Where is Automation Useful in Warehouses?

Automated systems are popping up in industrial facilities around the world as a way to streamline production and save money. Warehouses, which require repeated tasks and precise actions, are prime candidates for robotic and computerized solutions. With the right implementation, warehouse automation has the potential to create the most efficient and profitable operation possible.

Product Picking

If your warehouse is large and complicated, it takes time for a worker to identify a location, walk to the shelf, find the right item and transport it to a packing area. Warehouse automation and robotic technology can dramatically transform the picking process. At Amazon fulfillment centers, when a worker activates an order via a computerized system, a robot travels to the correct area and delivers the entire shelf to the worker's location. The employee then picks the correct product to ensure accuracy. As robotic technology becomes more sophisticated, the entire receiving, sorting, picking and packing workflow may be completed without human intervention, leading to a lean, cost-efficient operation.

Worker Safety

Warehouses are packed with potential dangers for employees: heavy boxes, high shelves and industrial equipment such as conveyors and forklifts. Warehouse automation solves many of these issues, keeping workers safer and reducing injury claims that drive up insurance costs. Some systems create a 3-D map of the space and identify the safest storage location for each item. Others map out the most efficient route to a product and design a more predictable operation, so workers can avoid accidents.

Packing

In many warehouses, humans make choices about the best boxes and packing materials for each shipment. Warehouse automation eliminates the need for constant decision-making. An automated system scans the product information stored in the database and returns the best box and packing filler for an individual product. As a result, workers can spend less time debating and more time packing, so orders leave the facility faster. In addition, since the system chooses the materials that are the correct size and strength, you can use packing supplies efficiently and reduce the chance of damage in transit.

Customer Communication

Communication is a key part of creating happy, loyal customers. With warehouse automation, it is possible to build a powerful and immediate notification system based on set triggers — all without the need for employee action. When an order is completed online, a confirmation email automatically goes out to the buyer. When the package is scanned out of the warehouse, it triggers a shipment notification email with a tracking number. By enabling customers to monitor the progress of their order from initiation to delivery, automated systems increase satisfaction and reduce customer contacts with the service department.

Automation has the power to transform your sorting, picking and packing operations. Whether you operate a small facility or a large distribution center, warehouse automation can help you create a more affordable, efficient system.

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