Smart warehouse is automated for improved productivity, efficiency, and accuracy, and the solutions that are implemented give flexibility and capability to the employees and their processes.
Take a look at the technologies you should be using in your smart warehouse, with discussion on how to keep them flexible, functional, and effective.
In no specific order, these are the five technologies you need access to in your warehouse today:
1. A Warehouse Management System
A WMS should comprehensively consolidate all of your critical warehouse data into one easily accessible platform, to give select members of your supply chain a full view of your workings, lightning-fast reporting, real-time statistics, and accurate planning capabilities.
The use of your warehouse management system should perfectly complement your other autonomous processes, and provide the following benefits:
- Real-time access to quality data giving you increased visibility throughout your supply chain
- Accurate demand forecasting
- Reduced labour costs due to efficient labour allocation
- Streamlined warehouse processes
- Optimised warehouse layout
- Improved inventory accuracy
- Improved pick accuracy
- Decreased time between picks
- Improved warehouse flexibility and responsiveness
- Improved warehouse safety and security
- Improved supplier relationships
- Improved customer service levels
- The ability to implement an ongoing optimisation strategy
2. Automated Picking Tools
We’ve worked with several companies who progressed through the stages of pick technology evolution – from paper to RF – and seen huge productivity and accuracy improvements.
In high-volume, high-labour cost distribution centres, picking is either performed or aided by using material handling equipment like put-to-light, automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), and goods-to-man.
Your warehouse can benefit from near-perfect picking rates with the inclusion of automated picking elements into your warehouse.
It improves picking by making it faster, improving labour allocation and reducing human error.
Instead of manually having to calculate the best locations, storage media, and pick paths for stock, your WMS does all the heavy lifting for you.
3. Automated Guided Vehicles
AGVs are an efficient mechanism of ramping up your storage and retrieval process, in putaway, loading, and stocktake. AGVs are self-guided and can include forklifts and pallet carts, which follow digital paths through the facility to load and unload pallets, boxes, and other containers.
These vehicles can be implemented in your warehouse without a complete revisiting of your layout and systems, with the ability to add and expand your AGV complement as required, in line with the growth of your business.
4. Automated inventory control platforms
What do you rely on for inventory logging, cycle counting, and stock take? If you are still using pen and paper for these processes, you are not alone: Motorola reported in 2018 that 41% of warehouse facilities still relied on this manual cycle-counting process.
This method, while tried and tested, is notoriously prone to errors in data, transcription, and consistency, and can cause immense disruption in your operations.
When you implement an inventory control platform with the requisite use of asset and inventory tags, these platforms allow you to automate stock counting, with data synthesised quickly for real-time, accurate reporting that can be accessed remotely.
5. IoT Implementation
The Internet of Things is the overarching concept (not an individual item) that informs how you control all the moving parts of your warehouse.
The IoT can help your warehouse to reduce risk and avoid mistakes or accidents that can create losses in the supply chain by early detection.
- Sensors in the warehouse can monitor temperature, moisture, and other conditions.
- Data coming from shipping conveyances, vehicles, and the products themselves can be combined to reduce theft, counterfeiting, diversion, and spoilage.
Whether automated or manual, the IoT system synchronises all of your data in an easy-to-access network, helping to optimise your inventory control (with double the impact if integrated with an automated inventory control platform), labour planning, and customer experience (through streamlined processes and improved turnaround time).
How YGL Nervous System can help SMEs in manufacturing industry to adopt and implement Industry 4.0?
We Help Manage Industry 4.0 Implementation via YGL NERVO Transforms in the Manufacturing Industry
With YGL, you’ll be working with the most experienced professionals in the ERP industry. Whether you need short-term support or resources for a long term engagements, our ERP Consultants have the expertise to help you implement and integrate the ERP system requirement for Industry 4.0. With a core team of functional and technical ERP consultants that are both skilled and certified, we can quickly implement a robust ERP System to maximize the value of your investment. YGL NERVO is the most affordable Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System.
The most affordable Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System YGL NERVO applications allows you to enable a seamless workflow from your finance to warehouse and right down to your production efficiency by providing you the essential management dashboard which allows you to have a clear visibility.
As an industry leader in ERP system Implementation, we can be sure that each YGL consultants have the highest qualifications. We provide a wide range of ERP System Integrations with experience ranging from IOT(Internet of Things) right down to Data analytics on OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), supporting all functional modules to complete project management for your project needs. All of our consultants are fully vetted for the project they’re submitted for, which means you’re only reviewing the most qualified consultants who do what you need done.
We Can Help to implement Smart Warehouse Transforms in the Manufacturing Industry System Integration under Industry 4.0
We look forward to hearing from you. Contact us today so that we can help you with our YGL NERVO which is strategy Industry 4.0 ready implementation needs heading towards Industry 4.0 in smart warehouse and smart manufacturing.
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