Top five industries to benefit from warehouse automation
Whatever industry you are in, warehouse automation can provide a competitive edge. In this blog, we highlight the top five industries that can benefit the most.
Customer satisfaction is on everyone’s mind, and so it should be. We know that happy customers are profitable because they come back for more. One way to keep them happy is quickly delivering what they want.
Warehouse automation systems, such as those offered by Element Logic, will increase efficiency and accuracy by reducing human errors and improving overall quality. By handling repetitive tasks, automation leaves more room to focus on higher-level strategic activities that can help drive growth and success.
Thanks to these benefits, warehouse automation has skyrocketed in popularity in various industries. Even though most industries can gain immense benefits from automation, there are a few industries that are more suited for automation than others.
Examples of industries that should consider warehouse automation:
- eCommerce
- Online pharmacies
- eGrocery
- 3PL
- Industrial companies
Now, let’s take a closer look at the benefits each industry can gain from warehouse automation.
eCommerce warehouse automation
In recent years, eCommerce, or online shopping, has been booming. Convenience, a large selection of products, and competitive prices are believed to be part of the reason why. However, the benefits loved by customers also leave high expectations for supplier performance.
Your warehouse needs to handle a large variety of orders and deliver fast. That is the main reason why eCommerce warehouse automation is vital. In addition, it allows for more products in a smaller space, which is especially useful in micro fulfillment centres, better known as pickup points.
eCommerce warehouse automation can include industry-leading robotic piece picking solutions, material flow handling systems, and warehouse automation software to keep track of the entire operation.
Warehouse automation benefits for eCommerce include:
- Easier to handle a large variety of orders
- Increased control in high season
- Easy to scale up or down operations when necessary
- Faster delivery to customers
- Better space utilization
Pharmaceutical warehouse automation
Pharmaceuticals face many of the same challenges as eCommerce, as online pharmacies are becoming increasingly important. The convenience of ordering regular prescription medication and getting it delivered to your house suits people’s busy lives.
In healthcare and pharmaceuticals, automation is becoming more and more prevalent. The advantages of pharmaceutical warehouse automation are many. Firstly, it significantly improves accuracy, perhaps the primary driver for its increasing popularity. On top of that, there are legal requirements to trace goods, track their movements, and maintain control, all of which can be automated. This automation reduces the risk of errors while boosting sales volume, making it another compelling reason for its adoption.
Warehouse automation benefits for online pharmacies include:
- Improved accuracy
- Easier to meet legal requirements for tracing goods
- Better inventory control
- Reduced wrong pickings
- Increased customer satisfaction
Grocery warehouse automation
Automation can offer significant benefits to grocery suppliers, including online or ‘eGrocery’ companies, such as ensuring the freshness of goods and streamlining the pickup or delivery process.
While having many of the same challenges as other industries, amongst them more customers demanding home delivery, having the correct sequence of goods is crucial before transportation. Accurate sorting of goods can be achieved through grocery warehouse automation, making delivery more efficient while saving time.
An automated warehouse can also handle the critical task of managing temperature zones, essential for groceries. Whether ambient, chilled, or frozen, automation can track what is required for different goods and maintain it within the desired range.
Warehouse automation benefits for eGrocery include:
- Easier to ensure the correct sequence of goods
- More efficient deliveries
- Improved management of temperature zones
- Fewer picking errors resulting in more satisfied customers
Find out how to calculate your company’s warehouse automation ROI.
3PL warehouse automation
Overall, the most important reason for third-party logistics (3PL) companies to automate is to gain a competitive edge. A key advantage of implementing a 3PL warehouse automation solution lies in the ability to store a larger volume of goods within the same space as a conventional warehouse. For 3PL companies especially, this is key as they often facilitate warehouse services for multiple eCommerce partners.
Third-party logistics companies have also experienced a shortage of qualified warehouse workers. This may have something to do with a manual warehouse’s physical strain on the individual, resulting in people finding other jobs more attractive.
In the face of this shortage, warehouse automation can be the solution. While providing efficiency and accurate handling of goods, it can also attract the interest of potential workers. Introducing 3PL warehouse automation offers an ergonomic workplace and increases warehouse capacity and attractiveness for employees and customers alike.
Warehouse automation benefits for 3PL include:
- Better space savings
- Increased warehouse storage capacity
- More attractive to potential employees
- Reduced staff turnover
- Increased flexibility and scalability to support multiple customers and changing customer requirements.
Get insight into how automation can be the solution to maximise warehouse capacity in 3PL.
Industrial warehouse automation
When handling high-value items, the importance of each delivery increases. Warehouses supplying the industrial market face losing out on big payments if something goes wrong. Industrial warehouse automation will increase your supply chain’s speed, efficiency, and overall resilience, leaving less room for errors.
Despite having much in common with eCommerce and consumer-directed retail, services and solutions for increased warehouse performance need adapting to suit industrial-size orders. The need for solutions, configuration, and capacity is different.
Warehouse automation benefits for industrial companies include:
- Fewer errors and wrong pickings
- Increased supply chain speed
- Increased warehouse efficiency
- Reduced cost per transaction
View how an automated warehouse made GS Bildeler the largest supplier of BMW car parts in Norway.
Warehouse automation for all industries
Whether you are in one of the industries mentioned above or others, there are some benefits of warehouse automation equal to all.
Besides increased efficiency and accuracy, you can experience:
- Increased space savings
- Reduced cost per transaction
- Shortened delivery time
- Reduce training time
- Fewer picking errors
- Improved inventory control
The list goes on. Follow this link to learn more about the benefits of warehouse automation.
With decades of experience, we customise warehouse automation to meet your needs.
Contact us so we can find the best solution for you!
