Using technology to improve warehouse operations
Robots and automation are making their way into almost every industry, including warehouse maintenance and management. From improved operations to performance data, inventory management, and more, today’s warehouse technology can save you time, enhance your results, and decrease your costs.
As of 2024, about 25 per cent of warehouses worldwide had adopted some form of automation, and the estimated ROI for that adoption is 20 per cent in the first two years. So not only can technology improve business, but it also helps managers stay competitive as technology adoption grows and evolves.
Robotics
Using robots for picking and packing is one way to boost efficiency and decrease human error in your warehouse. Before you invest, however, assess whether your floor is level, whether your layout is accessible, and whether you have the space to accommodate a team of robots. Create floor plans and routes to maximize robotic performance within your space.
AI
The use of AI offers businesses the ability to better project sales, avoid disruption, and analyze historical data to detect patterns and areas for improvement. Accumulating this data can help managers improve supply chain processes, manage demand, and make well-informed business decisions to refine their operations. AI can also be applied to your warehouse equipment, predicting equipment lifespan and maintenance schedules based on real-time data from sensors and monitoring systems. This helps managers better budget for repair and replacement, as well as mitigate costly surprises and work disruption.
Digitalization
Digitalizing your warehouse can help improve operations and increase efficiency by quickly responding to and tracking customer orders, along with implementing faster order shipping and processing. By streamlining operations, cutting down on paperwork, and simplifying order processing management, digitalization can help you boost the bottom line. These types of automation tools can help you personalize customer experiences, improving service, stand out from the competition, and encourage customer loyalty.
Digitization can also help increase security with better data protection, with protocols like encryption, authentication, and authorization, so you can run your business safely as technology continues to evolve.
Warehouse operations involve many moving parts, and although technology adoption may seem daunting and costly initially, today’s innovation can help maintenance and facility managers better oversee operations and build the business.
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