We hear much about warehouse innovation, but a large number of warehouse processes are still done manually.

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This means shipping delays, errors in delivery and unnecessary costs that cut into a company’s bottom line.

However, new technology is transforming the world of warehousing and the logistics involved.

No longer just shelving units, a combination of drones, cloud software, robots, autonomous vehicles, IoT, and augmented and virtual reality is expected to push warehousing to the next level in the coming years. But just how can current and future warehouse infrastructure use these new trends to their best advantage?

Robots and drones

It wasn’t long ago the use of drones seemed like a fantasy, however, today the industry is awash with talk of their utilisation. In large warehouses, drones are already a common sight and robots patrol the walkways and industrial shelving. They are the non-stop workhorses of today’s e-commerce world and multi-national companies such as Amazon would be lost without them.

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According to supply chain experts, two drones can carry out the work of 100 humans over the same time period. They can locate items faster, scan the RFID tags at a distance of ten metres and gauge inventory levels, sending the information immediately back to the warehouse management system.  With this in mind it is important to make sure you have the right location and building in the first place like a Warehouse Space London company can provide at sites such as http://uplands-e17.co.uk/warehouse-space-london.html.

Packaging

Robots are increasingly helping out in packaging, which when done by humans, can be time-consuming and labour intensive. Robots in the warehouse can use their hand-like extensions to undertake almost any job that humans do. The benefit of a robot is that it can repeat the task over and over 24/7, making the human packer less and less necessary.

Cloud technology

Cloud software that controls your supply chain management is becoming more and more popular. The reason is that it gives you better control over your warehouse inventory by allowing updates on an ongoing basis. In a distribution environment that is becoming increasingly complex, it is a powerful tool, that is cost-effective and enables companies to face distribution challenges head-on.

Handheld devices

Everyone has a mobile or a tablet these days and the warehouse is no exception. In fact, according to a recent study only 12% of respondents said they believed they’d be using pen and paper-based processes by the end of 2019.