There are still a lot of companies out there that either don’t use or are not maximizing technology in their warehousing. Your company may be one of them. You have built your systems, your systems work – but could things work better? Some of you may be exploring what a tech-friendly warehouse solution can do for your business or you may not be aware of the benefits of technology in warehousing.
In this piece we want to delve into the various ways technology can improve your supply chain and your bottom line. There are 3 important aspects of technology in warehousing we’ll investigate:
- Increase of Quality
- Cost Savings
- Analytics and Planning
INCREASES QUALITY
Human Error
Human error is the top factor in improving quality. Manual processes require that a human performs the work. You may have great people in place who do a wonderful job. In the end, however, they are human, and mistakes will inevitably be made.
With that said, you still need great employees to pair with your technology. There will likely be subjective data, which is more difficult for technology to make sense of. Minimizing the number of manual things that must be entered while also incorporating an employee's knowledge will help amplify the capabilities of whatever application you choose.
Adjustments
When mistakes happen, adjustments need to be made. What processes do you have in your current systems to adjust things like orders? There’s current warehouse technology that allows for revisions and changes to happen in real time that will be communicated across all involved parties.
Confirmation
Has the order been received? Has the order been executed? These are important things to know for operations and peace of mind. Warehouse technology can offer that sort of feedback with automated status updates and confirmations.
COST SAVINGS
Labor
As mentioned earlier, manual processes require people to perform the work who in turn, also need to get paid for their work. The more time they spend entering information, communicating with warehouse partners, and all other activities - the more time it takes and the more it costs the company.
At the end the day, this aspect is both the most shocking and the most welcoming when businesses transition to a tech-friendly warehouse. Any time you can bring dramatic cost savings to your bottom line while improving processes, you’ll come out a winner.
Efficiencies
Utilizing warehouse technology allows you to do more in less time. Efficiencies can be created with routine orders and procedures. Precious time used to plan and execute can now be focused on other areas of the business. And according to this article in Fast Company, automation can contribute to employee happiness.
ANALYTICS & PLANNING
Inventories
Full visibility of your inventory is a critical aspect of great warehouse tech. Do you know if you have product expiring? Is it time to send more inventory? Warehouse technology is a powerful tool to make sure you are efficiently managing your customers’ inventory.
Analytics
Information is power. The more data you can bring into the fold, the more informed your decision making can be. Great warehouse technology will offer dashboards and other tools to pull in customized metrics to analyze the performance of your logistics.
Planning
When you have the analytics and the visibility, you will have a greater ability to plan. Warehousing technology will improve planning in addition to increasing efficiencies, quality, and cost savings.
CONCLUSION
Not all warehouse technology is the same. Make sure to do your research to find the solutions that fit best with your business. Rinchem’s warehouses are powered by our proprietary software called Chem-Star®. We are proud of its capabilities in supporting chemical and gas supply chains. If you have warehouse technology questions in general or would like to explore Chem-Star’s® capabilities, please fill out the form on the following page.
