switch to the next part more quickly. Occasionally we meet up with OTTO in the aisle-ways and it goes right around us."

Joe Germait, Manufacturing Technician
GE HealthCare achieves lean efficiency in Milwaukee facility

The Challenge

 

GE HealthCare’s Milwaukee facility serves as a mega-center for medical equipment repairs, handling a vast array of non-conveyable, differently sized parts. Previously, technicians relied on manual carts to move equipment between repair cells and shipping. This "batch" process was highly inefficient; finished repairs would sit idle while carts were filled with other items, leading to shipping delays. Furthermore, bulky fixed infrastructure and cart storage wasted valuable floor space, limiting the number of repair cells the facility could house.

The Solution

 

GE implemented the OTTO Inventory Movement Platform, featuring OTTO 1500 AMRs. Unlike conveyors or magnetic strips, these robots move autonomously through human-dense aisles without fixed infrastructure. When a technician finishes a repair, they call an OTTO robot on-demand. The robot delivers a new part for repair and takes the finished equipment directly to shipping. This "pull" system ensures that material movement is based on actual demand rather than arbitrary batches.

KEY FEATURES

Infrastructure-Free Navigation:

 

Moves without magnetic strips or wires, allowing for easy route changes as facility needs evolve.

Flexible Attachments:

 

Accommodates a wide variety of non-conveyable loads and medical equipment sizes.

Fleet Manager Software:

 

Provides real-time process analytics to help engineers optimize technician habits and workflows.

On-Demand Dispatching:

 

Allows technicians to call for transport only when needed, keeping workspaces clear.

RESULTS

 

The impact on facility density was transformative. By removing the need for manual carts and fixed lanes, GE unlocked 66% more productive floor space, allowing them to shrink repair cells by 40% and increase overall throughput. Technicians reported that the quick pickup times allowed them to "switch to the next part more quickly," significantly reducing idle time. Beyond physical movement, the data provided by the OTTO platform gave GE HealthCare the vital process analytics needed to continuously refine their lean manufacturing journey and deliver life-saving equipment to hospitals with greater speed and consistency.

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Increase in productive floor space

0

Reduction in repair cell size through lean optimization.

0
Floorspace saved across the 280,000 sq. ft. facility
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Medical equipment repairs supported weekly
Enhanced process analytics via data-driven employee habit and workflow analysis
Improved ergonomic safety by removing the need for technicians to manually push heavy carts

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