Maintaining operational competitiveness is the need of time for businesses dealing with materials on a large scale, even at a small hierarchy. By optimizing the performance of their warehouse, they can do much more than their capacity and grow. Automation is one such technology that is immensely popular in this venture. Through automated solutions, businesses achieve multiple benefits, such as improving efficiency and reducing the chances of human error. Additionally, automation helps revive warehouse space, making it much more efficient and capital-intensive. This approach maximizes productivity and ensures long-term success.
But what is warehouse automation, how does it help streamline operations, and most importantly, do you need them? If yes, then why? Here is what you need to read!
Warehouse Automation on a Brief Note
Warehouse automation is the process of using automated solutions to streamline how things flow without human assistance, from inventory and out of warehouses to customers. Various warehouse automation solutions are there that enable businesses to surpass all the manual-intensive work through software and other technological tools.
Ways to Implement Warehouse Automation
Warehouse automation means using advanced software and technologies, like robotics and sensors, to streamline tasks. The good thing about this is that these solutions can be integrated with existing tools, such as inventory management systems, reducing the hassles and cost of starting from scratch.
1) Warehouse Management System (WMS):
Automation starts with a WMS. It helps automate manual processes like data capture and inventory control. It does all the data analysis work and seamlessly integrates with other solutions for managing the supply chain.
2) Digital Automation:
Digital automation involves technologies like Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC), including RFID and mobile barcode scanning. These help eliminate manual workflows and reduce human slip-ups.
Establishing digital automation within the warehouse has many benefits, including:
- Easy integration with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.
- Improved data management and security.
- Lowered legal and operational risks.
- Improved worker experience and customer service.
3) Physical Automation:
Physical automation uses robotics to optimize workflows and minimize employee movement. Benefits of physical automation include:
- Increased warehouse capacity and operational efficiency.
- Improved reliability and scalability of services.
- Enhanced performance and productivity.
Businesses can leverage both digital and physical automation within the warehouse to make their operations highly efficient, secure, scalable, and flexible enough to meet growing customer demands.
Automating Warehouse Processes Divided by Categories
There are four categories through which warehouse automation is done, namely:
1) Basic Automation:
As the name suggests, basic automation simplifies basic tasks through tools like conveyor systems or traditional vehicles for item and inventory movement. This form of automation is easy to implement and cost-effective but has limited scalability and heavy labor reliance.
2) System Automation:
This automation uses both software and physical tools to streamline processes. Businesses can benefit from data-driven insights, performance tracking, and assisted features, which can help them manage their inventory and improve their decision-making. However, this automation requires physical automation for maximum impact.
3) Mechanized Automation:
Use robotics for retrieval and transportation tasks traditionally carried by humans. Examples of such tools include
- Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS): Helps deliver items to specific workstations.
- Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs): Follow the paths outlined to transport goods in large, simple warehouses.
- Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs): These intelligent robots can navigate complex warehouse layouts independently.
The above tools are highly scalable and adaptable, helping reduce dependency on manual labor.
4) Advanced Automation:
This automation combines the capability of all the above automation types in one fully integrated system. This results in end-to-end automation, replacing any scope of manual intervention, thus offering maximum efficiency and ROI for large-scale businesses, especially in the retail sector.
Types of Warehouse Automation Technology
1) Goods-to-Person (GTP) Systems:
This system reduces worker movement and congestion by bringing items directly where they need to be picked up. Some technologies used for this purpose are conveyors, carousels, and vertical lift systems. Speeds for the same can be doubled or tripled depending on the picking requirement.
2) Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS):
It is a GTP-based system that automates warehouse operations regarding storage and retrieval of goods. The equipment utilized here is tote shuttles and material-carrying vehicles. These pair well with warehouse software systems.
3) Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs):
These vehicles use fixed navigation methods to move goods like magnetic strips or sensors. AGVs are best suited for large warehouses with straightforward setups.
4) Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs):
AMRs work on GPS and laser guidance to navigate warehouse floors, which ensures independent movement. These robots are highly adaptable to diverse layouts and can easily navigate areas with high human traffic.
5) Pick-to-Light and Put-to-Light Systems:
These systems direct workers through light-guided displays synced with barcode scanners. Through this system, walking time and errors can be significantly reduced in sectors with high-volume picking.
6) Voice Picking and Tasking Systems:
Use headsets and speech recognition to guide workers through tasks. It reduces the need for holding devices while improving pick speed and efficiency for order fulfillment.
7) Automated Sortation Systems:
Use RFID, barcode scanners, and sensors for order fulfillment. These systems are commonly used to streamline workflow for receiving, picking, packing, and shipping.
Possible Areas Where You Can Automate Your Warehouse
1) Receiving Operations:
Leverage mobile devices and integrated software to receive real-time data regarding inbound goods. This will help you improve accuracy and accelerate the receiving process.
2) Returns Management:
Automated sorting systems and conveyors help process returned items without hassles. They direct them to their dedicated storage or return-to-stock areas.
3) Putaway Procedures:
Goods transfer can be automated end to end, from the receiving end to storage, ensuring accurate placement and seamless cross-docking, resulting in faster order fulfillment.
4) Improving Picking Efficiency:
Goods-to-person systems or autonomous robots can help speed up order picking, reducing considerable manual effort and time to reach the specific goods.
5) Inventory Sorting:
Automated sortation and AS/RS systems can help organize inventory and handle small or fragile items safely and accurately.
6) Restocking Tasks:
Use inventory tracking systems to automatically reorder products when stock levels are low, preventing overstocking and ensuring consistent availability.
7) Smart Packaging Solutions:
Determine the best packaging options based on your product size, durability, and shipping requirements, thus reducing costs and waste.
8) Shipping Processes:
Utilize automated systems to streamline shipping. This may include every final aspect of order fulfillment, from selecting carriers to calculating shipping costs and applying labels.
Key Benefits of Warehouse Automation Solutions
- Improved Inventory Accuracy: Automation minimizes manual errors by 1-3%, thus helping boost profitability.
- Increased Operational Efficiency: Automated systems can locate items, optimize retrieval routes, and streamline processes. Technologies like robots and conveyors speed up order fulfillment. Additionally, automation can help make inventory counting easy and efficient.
- Maximized Warehouse Space: Automation reduces the need for wide aisles by utilizing AGVs and AS/RS systems. These technologies use conveyors, lifters, and compact storage solutions to optimize space usage, accommodating more inventory without requiring larger facilities.
- Enhanced Workplace Safety: Automation reduces foot traffic and accidental handling by bringing products to workers, thus ensuring safety and efficiency.
- Streamlined Inventory Management: By implementing automation, businesses can precisely track inventory and have better stock control.
- Scalability and Throughput: With automation, warehouses can contain higher volumes, making it easier for businesses to scale operations as per the demand. This also enables faster processing, improving overall warehouse throughput.
- Sustainability: Reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions are significant benefits of automation. By optimizing processes, warehouses can lower their environmental impact and function sustainably.
- Faster and Better ROI: Automation and software solutions tend to deliver faster ROI than not. Simpler systems specifically achieve this quickly without significant upfront costs.
Unlock Warehouse Potential by Integrating Automation
Warehouse automation is crucial for businesses to maintain their competitiveness. There are many reasons for this, too. Improved efficiency, reduced errors, and space utilization are some of its benefits, but the ROI of warehouse automation is also outstanding, offering faster returns. As the pace of the business market is picking up, the future of warehouse automation seems promising. Businesses must benefit from automation. If you have not yet implemented automation, it is time you do. Analyze your current warehouse situation and utilize warehouse automation systems in your operations to ensure long-term success in the market.