SUPPLY CHAIN
USING TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST ORDER PICKING EFFICIENCY
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Rob DeStefano, senior product marketing manager, Ivanti Supply Chain upply chain operations are becoming
pply Chain ain n
increasingly strained under the pressure of online shopping, and the evolution of
consumer behaviour is necessitating that items are picked and shipped in shorter time frames. This requires a whole new level of efficiency throughout the supply chain and utilising technology to automate aspects of the picking process can take strides towards this. Technology in the warehouse can augment the work of pickers, allowing them to complete their work quicker and more accurately than ever.
ROBOTIC REVOLUTION
Increasingly, warehouses are employing the use of physical, wearable technology for order picking. Bionic technology, worn by pickers to complement their work, can take huge leaps towards ensuring that deadlines and targets are met. For example, voice or vision-picking enabled devices can speed up the picking process, as well as helping businesses to fulfil more orders with the same resources. These systems negate many of the manual processes involved in the order picking journey, such as planning a route around the warehouse, as well as minimising the risk of human error in the process.
In addition to boosting the efficiency of already employed pickers, wearable technology can benefit the onboarding of new employees; a valuable asset as temporary workers are often roped in during periods of high demand. Warehouse technology can drastically reduce the time required for
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training new pickers, meaning they will begin to work productively much faster. Wearable technology is even predicted to be present in 72 per cent of warehouses by 2025 due to the benefits it provides.
Alternatively, robotic technology can be used to completely automate some aspects of the process. Collaborative robots (cobots) can be a huge help to pickers by taking over repetitive, simple and time-consuming tasks. This allows employees to alter how they structure their working day, enabling them to spend fewer hours completing unstimulating and unskilled jobs, such as packing boxes, and more time undertaking more challenging tasks. Not only are robots super-efficient and reliable; workers will be happier and more fulfilled if they no longer have to complete unrewarding tasks – leading to a more productive workforce.
SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS
On the IT side, moving away from a paper-based picking system and implementing an efficient order management solution (OMS) can help to maximise order picking productivity. An OMS can work towards assigning orders based on content rather than time placed, as well as enabling pickers to work on more than one order at a time. This will ultimately allow them to take the most productive route around the warehouse
FACTORY&HANDL NGSOL UTIONSORY&HANDLINGSOLI UTIONS
and optimise their time and energy. Digitalising orders and relaying this information to pickers via wearable technology will mean that an incorrect pick or forgotten order will be flagged as soon as possible, giving pickers time to rectify the issue. It is also key to ensure the technology being used in a warehouse is up-to-date and working on the most suitable operating system (OS). Many of the handheld devices currently used in warehouses run on a Windows CE OS, which is already mid-way through its journey to End of Life. Businesses need to be ahead of the curve and migrate to an Android OS before it is too late. This is crucial to do in good time as businesses will experience an adjustment and training period while employees adapt to working with the new OS.
In today’s retail environment where the customer is king, efficiency must travel all the way down the supply chain – lest third parties lose their slice of the retail pie. Technology can be used to enhance many aspects of the order picking process, meaning that orders are picked faster and more accurately than ever before. Businesses must choose how and to what extent they want to implement technology into their order picking process, but whatever their decision – it must be a priority.
Ivanti Supply Chain
www.ivanti.co.uk
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