The year was 2012, *March of 2012 to be more precise. The Board of Directors at a leading e-commerce organization had just penned a deal to acquire a robotics company called Kiva, which, in due time, was to transform the way warehouses functioned forever!
Yes, we’re talking about the inception of, what is today, Amazon’s army of robots. These compact and robust helpers in warehouses have evolved over time to the point where they can not only traverse the entire expanse of a warehouse, including every nook and corner of the lowest or highest rack, but they have the intelligence to communicate with each other to optimize operations with minimal intervention from humans. Modern robots are both adaptable and autonomous, with advanced algorithms that enable them to learn continuously and evolve over time.
It is fair to say that as technology continues to progress at a rapid pace, so does the world of warehouse racking systems. Gone are the days when manual labor was essential to stack and dispatch inventory. Today's warehouses boast an array of advanced features, which would have seemed like science fiction just a few decades ago.
In many ways, warehouse racking systems are the backbone of a well-run operation. They are so much more than just a functional necessity. In fact, the organization and appearance of racking systems play a vital role even in something as remotely interconnected as enhancing employee morale and productivity.
Contemporary racking systems are far more advanced than their predecessors. While some of the upgrades are tech-related, others draw on common sense more than anything else to improve the warehousing experience. Here are 3 such improvements in recent times, which are lighting up the future of warehousing.
Leveraging Robotics in Warehouse Racking Systems
In recent years, robots have been infused into the operations at warehouses, especially in their racking systems, to help with tasks such as inventory management and order fulfillment. Also known as Automatic Guided Vehicles, these robots can move around the warehouse floors and shelves to quickly locate and retrieve items. This improves efficiency and accuracy in the warehouse while reducing labor costs.
Although most of the big players in this domain have vowed to create an environment where robots and humans work in unison, it is clear to see that robots are slowly but surely replacing humans. This is primarily because they are more efficient, adaptable, and teachable than people. E.g. A robot can handle 6-25 orders at a time with speeds that cannot be matched by humans. Moreover, a robot can take on additional tasks in lesser time periods as they are continuously trained on the job. Therefore, it is not surprising that warehouses are ramping up their digital transformation, which seems more like a digital revolution at this point in time! In fact, a recent article published by the New York Times stated that warehouses are expected to increase automation in their facilities by 50% in the next 5 years.
Amazon has already unleashed more than ^500,000 robots in their warehouses. Other organizations have also hopped on the train to digital revolution with their own robots. Some of these machines come with capabilities that allow them to carry weights ranging from 15 kg – 1 ton. They calculate over 300 million routes to traverse through a warehouse safely, move between 100s of zip codes to pick out the right packages, sift through 58,000 products to pick the right items, and sort through over 200,000 parcels every day. And what’s more – they do all of this with 99% accuracy!
Try beating that!
Creating an Engaging Workplace with Smart Lighting and Sound Effects
The progressive employment of technology to improve operations has become the hallmark of every successful warehousing business. Though some are blatantly in your face, like robotics, others are more subtle such as the use of smart lighting and sound effects.
Smart lighting can be used to automatically adjust the light levels in the warehouse based on the time of day or the activity underway. This can help to improve safety, optimize power consumption and enhance productivity by ensuring that workers have the right amount of light for the task at hand.
Sound effects can also be used to help workers stay focused and motivated. For example, alerts can be played when an order is ready for picking; or sounds that create positive reinforcement can be played when a task is completed successfully.
Vivid Colors in Warehouse Racking System
The use of colors is a surprising element in modern warehouse racking systems. Though they may seem out of place in a typical industrial setting, these colorful features can actually provide a number of benefits for both workers and warehouse managers.
For instance, vibrant colors can create a more visually appealing work environment. This can help to increase morale and motivation among workers, as well as improve overall efficiency. In addition, the use of color can also help to designate certain areas within the warehouse for specific tasks or purposes. For example, different colors could be used to indicate where certain items are stored or where particular types of activities should take place.
Warehouse racking systems have come a long way in the past years and now include robot armies, smart sensors, and more. These innovations have made warehouses faster, safer, and more efficient than ever before. By leveraging these tools to their fullest potential, businesses can streamline their processes while significantly reducing operational costs. It would behoove any warehouse manager to employ these advanced and simple technologies to improve the operations and productivity of a warehouse.
Source:
* Letzing John, ‘Amazon Adds That Robotic Touch’, The Wall Street Journal, March 20th, 2012
^ Prakash Prarthana, ‘Cathie Wood says that robots could outnumber humans as Amazon workers within 7 years’, Fortune, Feb 1st, 2023
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