intralogistics
1. WHAT IS dRIvINg WAReHouSINg STRATegIeS?
ultimately, it is customer service levels. Customers have ever-higher expectations regarding service levels and this is driving huge change in the warehouse. Along with the rapid growth of ecommerce, there is a strong desire to develop faster fulfilment strategies and importantly, equally efficient returns processes. A key SlA for any ecommerce
business keen on growing and retaining a healthy customer base is the speed with which customers are credited back on returned items – and that requires fast processing of returns. likewise, multi- channel businesses will need to progress to develop slick omni-channel operations capable of offering the diversity of service options that customers now demand. And a key enabler will be automation. A lack of available labour is another
factor influencing thinking within the four walls of the warehouse. But it is not just a shortage of labour per se, the key thing is there is far more volume going through piece picking warehouses in the last few years, so the number of people required is not able to keep pace with the increased demand. It is stretching the labour pool that is there, and this, combined with a growing requirement for increased capacity, is a big driver for automation.
Available and emerging, high- performance warehouse technology will determine the future productivity of fulfilment operations. Nick Hughes, sales manager at independent systems integrator, Invar Group, shares his insights into the key influences and technologies shaping the modern warehouse.
2. WHAT TeCHNologIeS ARe emeRgINg?
With the cost of labour rising and availability falling, businesses will have little option but to adopt higher levels of automation, and in many instances that means robotics. Their low-cost, excellent flexibility and great scalability makes them the ‘must have’ warehouse technology of today. However, with robots gaining critical
momentum within the warehouse, protocols supporting them will need to become more standardised, so that various types of robots can be deployed to perform different tasks under one controller. Customers will demand flexibility to use the best robots suited to individual tasks and the industry will need to move in this direction. This will significantly simplify the deployment of robots. Augmented Reality (AR) is also likely to
start appearing in warehouses in the near future. Trials are in progress at the moment for AR glasses that can be used to guide an individual to picking locations. In a way, it is like a SatNav for the warehouse, but offering a head-up display with information, so no need for a hand-held terminal. The issue at present is cost, but hopefully, prices will come down as the technology takes off. Cobots too will soon become more
commonplace, working alongside pickers and warehouse staff. And once the technology around grippers is improved, they will be seen travelling around doing the picking too. The vision systems and AI are there, it really just needs a breakthrough in gripper design to offer the dexterity needed for a broad product portfolio.
Four key Factors shaping the Future oF warehouse automation
Winter 2022 UKManufacturing
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