Why now?
- The Covid-19 pandemic has meant home delivery has become more the norm.
- Today’s consumer expects their order to be picked, packed and delivered when and where they want and fast.
- The e-commerce landscape is rapidly developing and is increasingly competitive.
- Retailers, manufacturers, and distributors have to supply all kinds of packages direct to consumers in smaller quantities and at a much quicker pace and at retail prices.
So, what’s to be done?
For businesses facing the challenge of keeping up, this means looking at automating existing onerous manual and people-intensive processes. For those who have already embraced automating some of their processes, it’s about increasing the breadth or scale of that automation to create extra capacity and to satisfy customer demand for speedy or same day service.
How?
With warehouse space at a premium, automation can mean using more of the available space more efficiently, often by significantly extending vertically and by extending the current working hours.
Technology, IT-related improvements, process automation and robotics will all play a part by enabling business efficiency and the capacity for growth.
What’s the result?
- Higher volume throughput,
- Tighter inventory control.
- An ability to handle a larger number of SKU’s.
- Improving operating efficiency within the Distribution Centres thereby reducing costs
- What are the benefits of automation?
- Speed of throughput is increased.
- Accuracy is improved.
- More space is utilised.
- Capacity is maximised.
- Risk is minimised.
- Customer expectations are realised.
- Reputation is enhanced.
- Increased profitability
What to do now
As an experienced Supply Chain Director, Finance Director or Warehouse Manager, you’ll understand that tackling automation certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s extraordinarily complex, and any transition must, critically, allow the organisation to maintain a ‘business as usual’ operation. You simply cannot afford to compromise customer service.
The LiG experienced automation team provides support for each step along the automation journey to:
- Undertake business analysis and solution design.
- Provide decision support.
- Develop a detailed automation design.
- Ensure that the correct IT design is in place.
- Programme manage the build and commissioning of a new warehouse.
- Prepare an operation and training plan.
- Manage system testing.
- Oversee business readiness and cutover.
- Manage the Go Live and progress into business as usual.
Contact us.
If you’re looking to introduce, or scale-up, automation in your business Logistics Improvement Group on info@logistics.fullfatdesigns.temporarywebsiteaddress.com