5 Ways Automating Warehouse Systems Can Impact You
Growth is the goal for every business today. However, maintaining efficiency during a period of growth – and avoiding the escalating costs that often accompany it – can be difficult to do. Automating warehouse systems can help your business to nurture growth and ensure that your enterprise is reaching its full potential by optimising operations and the resources that are being used.
How could automating warehouse systems impact your business?
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Increasing storage space. Automating warehouse systems enables existing space to be optimised to free up areas that were previously being ineffectively used. So, for example, inventory that is less popular can be assigned to higher shelves or locations that are further from the shipping point. More popular items can be moved close by. The automated system enables tracking of every item in the warehouse so that you can identify the best placement for each and increase the space you have available.
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A more energy efficient workspace. Reassigning inventory based on popularity can help to improve the way that energy is used in your warehouse. This could be human energy – operatives walking to and from one point to pick items up – or the fuel required for equipment such as forklifts. An automated warehouse is a more efficient warehouse and energy is not wasted.
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No data delays. Automating warehouse systems will provide you with an accurate perspective on stock any time that you need it. When inventory data is manually handled it is often such a slow process that by the time it is completed that data is already out of date. However, that simply doesn’t happen with an automated warehouse, where the inventory management system is automatically updated whenever an item is picked or restocked so that you can always see what’s happening on the shelves.
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Improving warehouse performance. The data that an automated warehouse generates provides important opportunities for examining the way your warehouse is performing. For example, you will be able to identify an average picking time for your warehouse and work with training and incentives, as well as different systems and equipment, to help improve this. Automated warehouse data will also show you which items are moving the fastest so that you can improve efficiency in the warehouse by making changes to layout.
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Avoiding major issues. An automated warehouse is one that is better organised and more transparent. This can be crucial when it comes to preventing issues, such as costly product damage, and identifying where a handling process, for example, is consistently causing a problem. The result is a reduction in waste and inefficiency and an improvement in the bottom line. Automated warehouse processes are also often safer and more predictable so employees have a better day-to-day experience and there are fewer incidents and injuries to deal with.
Automating warehouse systems has many benefits for enterprises large and small. From improved efficiency to fewer accidents, this kind of process could have a transformational impact on your business.
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