Warehouse Management Software Trends
2021 has been filled with ebb and flow for the manufacturing industry that is still recovering from the harm from the pandemic. Although it was certainly better than the year before we're still not seeing significant expansion in global and local trade for many sectors. 2022 is the year to come up with fresh strategies and ideas that will increase your business' effectiveness and productivity. Although we are all aware of the important role that management of warehouses is within the supply chain management for any eCommerce business, most sellers do not keep up to date with the latest trends in warehouse management that will aid them in staying ahead of the competition. Customers these days expect an effortless shopping experience, with options like same-day delivery and shorter time frames for delivery. The demand on eCommerce businesses to deliver orders quicker will force warehouse managers to redesign their ways of managing warehouses by 2022 to ensure they can improve their packaging, picking, and shipping efficiently.
As we move into 2022, technologies for managing warehouses will likely expand exponentially. Let's look at some of the most popular warehouse management trends for 2022 that will rule this year:
Machine Learning and AI
The industry of warehousing is entering a period of consolidation, modern technologies like robots, machine learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI) robotics and automation are expected to be implemented by 2022. While in countries with high labor costs, such as India it is difficult to implement full-scale robotics and automation. can be a bit difficult since certain tasks will always be more affordable if done by humans, warehouse supervisors are seeking ways to integrate robots, machine learning, and AI in the back-end of their operations to enhance operations. Thanks to these advancements in place, the Indian warehouse industry is expected to experience nearly two-fold growth over the next two years.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is bringing revolutionary improvements to the manufacturing industry particularly when it comes to managing warehouses. The adoption of cloud computing services has allowed small-scale producers, retailers as well as eCommerce companies to simplify their warehouse operations, resulting in substantial cost savings. In addition cloud-based warehouse management software development reduces the requirement for maintaining complex software and hardware infrastructures and keeps overhead costs to a minimum level. In 2022, we're likely to see a rapid deployment of cloud ERP and WMS system across industries to manage inventory and warehouse management. According to Statistica that the global spending in cloud computing is anticipated to increase to $332 billion by 2021 up to $397 billion by 2022.
Sustainable Warehousing
With a rising amount of people wanting to lower their carbon footprint, 2022 is expected to see an era of change in warehouse methods for management. Many entrepreneurs will be searching for sustainable warehouses over the coming years. It's not just a way to cut down on the cost of your utilities but offer your employees an environmentally friendly business that they can be proud to be part of.
What are the various methods you can choose to go with Sustainable Warehousing?
Invest in Energy-efficient Equipment
Switching your lighting can be one of the easiest methods to make your warehouse more eco-friendly. Opt for green alternatives like LED lighting. Although they can cost more than traditional bulbs, they'll last longer and reduce energy consumption in the long term.
Use Less Packaging
More efficient packaging is lighter in weight and is more affordable to transport. Make the switch from traditional packaging materials to those that can be biodegradable. Although packing materials made of synthetic plastics could require hundreds of years before they degrade in landfills. Biodegradable materials are degraded in a matter of years. A lot of biodegradable materials are compostable. Overall, this makes your packing more efficient, and changing to biodegradable packaging materials drastically reduces waste and lowers the carbon footprint of your business.
Protect your Warehouse from the elements
A lack of insulation could disrupt the temperature control that you put in place for your warehouse. This can increase your cooling and heating costs and can increase the impact of your warehouse on the environmental impact. Be sure that your warehouse is adequately insulated to keep the air that is controlled by climate within the building where it is required. Alongside keeping your employees happy by insulating them, it helps reduce wear and tear on the warehouse management system and lowers your energy costs.
Block-Chain Technology
There are many participants when it comes to successful warehouse management. Customers, suppliers, manufacturers auditors, warehouse supervisors, and many others are all involved in creating the perfect warehouse. In such a situation 2022 will see the advent in the use of Blockchain Technology in warehousing which can help create an efficient system to record many transactions, map assets, and facilitate documents management.
Proficient Last-mile Deliveries
Because of eCommerce, there's an increasing demand for last-mile delivery services, which are in a crucial place. Sales from e-Commerce and the need for speedy delivery continue to grow each year. In the year 2019 alone, global e-Commerce sales increased by 21.5 percent. The year 2022 will see more businesses will look to offer an Amazon-Esque purchasing experience to their customers through creating logistics that will provide next-day delivery. The increasing customer demand will raise the demand for modern facilities to the last mile to speedily and efficiently deliver.
The Right Warehouse Location
Warehouses located near major bridges and highways will be able to provide services to more locations. This is because it could assist in reducing the time, effort, and expenses which makes your service more efficient and more beneficial for both your customers. As time passes, your business requirements are likely to evolve, and it's essential to select a space that you can easily modify depending on the needs of your business. It is important to consider whether the location is flexible and there's enough room to make changes as needed.
Building Quality
The majority of warehouses are 50 or more years old. Some are older than 100. Their electrical and structural capabilities are limited and strained. They were designed for businesses that were in the past. Today, huge quantities of merchandise have to be transported each day. Retailers need to be looking for properties with attributes that permit high-quality throughput.
Substantial Ceiling Heights
The ceilings of high ceilings can be adapted to modern vertical rack systems which is a crucial consideration for the final mile. Think about how the goods flow into and out of the warehouse. Wider spacing between columns allows for modern, efficient racking installation.
Cross-dock Capacities
Cross-docking is the practice of receiving goods through one facility's door and shipping them out via another one in a matter of minutes can facilitate the efficient transportation of perishable products and remove the need to store food and drinks.
Introduction of Drones
2022 is the year that's likely to see drone technology being used in warehouses. Major retailers like Amazon have used drones successfully within their warehouses for managing inventory. Smaller retailers could follow suit and reap the benefits of drone technology. For instance: Two drones can complete the task of 100 human beings and perform it with greater precision. Aerial drones with specially-designed cameras that have optical sensors locate items and scan the barcodes at a distance of 10 meters with close to 100% accuracy.
Now that you're informed about the latest developments in warehouse management systems, now is the time to up your eCommerce game and implement the correct procedures to keep ahead of the curve.
Conclusion
The development of software for warehouse management has advanced thanks to numerous technological advances which have helped make operations more efficient than ever. It's just an example of the revolutionary inventions that are yet to be invented. As time passes by we'll be seeing robots and drones continue to replace human beings, which in turn, will provide faster and more efficient workflows. Robots have already assumed the majority of labor-intensive tasks in the supply chain and manufacturing industries. Soon, we'll have software and computers together handling more complex warehouse tasks like storage, procurement shipping, storage, and many more.
