Technological evolution is currently pushing boundaries and shaping how business is done globally. Improved technology benefits all logistics industry areas, including supply chain management, truck and international transportation (ocean and sea), shipment tracking, and warehouse management.
Companies such as NetSuite Consulting provide logistic businesses with technological implementation solutions to help improve productivity. Find out below the three leading logistic technologies that help improve warehouse security and efficiency.
IoT and Cloud-Based Warehouse Management System
The Internet of things is a broad term that describes the networking of smart devices to function as a single unit. IoT is especially crucial in the logistics industry since it brings together all the individual components. Whether it’s storage, packing, labeling, distribution, or tracking, it keeps the different players updated.
An IoT-enabled warehouse increases efficiency in the picking and packaging sector by reducing the workload on human employees. An alternative to engaging human effort in picking items from shelves is programming smart shelves that communicate with the robotic pickers, informing them precisely where an item is. The result is increased efficiency and reduced chances of employee accidents.
The ever-developing logistic industry should embrace the Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). However, most of them are still using local hardware that caps their capabilities, meaning a full-time IT professional must maintain it.
A cloud-based Warehouse Management System utilizes software as a service, designing a system that employees can smoothly integrate and maintain without lagging. It is more cost-effective than acquiring dedicated hardware, thus saving the warehouse lots of money in the end.
NetSuite Consulting also provides industries with deep industry expertise and the revolutionary NetSuite One Methodology to achieve unique requirements and ultimately grow the warehouse business by driving costs out of the operation.
Handheld Devices, Robotics, and Drones
Part of the logistic industry’s immense need is to handle and process as many items as possible in the minimum time possible.
It is why smart devices have been introduced in the logistic sector to fasten the process. Handheld devices have always been a large part of the logistics and distribution industry.
However, recent technological advances have made these devices more effective and useful than before. For more efficiency and cost-saving, warehouses should transition from physical paperwork and manual counts to digital inventories and handheld devices equipped with GPS and RDIF scanners, improving warehouse safety by reducing theft and inventory loss.
Logistics firms are already incorporating robotics solutions. E-commerce giants are currently introducing thousands of picking robots to their distribution centers around the world. The robots can pick, pack, and ship goods independently; however, they partly require human oversight.
Drones are the new transportation methods that help reduce warehouse overloads.
They are commonly used for their ability to beat traffic, especially for urgent orders. The only challenge is the limit of the weights they can carry at one particular moment. It causes a challenge, especially if goods in a warehouse are huge and bulky.
Workers in a warehouse are usually prone to injuries due to the nature of some goods stored there. With robotics, the chances of these incidents are heavily minimized. Robots and drones are the waves of the future of the logistics industry.
Sustainability and Improved Warehouse Design
Sustainability is a burning subject at the moment and is influencing industry decisions and desired outcomes. Logistic technologies help logistic firms minimize energy consumption, cut on product waste, and reduce harmful emissions while complying with state regulations.
Some of these sustainable technologies include lighting up warehouses with LED lights as an alternative to the traditional fluorescent lighting, thus saving on energy costs. A smart warehouse design can also regulate energy consumption by using monitors to help prevent unrecognized power use.
Most warehouse owners sacrifice efficiency by squeezing too much inventory into the limited space. Space efficiency is as vital as trying to maximize the limited space with excessive goods. Therefore, using new logistics technologies can help one acquire an optimal warehouse layout, maximizing product storage efficiency, inbound and outbound operations, and other value-added processes.
The Bottom Line
Warehouse safety and efficiency are vital for employees and businesses. Therefore, logistic technologies are incredibly in demand to ensure a smooth and productive operation.
Since the logistic sector is rapidly evolving, logistic technologies should also be evolving to provide a productive future for the industry. There is also a need to partner with consulting firms, for instance, NetSuite Consultation, to maximize efficiency, safety, and productivity in the warehouse.