The Latest Warehouse Technology Trends You Should Know About

Automation. Robotics. Software. There are several chances to increase productivity and generate efficiency with the most recent warehouse technology, allowing your business to complete more work for less money. 

It’s critical to be knowledgeable about technological advancements in the warehouse to boost revenues. In this manner, you can pick and choose the technological advancements you pursue. 

By giving your employees the chance to perform more valuable activities instead of mundane ones, you’ll also be better able to utilize their labor in the warehouse. You may improve the strength and effectiveness of your workplace by finding the ideal mix of technology and human optimization!

To get started, let’s review some warehouse technology trends that you should know about the most recent warehouse technology for your business. The following technology solutions are being used by warehouse companies to support daily operations. 

1. STORAGE ROOM AUTOMATION 

As you likely already know, many warehouses are investing heavily in automation. To automatically track inventory flow throughout the warehouse, forecast when inventory needs to be restocked, and foresee issues before they arise, businesses are constantly looking for new and improved methods. Here are a few ideas for implementing automation technologies in the warehouse: 

• Labor-intensive or repetitive tasks can be replaced by robots. 
• Spreadsheets and data input activities can be replaced by automation software. 
• The use of predictive analytics can help identify potential trouble spots in the warehouse.

2. WAREHOUSE ROBOTICS 

Robots are increasingly being used in warehouses to carry out routine chores, freeing up employees to handle more crucial jobs. Additionally, they are capable of performing activities other than picking up boxes and transporting them along the manufacturing line. There are more applications for robots in the warehouse as robotics technology advances. 

• AGVs, which are automated guided vehicles, can take the position of forklifts, which are normally operated by employees. 
• Robotic arms with articulation can do more than merely pick and move objects. They are now capable of receiving and even palletizing goods. 
• Collaborative robots enable workers to operate more effectively, bridging the technological and human worlds. For instance, these machines can automatically follow personnel to collect and hold picks.

3. SYSTEM FOR WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT (WMS) 

Many businesses now operate their warehouses with a WMS, which has improved the warehouse’s functionality by taking the place of spreadsheets and disjointed legacy pieces of software. Many WMS manufacturers are currently adding new capabilities to their software platforms to elevate them to the next level. Would these modernizations to technology benefit your warehouse? 

• Workers can locate the products that require their attention and determine where they are by using real-time inventory tracking. 
• Artificial intelligence (AI) is used to forecast demand and launch the process of satisfying an anticipated order or resolving a shortage. 
• Support the creation of reports for additional stakeholders through linkages with other technological components in your warehouse or other business platforms (like your ERP).

4. SENSORS FOR WAREHOUSES 

Sensors can be used to support warehouse operations that involve inventory, humans, and technology. There are numerous methods to employ sensors to assist your team in making educated decisions about how to manage the various components that comprise a safe, efficient, and productive warehouse.

• Inventory control sensors can track when products enter and exit a warehouse. They can provide data to software that allows for real-time monitoring. 
• Safety sensors can detect trouble areas (such as a concentration of workers in one place) or when automated vehicles endanger employees on the floor (e.g., AGVs moving near blind corners). 
• Thermal heat sensors can detect when personnel are hot and need to rest. 
• Sensors in technology can detect when certain pieces of technology used in the warehouse are due for maintenance or temporarily need to be placed out of service.

5. PERSONNEL TRACKING 

Using technology to monitor or survey worker activity in the warehouse has a bad reputation. However, if used properly, tracking technology may be used by your business to support your staff rather than make them feel like kids who must be watched to make sure they are working hard and not slacking off. Take a look at some current technical developments in staff tracking in the warehouse. 

Using logistical mapping, which integrates AI and other automation technology, it is possible to determine which staff are physically located in the warehouse’s optimum locations for solving problems. 

Workers can quickly tackle the issue by knowing where they are most required in the warehouse at any given time thanks to automated alerts. 

Monitoring productivity can be used to detect when employees are near their set limit for how much they can produce in a given shift before their productivity drops.

We understand the importance of technology in the warehouse. That’s why we want to help your company identify the ideal mix of talent and technology to realize the most productive, cost-efficient, and profitable warehouse operation.

At Staffingpower, our specialty is labor optimization. Our team of experts will work to understand your current operating reality, see where you can drop high-quality talent into current or new roles, and help you blend the latest warehouse technology with the right people to elevate your company’s operation.