The future is now. That’s what it’s starting to feel like anyway. While we may not have the flying cars from “The Jetsons” and “Jaws 19” from “Back to the Future Part II” hasn’t hit theaters, our technology is advancing rapidly. Automation is more prevalent than ever, making our jobs exponentially easier. Smart warehousing via warehouse management software represents some of the best examples of businesses embracing this new technology.

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What This Article Covers:

• What Is a Smart Warehouse?
• Smart Systems
• Primary Benefits
• Key Components
• Implementation

When considering a new warehouse system, weighing your options before making a choice is important. Let’s examine which requirements and components are most important.

What Is a Smart Warehouse?

A smart warehouse is the culmination of warehouse automation (in other words, automating various components of your warehousing operations). Similar to smart homes, a smart warehouse incorporates several automated and interconnected technologies. They’re tech-driven, allowing you to automate processes using technology such as robot palletizing, AMRs, IoT, digital twins, 5G and more.

These technologies work together to increase the productivity and efficiency of the warehouse, minimizing the number of human workers while decreasing errors. You can make your warehouse even smarter by using real-time data to determine which section needs quick service.

As Royce Digital explains, “In manual warehouses, we usually saw workers moving around with lists, picking products, loading them into carts and then delivering them to the shipping docks,” but in smart warehousing, “orders are received automatically, after which the system confirms if the products are in stock. The pick-up lists are then sent to robot-carts that place the ordered products into containers and deliver them to workers for the next step.”

With smart warehousing, you can obtain real-time updates, optimize manual tasks and increase automation which is impossible in traditional warehouses. This strategy gives workers the time to focus on high-value tasks. Having an automated warehouse improves operational scalability while minimizing human interaction.

According to a report by Research and Markets, the smart warehousing market size is predicted to reach $9,400.10 million by 2027, up from $4,476.09 million in 2022. Warehouses are getting more complex, leading to diverse customer expectations. Traditional warehouses are no longer suitable to meet modern customer needs.

Adopting smart warehousing technologies is vital in current supply chains to survive business challenges.

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Smart Systems

Smart warehouse systems result from interconnected warehousing technologies working together. They form a technological ecosystem where goods are received, identified, sorted, organized and pulled for shipment. The best smart warehouse solutions automate almost everything with minimal errors.

When considering smart warehousing, you should watch for a few traits that mark a successful system. Some of these are:

Agility

It’s no secret that warehousing operations are becoming increasingly complex. Smart warehouses need to be able to shift gears and handle rapidly changing variables.

Your smart warehouse system should constantly optimize the travel of products from storage to shipment. Not only that, but smart warehousing operations should also be on the lookout for temporary storage opportunities and third-party logistics (3PL) providers in case of temporary stock overflow.

These systems also handle staffing by limiting the need for on-site staff and preparing for busy times of the year. A successful warehouse will keep a cross-trained group of core employees in place for slower months.

Agility also comes into play regarding the various solutions used in your warehouse. Your systems should work with numerous platforms, sales systems and other warehousing functionalities. One thing to consider is using a software as a service (SaaS) solution.

A SaaS smart warehousing solution usually comes with a lower entry price available in monthly installments. It saves time by removing the need for massive on-premise software updates.

Scalability

As the complexity of warehousing and supply chains continues to grow, your warehouse should always focus on the future. Smart warehouses must be ready to accept large influxes of products and new item releases at any moment.

This feature brings us back to another attractive quality of SaaS solutions. Adding new features to your systems can be difficult if you have an on-premise solution. In some cases, the entire system shuts down during software updates, leading to a major slowdown.

A SaaS solution doesn’t struggle with this limitation. You can complete updates on the fly while rolling out new inclusions without taking a hit to efficiency. Implementing a new feature and bringing in IT to fix unexpected issues is a headache no warehouse operator needs.

Data Visibility

As technology progresses, data visibility is a must-have. Visibility is vital, and software solutions must update and store data immediately. Customers and stakeholders want to tap into the real-time data provided by your system and see where their product is right now.

Your smart warehouse should allow interested parties to find what they want immediately. If a customer has a choice between partnering with an operation that updates their data overnight or stays up to date constantly, you can bet on which one they’ll choose.

Not only is this aspect important when considering client retention, but data visibility also provides useful information to the operation itself. Real-time data gives operators a bird’s eye view of the entire warehouse and how its various pieces perform.

If inaccuracies in inventory or delivery timing are cropping up, you’ll immediately know where they originate. This way, warehouse operators can take action before things get out of hand and throw an even bigger wrench into the works.

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Primary Benefits

Smart warehousing relies heavily on AI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics to handle multiple warehouse operations. Now that we understand what a smart warehouse is, we’ll delve deeper into some benefits:

Improve Accuracy

One of the most significant benefits is maintaining inventory accuracy. You can keep track of inventory flow in real time and handle multiple warehouse operations from a centralized system. This accessibility allows you to obtain accurate information and provide solutions across your supply chain and logistics network.

Warehouse operations undergo multiple processes and are susceptible to errors detected with IoT sensors. They keep track of machine conditions and send an alert if equipment is compromised to avoid repair costs.

Increase Transparency

A lack of transparency is common in supply chain businesses and can often lead to operational losses. By integrating warehouse visibility, companies can track and monitor inventory as it moves through the warehouse.

The more companies are aware, the better they get at handling challenging queries. Providing warehouse transparency is vital to avoid supply chain issues. It lowers the risk of shortages and helps you maintain proper inventory levels.

Businesses can implement smart warehouse solutions, including RFID and telematics software, to tackle such problems. They can also track vehicular movements by scanning tags while collecting vehicular data.

Boost Efficiency

Task automation is a major advantage. It reduces the time it takes an employee to complete a job. These solutions minimize manual tasks to shift focus to human-centric jobs. For example, picking and packing processes can cause errors and delayed shipments if not done carefully. Automation points out faster routes and makes the whole process more efficient.

It reduces errors and eliminates potential accident-causing threats. Automation accelerates warehouse processes and ensures faster order fulfillment.

Reduce Costs

Implementing smart warehousing reduces fulfillment and labor costs. Integrating warehouse management systems with automation optimizes time while reducing the need for human labor. This reduction further helps lower operational costs.

Technologies like automated guided vehicles (AGVs), inventory scanning systems and automated order processing improve order accuracy by picking, packing and shipping exact orders.

Strengthen Customer Service

One of the biggest challenges most businesses face is poor customer satisfaction. Great customer service is the only thing keeping your business up and running. Smart warehousing can give you an edge over competitors with fast shipping, lower prices and fewer order returns.

It also uses predictive analytics to detect trends and patterns in sales histories. These insights come in handy while planning your supply chain, providing customers with everything they need beforehand.

These systems increase customer satisfaction while growing brand loyalty by delivering consumer expectations.

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Key Components

At its most basic, a smart warehouse uses various interconnected technologies, all working toward the same goals. Every piece of this puzzle has a job to do that keeps your warehouse running optimally. Here are a few examples of the many components you’d find in a smart warehouse:

Collaborative Robots

Humanoid robots that inhabit our science fiction shows and stories are still a long way off, but there are other types that are almost as cool. Collaborative robots, or cobots, are becoming more efficient in modern warehouses.

The growth of cobots is driven by advancements in technology like 5G, IoT, digital twins and more. The cobot market size is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 30.7% between 2022 and 2030.

These robots can work alongside human workers in multiple warehouse operations. They can handle complex tasks like picking or installation while allowing workers to remain in their work area. Cobots can run nonstop while minimizing repetitive logistics activities.

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)

The automated guided vehicle (AGV) global market is predicted to reach $4.11 billion by 2029 from $2.17 billion in 2022. Business Fortune Insights also predicts that due to the pandemic outbreak, there has been an unprecedented increase in demand for AGVs. The growth of this market is due to the rising demand for automation in material handling processes across different industries.

AGVs can optimize warehouse space while reducing the need to build newer fulfillment and distribution centers. With AGVs growing at a rate of around 24% to 43%, it’s evident that mobile robots are becoming the new normal. They play a crucial role in operational activities in and around the warehouse. AGVs reduce material damage, increase inventory accuracy and boost efficiency while handling hazardous situations.

Radio-frequency Identification

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) helps organize and control inventory. RFID eliminates old analog paper tracking methods in favor of tracking packages with digital tags. Radio waves help transfer data to or between the digital tag and an automated scanning system, recording the product’s information.

RFID replaces old barcode scanners, where the barcode has to be precisely aligned with the scanner to identify it. Instead, you can point these scanners in the general direction of the package to scan.

How does this help with inventory management? Since scanners don’t need precise alignment, you can use automated machines to scan packages as they come in, identifying and counting how many of each type of good arrives. In addition, these scanners can detect goods as they leave the warehouse during order fulfillment, ensuring that your inventory count is always accurate.

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5G

With speeds 100 times faster than 4G, 5G is here to take warehousing connectivity by storm. 5G networks can reduce latency and improve computing by providing an infrastructure for IoT devices. The greater the bandwidth, the more sensors it can accommodate within a square kilometer with ten times greater speed.

While many warehouses are keen to adopt IoT to improve performance, they don’t have the right infrastructure. Now, companies can build smart warehouses with a 5G network readily available.

The many benefits of integrating 5G connectivity into smart warehousing include:

• Improve Tracking: Track and monitor moving objects with location updates to ensure complete visibility. It provides continuous tracing and tracking to accelerate order filling, picking and processing by integrating 5G-enabled sensors with asset tracking systems.
• Reduce Labor Costs: Leverage navigation tools and in-built sensors by providing high bandwidth for AMRs to move around the warehouse efficiently. It improves equipment and materials transportation, reduces labor costs and increases workforce safety.
• Optimize Complex Operations: Achieve accuracy by enabling an interconnected network of sensors and machines to work cohesively.

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS)

ASRSs are popular storage and fulfillment tools in multiple industries. You can use these systems for multiple warehouse operations, including kitting, order picking, storage, assembly, production and more. An ASRS lets warehouses increase throughput and accuracy at the same time.

A Research and Markets report predicts that the ASRS market size could exceed $10.55 billion by 2027 from $7.45 billion in 2022. For warehouses looking to increase throughput and integrate with ERP systems, ASRS might be a good option.

The Internet of Things (IoT)

By now, you’ve probably heard of the internet of things or IoT. If you want your smart warehouse to work correctly, you’ll be relying on it. If you need a refresher, IoT involves several internet-enabled devices communicating with each other and sharing data. In smart warehouse systems, robots can communicate with all the tech they need, including a warehouse management system (WMS).

An example of IoT at work starts with a warehouse receiving a product. Once the shipment arrives, the RFID scanner scans the tag and sends detailed information to the WMS. The WMS then communicates with robots, informing them where to store those goods on the warehouse floor.

All of this happens automatically and seamlessly without losing any crucial information. Without the IoT, a human would have to manually complete each step. This strategy is prone to error, especially with the massive amount of information about each product that flows through these systems. But thanks to IoT, humans are all but eliminated from the equation, speeding up the process while drastically reducing errors.

Looking ahead, some companies are even beginning to prepare for an “internet of everything.”

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Digital Twins

With the global industry 4.0 market progressing, we’re also experiencing tremendous growth in digital twin usage. Digital twins are the next advancement in supply chain management. This technology help companies virtually recreate the real supply chain to test modes, different scenarios, model nodes and more.

Markets and Markets report states that the digital twin market size is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 60.6% from 2022 to 2027. Digital twins use predictive maintenance to reduce costs and improve overall supply chain operations. Besides manufacturing, the healthcare industry is also showing interest in this technology.

The digital twin concept allows warehouse managers to re-examine layouts to make real-time decisions. Supervisors and managers can feed data into a virtual system that combines with IoT devices to monitor the physical layout. This system then provides an actual setup, allowing companies to reimagine their layouts and operations.

Using this information, companies can perform throughput testing and cost-benefit analysis. This analysis tests operational inefficiencies without causing downtime. It improves resource planning, strengthens decision-making, allocates workloads and reduces congestion.

Warehouse Management Systems

A WMS is the cherry on top of all your smart technology. These solutions have many uses, including gathering valuable data and helping users manage warehousing processes. They track the efficiency of day-to-day operations while improving specific tasks.

Since most WMS solutions can collect real-time data and create visual reports, they help reveal deficiencies in your processes. After viewing a WMS report, you can take appropriate action to fix issues and get your operations back on track.

Automated Inventory Control Systems

An automated inventory control system eliminates the need for manual cycle-counting processes. Implementing inventory control helps perform multiple operations like inventory tracking, item fulfillment, maintaining order points and monitoring real-time data.

Although a WMS manages inventory control in distribution centers, having an automated inventory control system is an added advantage. It optimizes operational efficiency, promotes scalability, minimizes human error and saves time.

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Implementation

The warehouse of today is starting to resemble a scene from a sci-fi movie — and we think that’s a good thing. As we continue into the not-so-distant future, warehouse automation will become even more prevalent, and smart warehouse systems will dominate the industry. So not to be all, “The end is nigh!” for warehouses that don’t embrace smart warehouse management systems, but … the end is nigh.

It’s time to start implementing these solutions. We’re not saying that you need to buy and implement every piece of technology we listed above (not right away, at least). That would require a huge upfront investment that only the largest warehousing operations could afford.

Instead, start small and build toward automation. You can begin with just one of these technologies and add another after a few years. A few years after that, add another, and so on and so forth. We suggest a WMS. It’s one of the cheapest to implement, gather and manage your warehousing data.

Keep your operation’s requirements in mind when choosing a solution, and you’ll be on the right path to selecting your perfect system.

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Final Thoughts

Smart warehousing brings significant optimization to any warehouse operation. Automation is on the rise and will continue to be adopted by more and more warehousing companies, don’t fall behind! To get started, browse through our free comparison guide to help get you acquainted with the vendor landscape.

How have smart warehouse solutions taken your warehousing operations to the next level? Tell us in a comment down below!