Warehouse of the future: functionalities and what to expect

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With such a rapid and massive growth in fulfillment channels shown in 2020, after the pandemic started, the warehouse of the future is shaped by new industry trends. Together with the continuing labor shortage, it is even more challenging to meet the increasing demand in the eCommerce and CEP (Courier, Express and Parcel) markets. So, what does it look like? Well, it certainly depends on the investments made in software and automation technologies, to face the changes, while maintaining profitability.

First of all, it is highly recommended that you keep in mind some important steps before making choices in reinventing your warehouse due to the trends, but especially to your needs. After gaining a better understanding of the latter, having integrated visibility across operations is key, but you’ll also have to personalize the technology infrastructures that best fits your strategy, so that you will have no problems dealing with the unexpected, in times of uncertainty and disruption.

Also, you should adopt an environmentally friendly attitude and implement sustainability strategies around waste elimination, energy efficiency and smarter use of it, alternate sources of energy, and resource optimization, in general. Besides these, you might prioritize your workers’ safety (fall protection).

Evolution means bringing real-world structures and parameters to the virtual world. Based on a multi-team collaboration, the futuristic warehouse stands for integrated workflow modeling and optimization of people, processes, and technology, to directly improve flexibility,  safety, service, and costs.

Since the implementation of robots is inevitable and necessary, here are some automated processes that will rule the warehouse of the future, but further complete the classic storage options and logistic solutions (such as pallet racking, cantilever, drive-in racks, modular platforms, and other industrial shelving systems).

4 key components of future warehouses

1. Autonomous mobile robots

They have movement-related capabilities including pallet movement, carts, movement of shelving and racking and they are useful for many other material movement tasks within the warehouse (moving stock within a warehouse or between facilities).

For example, they can help in picking up incoming roll containers and take them to an automated tipper and then empty them onto an inclining paddle belt which moves the items towards the sorter. Performing other routine tasks, such as inventory counting, they will collaboratively work with warehouse operatives, whether that is moving stock during picking, retrieving replenishment, or transferring bulk stock. They transport batches to the next stage of processing, allowing workers to move on to their next task. Moreover, this kind of robot can be seconded by another robot that continues the first robot’s or the worker’s job.

2. Robotic arms

They are an easy-adaptive warehouse solution driven by deep learning software, being identified by a vision camera. It can complete repetitive jobs in a product’s warehouse lifecycle such as picking, sorting, labeling, and even packaging.

Even though it cannot carry too much weight, items that are too hard to pick will end up at the manual induction platform (where the items are inducted manually by operators). But their main advantage is that thanks to high-flexible joint construction and many freedom degrees, they can repeat even sophisticated human-like moves.

3. Dimensioning, weighing, and scanning measures

They identify the volume and weight of items, by using an optical character recognition camera. A must-have tool, they increase efficiency and productivity while reducing costs and wasted resources for usual packing handling operations.

By incorporating sophisticated technology into a results-driven approach, DWS systems present a series of benefits for logistics and parcels businesses. Because of their efficiency and accuracy, they produce a swift return on investment for companies looking to streamline their operations, also improving their customers’ overall experience.

This is because they permanently verify accuracy and perform real-time comparisons against expectations, decreasing returns and helping to foster customer loyalty and enhance their satisfaction.

4. LR-sorter system

It’s a compact solution for limited space projects which helps in sorting a wide range of items to the correct exits. The vertical layout enables bidirectional (left-right) sorting, which maximizes the number of exits in a small footprint and unidirectional sorting (to one side, only).

This kind of warehouse automated solution has a flexible and scalable layout (allowing easy expansion and handling a wide range of products ranging from small envelopes and packets to 600 x 400 mm parcels), proving its efficiency for outgoing goods, being also capable of handling returns.

Whatever automated solutions you will adopt for your warehouse, don’t forget to promote end-to-end sustainability, to help you thrive in the future, particularly when the future means supply chain uncertainty and turbulent market conditions. Bear in mind that you can optimize your warehouse and make it fully sustainable by reducing your environmental impact and protecting societal wellbeing while improving business outcomes through good corporate governance.

ProfiCircle, the first B2B online platform for storage solutions, provides you with the most approachable optimizations for your warehouse and prepares it for the future, by customizing it according to your business & storage requirements.

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