Industrial cable, connector, and accessories distributor Lapp USA has turned a labor-intensive, error-prone inventory process into a nightly automated workflow that provides reliable visibility, reduces costs, and improves customer service—all thanks to the deployment of autonomous inventory drones from Corvus Robotics.
The project has also helped the company smooth overall operations since consolidating light manufacturing and distribution under one roof in Brownsburg, Indiana.
MANAGING THE STRUGGLE
Keeping up with inventory counts became a daily struggle when Lapp moved into the 134,000-square-foot Brownsburg facility in 2023. The process was labor-intensive and time-consuming, and it directly affected customer service, company leaders said.
Key challenges included:
- Limited coverage: Manual cycle counts only covered the full warehouse twice per year.
- High labor demand: 12.5% of the workforce was dedicated to inventory counts, which required pulling staff from picking and manufacturing.
- Delayed exceptions resolution: Misplaced or mislabeled cable reels required extra searching and reconciliation.
- Fulfillment delays: These inefficiencies slowed down order processing and made it harder to ensure on-time deliveries.
SOLVING THE CHALLENGE
Lapp turned to Corvus Robotics and its Corvus One inventory drones, which fly nightly missions through the facility, scanning racks and capturing images of pallet locations. By morning, the inventory team has a complete, accurate report that flags discrepancies such as misplaced or mislabeled reels. This automated workflow has replaced a manual, time-consuming cycle-counting process with a streamlined inventory monitoring system that has cut labor costs while improving accuracy and operational efficiency.
Corvus says its technology is built for real-world warehouses, with features like:
- Embodied AI, which enables autonomous operation in GPS-denied environments.
- Computer vision, which detects barcodes, labels, and rack positions at scale.
- Machine learning, which improves scan accuracy and identifies discrepancies over time.
- The ability to perform fully autonomous missions—which means zero piloting, zero infrastructure changes, and zero disruption to daily operations.
“This design means Lapp doesn’t just save labor—it gains reliable visibility that keeps orders flowing, reduces the chance of errors …, and strengthens supply chain performance end to end,” Corvus Robotics’ leaders said in a statement describing the Lapp deployment.
REALIZING GAINS
Lapp deployed the Corvus drones in 2025 and saw error reductions and cost savings within 30 days, according to both companies. Full inventory counts increased from two per year to 26 per year, allowing the company to quickly detect errors that could affect shipments, for instance. The facility also achieved 60% labor savings: Inventory staff was reduced to two associates, with others redeployed to support picking and manufacturing—a change that has helped speed order fulfillment. The system has also eliminated the need for overtime and has improved accuracy as drone scans have exposed label placement inconsistencies, helping Lapp standardize practices and improve accuracy across the warehouse, for example.
“The Corvus One system has been able to help us by providing better service to our customers,” Jason Beltran, facility manager at Lapp USA, said in the statement. “Getting the inventory in …, seeing where it is, and being able to allocate it right away to the customer is a tremendous benefit for us.”
Corvus Robotics CEO Jackie Wu emphasizes the benefits of quick results to businesses as well.
“Lapp’s results showcase how quickly autonomous technology can create measurable value,” Wu says. “Corvus One was designed to be operational in weeks, not months, so companies like Lapp can see immediate impact.”
