While modern warehousing has evolved significantly in recent years, becoming more technology-dependent than ever, its fundamental purpose hasn’t changed. Warehouses store products after the manufacturing process completes and before they’re distributed to other facilities and retail destinations. Retailers depend on warehouses to secure their inventory prior to dispatching it to their store shelves and floor-level displays. You simply can’t underestimate the role that automated warehousing plays in driving a functional supply chain and healthy global economy.
Today’s warehouses follow two distinct models. Retailers like furniture outlets often keep their storage in-house and dispatch their goods directly from their businesses. The retail warehouse similarly ranks among the most common setups for eCommerce sellers. On the other hand, the wholesaler or distributor warehouse stores an array of goods in bulk before sending those items to traditional retailers and resellers. No matter how you look at it, warehouses are vital to the supply chain. Businesses need effective warehousing for their long-term storage solutions and to ensure they never accumulate too much stock at their retail distribution sites.
The future of warehousing has never looked more promising. Affordable industrial automation solutions have unlocked a wealth of potential for improving warehouse scaling and productivity. Business owners across multiple sectors have been leveraging the latest advancements in automation to improve their operations in increasing numbers. Let’s take a closer look at how emergent automated warehousing technologies continue to shape the future of warehousing.
Improved logistics and inventory tracking
Advancements in automation and warehouse management system (WMS) software have facilitated significant change across a modern logistics industry that always seeks to do more with less. These emergent technologies have revolutionized the way warehouses approach tracking and inventory management.
Industrial warehouse automation has advanced significantly in the last several years. It’s virtually impossible to enumerate all the noteworthy changes here. Needless to say, automation and warehouse management software impact every aspect of the supply chain, from order processing and shipping to sales data and system analytics. Warehouses, once steeped in strenuous and unsafe manual procedures, are now leveraging access to real-time information to automate tasks like order dispatching, payment processing, and inventory tracking.
As automated technology in warehouses of all sizes gains momentum, expect logistical and inventory tracking procedures to get even easier. Warehouses of the future will depend upon WMS software for incredibly accurate inventory management. High-end facilities can track and provide instant information to warehouse owners and operations managers from any connected location.
Future warehouses and automation
Warehouses of the future will be fully integrated and rely on WMS software to facilitate and monitor all their processes. The latest warehouses were built with automation at the forefront, letting you maintain a concise log of your digital inventory, regardless of its location. Future warehousing facilities will be remarkably sophisticated. And while WMS implementation and integration might pose several challenges at the outset, partnering with an expert like WiSys to install your automated industrial warehousing solutions can relieve most of the commonly associated headaches.
When you set out to transform your warehouse through automation, simplifying and streamlining your processes through a WMS should be your ultimate goal. Future warehouse management systems will only make it easier to scale your business because you can maintain accurate incoming and outgoing stock and keep track of your orders more efficiently through access to real-time operational data.
WMS software and automated supply chain technologies are expected to balloon to well over $700 billion by the end of the year. The uptake of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is even more remarkable, as analysts predict this market to top $1 trillion by 2023. The reason smart devices and automated technology are so popular is that they work. The innovations help businesses optimize their procedures and process their supply chains more efficiently.
On-demand platforms and the future of warehousing
On-demand warehousing platforms let eCommerce storefronts keep their inventory in unused warehouse space. This model not only makes up a consistent portion of the current logistics industry, but it is unquestionably the future of it as well. On-demand warehouses differ from traditional storage models because they give you more control over tasks like distribution and tracking.
For instance, online sellers who need to increase seasonal stock benefit from on-demand warehousing. The solution lets them pivot quickly to get the goods they require at the precise time they need them. Warehouse facilities run by artificial intelligence depend on advanced WMS software and other information controls to drive profitability and increase throughput with fewer resources. There is every reason to be enthusiastic about the future of the logistics industry and automated management systems. And on-demand warehousing systems undeniably lead the way.
Simplify your warehouse management with Agility from WiSys
The main focus of your warehouse is to control and expedite the efficient movement and accounting of finished goods and materials through your supply chain. Our unique Agility Essentials was engineered as an easy-to-install, out-of-the-box WMS for businesses that need an immediate warehouse management solution. WMS software is still the best way to future-proof your operations and ensure that your company never gets left behind by modern technology.
For more on how contemporary warehouse design and WMS systems from WiSys can streamline your operations through data visualization and fully-automated integration, complete a request for contact on our site or call us now at 770-955-3550.