FEATURE Automated Warehousing Meeting the demands of the supply-chain revolution
Ronald Binkofski, Vice President and General Manager of Honeywell Intelligrated Europe, explains how technology is helping hard-pressed operators stay competitive
S
ome of the links in the supply chain have been irrevocably weakened by the pandemic whilst others were already suff ering fundamental issues. Social distancing, on-going staff shortages, rising labour rates and an ageing workforce are all overwhelming conventional distribution networks. However, the single biggest game-changer
spurred on by responses to the virus has been an across-the-board switch to online retail and home deliveries - everything, from the weekly shop to home luxuries, is now being delivered to the door. As a result, established supply chain models, with focus on traditional retail, are proving increasingly ineffi cient at coping with the combined impact of all these factors. Fortunately, there are answers to these
problems: enhanced warehouse automation and microfulfi lment. Understanding how to implement them can be an issue, especially for customers with demanding and complex requirements, such as e-commerce platforms, freight handling at airports, and post and parcel operations.
Comprehensive warehouse solutions Bringing together the many technologies required to eff ectively automate a warehouse entails dedicated sector specialisms and a detailed understanding of the user’s core needs. Moreover, the fi nal installation must be highly reliable, as disruptions caused by unplanned downtime
10 November 2021 | Automation
can be extremely damaging to the bottom line and reputation. Fortunately, applying data analytics can help overcome this problem by delivering the insights needed by plant engineers to implement predictive maintenance.
High-speed sortation especially is in high demand within the e-commerce sector, where throughput speeds are increasing to meet the growth of online retail. But running equipment faster creates a problem – excessive noise pollution. This is an area where cutting-edge software controls help maximise throughput without necessarily increasing line speeds, resulting in enhanced productivity minus excessive noise. And the e-commerce trend isn’t going to slow any time soon, which is boosting the growth of omnichannel commerce, where distribution and a diverse range of retail platforms are seamlessly brought together by back-end systems. This makes life easier for the purchaser, but it can complicate operations for the bigger warehouse operators. It is here that microfulfi lment is fi nding a role, fi lling the gaps left by larger operations, especially in the areas of click- and-collect and grocery retail home delivery. Conventional distribution centres can stock a vast range of products, but they can be expensive to operate and can be far away from domestic and retail purchasers. Microfulfi lment can help address these issues by enabling retail outlets to incorporate fulfi lment operations into
their day-to-day operations. Orders can be completed closer to the customer – saving time, cutting last-mile costs, reducing long journeys, which will cut emissions. However, there are drawbacks. In-store picking, the go-to method for grocery retailers, can have a negative impact on in-store shoppers. Shelves and display units can be emptied by pickers and there is also the risk of unnecessary in-store traffi c, potentially leading to congestion. Retailers are therefore increasingly looking to move their picking operations out of their stores and into adjacent microfulfi lment centres. As a result, interesting opportunities are being created in the warehouse automation market – and not all about the mechanics. Irrespective of operation size, the workforce is a constant. Employee management software applications, which enable companies to better utilise staff , are increasingly important as labour shortages won’t be resolved overnight. Leading-edge systems can even off er insights into likely staff turnover rates using data analytics. Next-generation palletisation technology,
smart robotics and fulfi lment stations, all linked with the latest process management software, are already helping businesses prepare for the future.
CONTACT:
Honeywell Intelligrated
www.intelligrated.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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