Distributors have continued to face more issues in the constantly changing warehouse management environment. At the same time, emerging trends in global supply chains have put more pressure on manufacturers and distributors to minimize inventory cycles, reduce costs and increase output. That is why more warehouses have opted for automation to become more responsive and proactive.
Warehouse automation solutions entail several technologies starting from barcode scanning to robots that can enhance warehouse productivity. In summation, to automate a warehouse, the owner will need to identify repetitive and error-prone tasks, time-consuming or process-oriented, and determine the appropriate ways to automate them. This guide offers the benefits of using warehouse automation solutions.
Fast scale-up
You can quickly scale it down and up and effortlessly respond to consumer demand changes with warehouse automation. For instance, retail brands will not need to deal with temporary employment of double their personnel amid a holiday season. Instead, they can reprogram their fleets and tweak schedules to manage higher output and input. At the same time, the employees will concentrate more on customer-centric activities, including holiday packaging and customer service.
Optimized cost
Although most warehouse modernization projects are costly, you can quickly pay them off. In particular, automation can offer you several saving points, including eliminated risks of product loss and mishandling, reduced inventory errors, optimized storage and handling cost, higher performance, and minimized labor costs.
Increased safety
If you properly deploy automation in the warehouse, you can increase safety for the product handling by the staff. Admittedly, warehouse operations are associated with several high-risk activities, including working with toxic products, operating in high traffic environments, and handling high racks and heavy pallets. Fortunately, the use of robots can help do most of such jobs, eliminating risks to the staff.
Versatility
Automated warehouse solutions have increased flexibility in order assembly, storage, aggregation, and replenishment. Every warehouse has its unique requirements and processes. Therefore, studying such specifics is critical and concentrating on the business value before starting an automation project.
