How Public Warehouses Are Changing With Technology

Technology. With all things being equal, it’s the distinguishing factor between public warehouses. You’ve probably been hearing a lot about smart technology – the ability of machines to make decisions without human intervention as a means of enhancing productivity and efficiency. Well, this same smart technology is transforming the future of public warehouses as well.

Analyses conducted by Gartner, Inc., a research and advisory firm, estimate a 30 percent increase in the use of smart technology in supply chain logistics by 2020, mostly attributed to the Internet of Things (IoT), or Internet-connected physical devices.

What This All Means to Your Business

As someone who owns a business or oversees its warehousing, distribution and logistics functions, you should look for public warehouses that are keeping pace with the advances in technology. This commitment shows they are invested in their business and are dedicated to continuously enhancing their warehousing, distribution, and other logistics services to provide you with faster and efficient service.

These benefits lead to more streamlined supply chain logistics, which, in turn, reduce costs and lead to greater profits for your business.

Some exciting advancements are taking place in the third party logistics (3PL) arena. Let’s take a look at them and what they mean to your business.

Warehouse Automation

The next generation of warehouse automation is changing the look of warehouse operations and making them faster and much more effective. Self-guided forklifts collect pallets from picking zones and return them to the dispatch area or applicable loading dock. They also work alongside driver-aided warehouse equipment to move inventory on and off rack systems in a safer and more efficient manner.

Other warehouse automation advancements include voice-activated and voice-directed order picking systems, voice-activated order management wearables, and hands-free radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

Your business benefits from automated warehousing and order fulfillment through greater order accuracy, optimized throughput, and an overall lean operating system.

Auto-Guided Robots

This emerging technology relies on mini robots to transport outgoing inventory to fulfillment stations for workers to perform customized processing or packing functions prior to shipping out orders.

The use of robotics also allows for much faster order processing by upping the picks per hour, while fostering man-hour efficiency. This means your orders will be processed and fulfilled faster and more accurately, and will reach your customers that much faster.

Automated Conveyor Systems

An automated conveyor system eliminates the time it takes to physically transport goods through the warehouse. With an automated system, goods are placed on a conveyor belt and quickly and effortlessly delivered to the areas where they need to be.

This technology allows for less handling of your goods, which means less breakage or damage to them. Furthermore, your orders move along more swiftly to distribution, so you can meet your customers’ delivery expectations.

Automated Sorting Systems

These types of systems give public warehouses the ability to sort items for a high volume of orders at a higher capacity. Plus, sorting systems can be programmed to sort goods based on several different distribution destinations.

If your business has peak seasons where demand is high, this type of automated sorting is advantageous for getting your goods out quickly to their final destination.

Evaluating Automation

While automation is all about maximizing throughput, it’s also about having the right mix of knowledgeable workers to complement automated systems and robotic applications.

At Brendamour Warehousing, Distribution & Services, we balance the latest in technology with a staff of logistics experts. This ensures your orders are accurately filled and your goods meet delivery expectations by arriving on time and in proper condition.

In other words, we eliminate distribution logjams, incorrect shipping destinations, costly distribution methods, and high return costs.

For instance, our automated materials handling equipment and high-speed gravity conveyor systems allow us to handle a high volume of goods to meet high demands.

This technological advancement in order fulfillment ensures accuracy and the proper handling of your goods.

At Brendamour Warehousing, we employ the latest in technology so your business can stay focused on its core functions. Contact Brendamour today to learn more about why your business should partner with a public warehouse 3PL like Brendamour Warehousing, Distribution & Services.