As e-commerce and other aspects of today’s business world continue to change, adding more and more technology to your warehouse management operations is the most important way to stay ahead of your competitors. Yet with more technology becoming available each year, knowing which improvements to make may be a tough decision. To help navigate the process, here are four tech improvements that will increase productivity, efficiency, and ultimately profits.
Cloud-Based Systems
Since the logistics industry is now so fast-paced, cloud-based systems are becoming a must-have for successful companies. If you want to take advantage of this technology, you will have almost unlimited capabilities with hardware and software, not have to pay IT staff to maintain your system, and know your data is stored safely and securely.
Handheld Devices
If like many companies your warehouse operations have continued to expand, chances are your employees are working in facilities that are extremely large. By choosing to implement NetSuite WMS into your warehouse management system and integrating handheld devices such as barcode scanners, GPS devices, and even mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets into your tech system, you can increase efficiency while also reducing inventory loss and theft.
Improved Layout
While technology can play a key role in helping to store and protect data, reduce theft, and help make the jobs of your employees much easier, it can also help to improve the layout of your warehouse. With more software becoming available today to assist in space layout and design, you can soon discover ways to store more inventory in limited spaces, help with inbound and outbound operations, and help your employees perform their jobs in ways that will decrease the chances of developing health issues.
Drones and Robots
While you may think robots and drones in warehouses will result in the decreasing need for human workers, that is generally not the case. In fact, once you put robots in your warehouse, they can perform such jobs as picking, packing, and shipping orders. Yet since they will still require human oversight, making this tech improvement can actually create new jobs in your company. As for drones, they can be used in very large facilities to pick orders and bring them to areas where they can be prepared for shipping.
Since you will need a well-run and efficient warehouse to keep you ahead of the competition, making these tech improvements in the coming years will go far in helping you achieve this goal.