There’s plenty of discussion concerning whether robotics and artificial intelligence will revolutionize warehousing – but such innovations are of little use without strategies and technologies to keep fundamental warehouse processes on point.
I explore the makings of a smart warehouse in a new piece for Global Trade Management. My argument: a smart warehouse first relies on having the data to be able to identify areas for improvement, in order to then identify areas where automation will deliver the most value.
Ultimately, smart warehouses approach their operations as a system that can be tuned and use technology to both uncover opportunities and deliver improvements. For example, using warehouse management software to streamline and automate key manual processes can deliver significant efficiency and productivity improvements – without a robot in sight!
While robotics and artificial intelligence are undoubtedly making their mark in warehousing and logistics, ultimately, a smart warehouse relies on smart people, using smart systems to make smart decisions.
