The Technology That’s Reshaping Warehouse Management

When it comes to technology, no stone has been left unturned, with every aspect of our lives and businesses being affected. With the main point of technology to improve efficiency it’s no wonder the logistics industry has embraced technology with open arms. Always on the front line of new logistics tech, warehouse management systems are continuously evolving and progressing and there is a host of new gadgets and gizmos set to further reshape the way we run warehouses.

Order fulfilment technology

For some businesses, hand picking products for order fulfilment may still be a viable option, but for many others manual search and pick has had its day. Now order fulfilment technology comes in the form of Pick-to-light or Put-to-Light systems that utilise specific light displays in order to direct operators to specific product locations. Highly flexible, these systems are rapidly increasing the efficiency and accuracy of order fulfillment.

Introducing the robots

It was only a matter of time, and while the robots of today might not look like a labourer, they are certainly becoming just as efficient, if not more so. Robotics are already being utilised to assist in inventory, stocktake and movement, with major robotics manufacturers partnering with warehouse management system producers to develop integrated automation that will dramatically change the way warehouses operate.

Cloud based storage

While we’re yet to see the invention of floating sky storage come into play for physical products, cloud based warehouse management is definitely up and running. Giving merchants the ability to monitor stock and inventory in real time, cloud storage is integrated into automated warehouse management systems to self-update stock levels, track order fulfilment and delivery and manage ongoing purchasing procedures, plus much more. It also means clients of warehouses have greater flexibility in managing product and logistics remotely, being able to use cloud systems to communicate with onsite warehouse staff.

Day of the drones

A warehouse may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of drones, but considering we’re running out of ground space and warehouses are getting higher, trying to monitor and scan a product that is literally stacked to the roof poses a real challenge. Not only can drones reach great heights literally, their efficiency is something to behold. Drone specialist DroneScan believe their drones will be able to count the same amount of stock in a two-day period than a team of 80 workers using hand held scanners on lift trucks could in three days.

While we wait AI to completely take over the logistics industry, clients can make great use of cutting edge warehouse management systems and technology. If high tech warehousing solutions appeal to you, read about the world class IT technology used by Silk Logistics.

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