Small businesses, distributors and retailers are interested in building automation that allows for functions like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics heatmaps, intelligent routing, and robotics. It looks like you are playing catchup. It's time to make a change.

The time of the foreman walking around the warehouse with a clipboard in hand, cigarette in mouth shouting out orders are long gone. Let's not start with you putting your hand up to say, "We don't allow smoking at work anymore."

At least a decade ago, this would be the quintessential warehouse operator's daily scene. It was even considered "romantic" for those who miss it.

What's wrong with this picture? It's the almost-dirty word "manual" if you haven’t already guessed. Sure, it may not be four letters, but in today's warehousing and fulfilment landscape - the dreaded swear word may be doing its rounds in your facility when things go missing, customers start complaining or worse still - clients start going elsewhere.

Coming back to the (less romantic) reality of today, we are seeing many retailers and brands equipping themselves with artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and the like. Science fiction? No, nightmare for those not moving in the same direction.

My friends in the warehousing industry and fulfilment business are talking about automation. We don't mean the drinks vending machines.

Automating your business is a serious consideration. Just like how your customers such as the distributors, the retailers and the brands are moving up the technology chain, you should at least catch up quickly.



Customer portal

Let's start by looking at how to keep your customers informed in real-time and anytime. This is what's known as a customer portal. They will pay a lot to have your space, and they look forward to receiving the next shipment when they arrive. As organizations running a living, breathing business, they need to know how much inventory they have and where it's stored. It is essential to have accurate and real-time information about all of this. With consumers trends changing in the blink of an eye - accuracy and speed is the most important thing.

Mobile barcode scanning

Using an electronic device that registers a whole range of data by merely scanning the SKU is infinitely useful. It is immediately stored in the system, unlike old-school paper recording where errors by the person recording it and losing the sheets of paper is a real thing. Imagine being able to pull out data on demand or sharing it with customers instantly - the machine helps you do that.

Billing automation

How many times have you heard people say, "Have I billed company X or not?" Billing not made means not charging for services rendered. Time cost added to not receiving payment equals to losing money. When billing is automated, the machine never forgets and it even sends reminders if payments are not received.

Prepare for the flood of orders

Customers are quickly moving to multi-channel or omnichannel distribution. If business is strong, an increase in order processing will strain your resources. Orders that rise by more than two hundred percent will cause chaos.

Prepare for the huge volumes, inventory allocation by letting WMS help you. WMS will help you to smile from ear to ear as the money comes in, rather than trying desperately to keep up.

Like the Dutch building levees in anticipation of the big floods, you too should get digital help to prevent being drowned by the "big event".

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