Self-Driving Vehicles, Drones & AI, Oh My! How Warehouse Tech Is Getting Smarter

Between priority shipping demands and expected free returns offers, it’s no secret that clients today want more from the businesses they shop. In light of these requirements, the technology used in warehouses is more important than ever. Luckily, smart warehousing means that companies have options when it comes to staying competitive. From inventory counting drones to the use of AI in logistics, smart warehouse technologies offer a number of benefits, including improved productivity, greater accuracy, and fewer accidents on the job.

The Importance of Smart Warehousing

Among the many benefits of smart warehousing technologies is the opportunity to protect your workforce from harm. By optimizing warehouse processes and utilizing AI where possible, companies can keep mistakes to a minimum while cutting down on accidents and injuries. In fact, studies show that utilizing warehouse robots could reduce both lifting injuries and those resulting from physical fatigue.

Just as smart tech protects workers, it can also lower your operating costs. By leveraging automation, businesses can empower their human labor team to focus on more specialized and technical tasks while also cutting picking errors. With current rates standing between 1 and 3 percent, companies that don’t go smart risk draining profitability by a whopping 13 percent overall.

Get to Know These Smart Warehousing Technologies

The good news is that the technology used in warehouses can go a long way toward helping your business better serve its clients while benefiting your bottom line. By simplifying the picking and packing process, you can empower your team to do more in less time while cutting costs company wide. Here are some of the ways automation and AI in logistics and supply chains are helping companies like yours achieve their goals.

Warehouse Management Systems

Smart warehousing technologies can give you access to critical warehouse data at the click of a button. An end-to-end warehouse management system like the one available through ShipHero offers expedited reporting, real-time statistics, and superior planning abilities. As a bonus, companies can streamline and automate many warehouse functions, allowing them to distribute labor where it can do the most good. The end result is both improved warehouse flexibility and better relationships with employees, suppliers and clients.

Autonomous Vehicles in Logistics

Incorporating automation and AI in logistics can have a big benefit on your bottom line. Also known as AGVs, automatic guided vehicles allow for the efficient storage of heavy materials while helping companies automate the receiving process. According to a report by PwC, the digitization and automation of these processes have the potential to reduce logistics costs nearly 50 percent by 2030. As a bonus, utilizing more autonomous guided vehicles can help protect your workers from injuries on the job, including muscle strains, falls, slips and repetitive motion injuries.

Drones in Warehouse Management

Inventory counting drones are another way for businesses to use technology to their advantage. Not only can drones easily scan barcodes and RFID tags, but they can also alert warehouse workers about the number of units in stock at any given time. The end result is that inventory disparities are found faster and with less effort from staff. Additionally, drones can help boost safety and minimize the number of dangerous tasks performed by workers.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

There’s a reason that new technologies often make a big splash when they are first introduced. The amount of work they can do, and the amount of stress they can take off the labor force is astonishing.

Smart warehousing technologies can have a profound impact on your bottom line. By incorporating AI and warehouse drones into your current management, you can save on costs while doing your part to protect the people who have helped make your business the success it is today.

If you want to find out more about ShipHero’s smart Warehouse Management Software, we invite you to talk to one of our sales team members today.