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Ever wonder how the package you ordered online gets to your doorstep so quickly? Behind the scenes, warehouses are racing against time, struggling to keep up with the explosive growth of e-commerce and rising customer expectations for faster deliveries. Yet, many of these warehouses face mounting challenges – from labor shortages to outdated processes that slow everything down. To bridge this gap, organizations are turning to advanced warehouse mobility technologies that transform how they operate. These innovations don’t just speed things up – they offer real-time visibility, improve accuracy, and streamline workflows.
In this article, we’ll uncover the biggest hurdles in today’s warehousing industry and explore how forward-thinking companies are leveraging cutting-edge mobility solutions to deliver speed and efficiency – without sacrificing accuracy.
Warehouse operations play a major role in today’s supply chain management. Organizations are increasingly adopting new technologies to enhance warehouse performance and productivity. Among them are warehouse mobility technologies, which can help solve the latent need for increased efficiency. Integrating these devices into warehouse operations offers indispensable benefits such as real-time visibility, enhanced inventory accuracy, and reduced cycle times.
Before we start, let’s define what warehouse mobility is and what are some of the technologies that are encapsulated under this term. A common business requirement is to optimize processes, save resources, and improve daily workflows. Warehouse mobility refers to the data capturing devices that allow workers to interact with their Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) from anywhere in the facility. Not only do these technologies boost the operational performance of the warehouse, but they also provide a complete picture of each step taken during the execution of a process. More modern devices can give an additional edge to the operational workers, allowing them to execute complex processes faster and more ergonomically.
The Rise of E-Commerce: Adapting to a New Era
In a world where online shopping is the norm, businesses must keep pace with consumers’ growing demands for speed and convenience. The modern shopper has countless channels to choose from, pushing companies to adopt omnichannel strategies to ensure customer engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty.
Throughout the last decade, the sales stemming from e-commerce have been on the rise. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the total estimated sales from e-commerce reached $1.19Trillion, representing a 16.1 percent of total sales. This rapid growth is forcing companies to improve their warehouse processes to handle increasing order volumes and tighter delivery windows. However, As the volume and complexity of orders increase, so does the risk of errors while fulfilling them, which is especially true for companies that still rely on manual processes.
The Warehousing Labor Market: A Growing Concern
Another top catalyst for the need for automation and augmented warehouse workers is the labor shortage in this field. Many companies are facing issues finding and retaining talent in this sector. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, despite a steady increase in the number of warehouses, the total number of warehouse workers has been declining steadily since its peak in 2022. This challenges the heightened need for fast and complex deliveries. But how can warehouses meet the expectations of optimal fulfilment processes under these conditions? For this, many companies are looking to either replace labor with fully automated systems or to maximize the efficiency of the available labor through mobility technologies.
Modern Warehouse Mobility Options
Traditional mobility technologies, such as RF scanners and vehicle-mounted computers, are a great alternative to paper-based processes and provide good levels of visibility. More recent technologies, however, are proving to be game changers when it comes to process execution. Among those are:
- Wearable Computers: one of the major benefits is that they allow users to execute processes hands free. Users can focus on speed and accuracy without having to worry about a physical device obstructing their execution.
- Pick by Voice: a tool that enables users to interact with their WMS through voice commands. These devices allow them to execute warehouse processes by receiving directions through an earpiece and confirm them by speaking into a microphone.
- Smart Glasses: these devices are able to effectively enhance users’ interactions with their surroundings by providing them with additional data and context through visual projections. Key benefits include hands-free operations, real-time KPIs, and intuitive user interfaces
Factors for Technology Adoption: The Path Forward
For many companies, the adoption of warehouse mobility technologies has become paramount in order to enhance their workers and operations. It is important to understand that even though many different devices can interact with a WMS and can be used across multiple process areas, each device has its own place where it can excel, providing the fastest rate of adoption. Knowing the maturity of the technological infrastructure of a warehouse and having a clear implementation plan will ease the transition to more modern mobility tools. Here are three key steps to ensure a smooth transition:
- Choose the Right Device for the Task: Ensure compatibility with existing systems, flexibility, and the level of visibility required.
- Create a Strategic Implementation Plan: Define your “to-be” processes with clear goals, leadership, and timelines.
- Embrace Change Management and Training: Engage warehouse teams early and offer comprehensive training to streamline the adoption process.
Finally – is your warehouse ready for the future?
If you’re looking to elevate your warehousing operations with Westernacher’s extensive experience and proven expertise, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Contact us today to explore how we can support your warehouse transformation journey.
Email us at [email protected] for more information.
For more insights, check out our white paper: Enhance warehouse user productivity with SAP EWM mobility.
