Smart warehouse

Smart warehouse: from manual work to an exciting hi-tech journey

Warehouses ‘manned’ with robots and drones to pick, scan and move goods: is it science-fiction? No! The world’s logistics leaders are experimenting with sci-fi-like technologies to meet their customers’ needs for ‘always faster and better’ deliveries. By seamlessly integrating new technologies with warehousing systems, you’ll boost productivity and cut costs. Doing so will also help you turn warehousing into a value-added activity instead of a cost center.

5 reasons for a smart warehouse

Today’s consumers want it all, and they want it now. These expectations are driving investments in new technologies that directly impact warehouses – critical hubs in every logistic process. By optimizing the way you receive, store, pick, pack and ship goods, you will:

• Boost productivity
  • Automating warehouse processes speeds up the picking, scanning and moving of goods, enabling you to reassign your personnel to value-added tasks.
• Avoid human errors
  • Technology helps increase accuracy.
• Reduce costs
  • Improved productivity, fewer errors and satisfied customers help to save costs/drive revenues. By streamlining warehouse processes, you’ll also optimize stock and shipping costs. 
• Ensure happy customers
  • Customers will appreciate the rapid, error-free delivery of undamaged goods.
• Leapfrog your competitors

A smart warehouse is a hub that boosts efficiency and speed throughout the entire supply chain – for an edge over the competition.

The future warehouse. 6 inspiring scenarios:

Time will tell how the warehouse of the future really looks. For now, there are many new technologies on the horizon. From the familiar barcode scanners to drones and robots, they come in all flavors:

• Voice picking uses speech recognition software, available on a small wearable computer, to tell the operator where to go and what to do.
• RFID readers provide warehouse managers with the exact location of any product at any time, while stock movements are automatically registered.
• Sensors (Internet of Things) in conveyors, carousels and even storage racks offer useful insights.
• Wearables like augmented reality glasses guide order pickers to storage locations and provide all the data they need, freeing their hands from mobile devices.
• Drones equipped with cameras fly around the warehouse to scan bar codes and count your stock.
• Robots pick products and handle materials and can be remotely operated for inspections.