A fulfillment center that doesn’t take advantage of the upcoming technology trend is missing out. Imagine robots running your warehouse efficiently or artificial intelligence creating a safe environment for warehouse workers. There are endless possibilities of different types of technology that is creating a successful future. There are 4 innovations that are paving the way in the fulfillment industry.
- AGV- Automated Guided Vehicles
- VDW- Voice Directed Warehousing
- Robotics
- Wearable technology
AGV– Automated Guided Vehicle or AGV’s are exactly as they sound. They are small machines powered by artificial intelligence to assist warehousing functions. These functions can include picking, packing and delivering items to be sent for shipping. AGV have been tested to reduce human error, create a safe environment, increase efficiency, and produce results in a quick manner. The market growth is expected to rise to up 30 billion by the year 2026- https://www.g2.com/articles/warehouse-automation-statistics
VDW– Voice Directed Warehouse has accomplished strides in producing fast results in the fulfillment world. While using a VDW system, a worker can pick the item and scan it by using voice recognition. The AI confirms with the picker the order the SKU number, relay if there is damage to it and send it off to be shipped. This decreases the amount of time it takes to scan an item and place it on a hand truck. Honeywell tested this theory by using VDW against a traditional scanner. They concluded that voice recognition could pick items twice as fast that the original scanner.
Robotics– Robotics in the warehouse have been mentioned throughout the years. Amazon has recently developed 4 robots that can help assists warehouse pickers in their day-to-day tasks. An example is the robot called Ernie. Ernie is a fulfillment robot that can reach a product with its arm and place it on top of the conveyer belt. The tote is sent to the worker to manage where the product is going. The advancement is robotics at Amazon and other fulfillment centers is just the beginning.
Wearable technology– The convenience of scanning an item through the tips of your fingers is satisfying. Wearable technology has become prominent in the fulfillment industry for years. It’s only become apparent after manufacturers have discovered how labor-intensive picking and packing can be. An example of wearable technology is the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton helps a person to lift half the weight the person is carrying. Another device is the finger trigger glove. The gloves send a vibration to anyone who twist or turn their body the wrong way when lifting an item. These innovations help to protect the health of the warehouse worker.
All these upgrades have one thing in common: improvement. The use of advanced technology can solve fulfillment problems that revolve around safety, speed, and efficiency. With the use of automation and robotics inside the warehouse, business is going to see a significant change. The constant back aches and leg cramps will hopefully be a thing of the past.
