05 Feb 2018 Robots and Logistics
Utilising Modern Technological Advancements
A great deal of the work done inside warehouses can be simple labour work, such as moving products from one area of the warehouse to another area. While this is an essential part of the job, many companies have automated many of their warehouse systems to reduce the human costs of labour, whilst increasing the overall efficiency and decreasing mistakes made.
Amazon is one such company that everybody is talking about. The retail giant uses systems, costing them $775 million, which are implemented across many of their warehouses. This system consists of robots moving stacks or individual boxes throughout the warehouses without the need for human input. This system has improved Amazon’s efficiency and has made them even more profitable, all the while keeping their workforce to a minimum level. This type of efficiency would not be possible or affordable with a human workforce, due to man hours and high amounts of overtime pay. Not to mention the layer of management, payroll and packaging required to manage and uphold a workforce.
Many companies in Australia are coming around to adopting these methods. Such technological advancements have also benefitted the transportation industry, across all sectors, not just third party logistics providers. Automated trucks and drones are the talk of the town across the 3PL industry, ultimately the future of how products can be transported from warehouse to destination.
New technologies are being introduced all the time and many companies across Australia benefit greatly from integrating it into their business. These advances can streamline processes, replace manual systems with automation, and provide operational efficiencies across the board. Sourcing new technology to revolutionise your business need not be a costly exercise. What you need may already exist. The key is to keep moving forward, not constantly in wait for the right time. Partnering with a business complementary to your own is one way of accessing technology at a fraction of implementing it yourself. There are always more ways to shuffle a deck of cards.