Warehouse management. As a manager in the organization, you know that you have to pay attention to every minute detail. Are items coming in on time? Is JIT (just in time) working, or should we try a different inventory approach? Do we have questions sitting in the back room collecting dust?
It’s essential not only to know what your warehouse team is pushing through, but also how inventory is scaled, what’s in stock, when do items arrive, and so forth. With the best technological advancements and software, you can maintain more control than ever in the past as a warehouse manager.
So, consider a few of these ways in which technology has improved warehouse management, and how it can perfect your warehouse’s functionality in the future as well.
Automation: Monitor & Streamline
The software makes it easier to streamline processes. For example, you can set alerts, or utilize robotics to do tasks overnight. This means you don’t require workers to be in the warehouse at .night, reducing operational costs and also keeping the cost of paying employees down.
If you need an additional inventory, you can monitor previous months’ records, to help you determine what has to be ordered, what’s running low, and how much you sold of a particular product. It helps make life easier when projecting needs for inventory in the coming months.
With automated software, real-time information is available on all fronts and facets of the work you are doing in the warehouse setting. So, managers know what’s going on, as it is happening.
If there are issues, they can tailor to them right away rather than wait. And, if processes need to change or if modifications have to be made, you can quickly figure out where to make changes, to ensure more efficient work and operations within the organization’s warehouse settings.
Robotics
There are some tasks that a warehouse manager might choose to interject robotic systems to perform, rather than utilize their specialized workers to do. For example, picking and sorting tasks.
Or, those tasks that follow a clear pattern are some of the things that robotics and technology can do for your warehouse operation. By implementing robotics to work alongside your employees, you can
- Streamline processes and the rate at which work is done
- Allow your employees to perform more specialized tasks, rather than waste time doing trivial jobs
- Allow robotics and different technologies to pick/sort/move items on the supply chain for faster efficiency
With these systems, your organization can also increase the workflow and increase volume. It’s easier to get shipments out faster, and also to ensure deliveries are made on time. If there are issues with products/inventory, you can easily find out what’s missing, what’s needed, and get the items delivered to your organization in a timely fashion, in order to ensure your end consumer gets it on time.
Working side by side with employees will help improve efficiency, speed, and also help reduce workplace errors along the way throughout the course of the workday.
Voice Tasking
Voice tasking software is an excellent implementation of any warehouse system. What does it do? It allows management to
- Give tasks utilizing voice commands and prompts
- Have automatic responses for different commands/tasks
- Easily integrate robotics, working alongside employees, to streamline processes
- Avoid issues with communication (he said she said)
With this hands-free technology, you can pick, pull, move, forward, and distribute inventory in a warehouse virtually anywhere. You can integrate commands for team members as well as for robotics and other electronics on the mainline of your warehouse supply chain.
Simple controls work hand in hand with RF technologies, making it easier to maintain inventory, know when items are out of stock, and automatically order items that are needed in the warehouse if they are no longer in stock.
Are you in need of technological improvements within your organization? Let our team at JD Edwards Managed Services assist your organization.
We can perform an audit of your team’s management and warehouse needs in order to custom-tailor the solutions your organization requires. Give us a call or email us to have a team specialist contact your business and assist you with warehouse management tools and solutions today.