DC Velocity - December 2018

Accurate and reliable completeness check for inbound and outbound packages. Available as single or multi-interval scales.

SMALLEST GAPS
FOR MODERN
INTRALOGISTICS PACKAGES
EC;Warehouse
wipotec-ocs.com

reduce a worker’s travel time, improve overall productivity levels, and minimize errors. With goods-to-person fulfillment, machines retrieve products and bring them directly to the picker, eliminating the need for the worker to roam the aisles to collect items for an order. Technologies range from simple conveyor-based systems to more complex automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), as well as robotic solutions. As technology advances, the goods-to-person landscape is expanding with even more choices, Logan adds.

“There are new players with new technologies that will be introduced in the next year or two, to [provide] even more options in goods-to-person for fulfillment,” he explains. “We’ve seen a lot of it, and we’ll see it pick up into next year.” Saenz agrees, emphasizing that a measured approach to implementing auto-mated solutions often works best. For example, he says he expects to see greater use of conveyor systems in the year ahead as organizations with very basic warehouse and DC operations ease their way into automation. A natural progression often involves moving from simple racks and industrial trucks to conveyors and warehouse management software (WMS) before plunging into more advanced AS/ RS types of systems, he adds.

“We think a customer should compare the more proven technology against robotics and the [more complex] offerings and decide if that’s enough for them,” Saenz says. “Companies definitely want to learn about the newest technology and see if it makes sense for them, but if there’s a level right below that provides what you need for less [money] and [a quicker] ROI—then that’s the right decision.”

WES GAINS MOMENTUM

Experts say more organizations are purchasing software to manage and control warehouse and DC operations today, and that the trend will continue in 2019.

“There are still a lot of companies with
legacy systems that don’t provide a lot
of the functionality you need today to
handle different orders and more orders,”
Saenz explains. “You’ll see a lot more
loaders, and robotic depalletizers
as examples of technologies in use
and delivering an ROI for many
clients today.

“Looking out to 2019, we’ll see
more adoption of some of those
existing technologies,” he says,
emphasizing growth in goods-to-
person order picking systems in
particular. “We’ve seen a massive
return on investment there, from
both a productivity and quality
standpoint.”
Both Saenz and Johnson predict
that warehouse software imple-
mentation will rise in 2019 as
well, pointing to growing demand
for warehouse execution systems
(WES) that improve communica-
tion and order flow throughout a
facility. And in a nod to at least one
“futuristic” trend, they agree that
more widespread use of autono-
mous mobile robots is in store for
2019 too.

Here’s a look at how goods-to-person picking, software implementation, and autonomous mobile robots will shape the warehouse and DC landscape in the year ahead.

GOODS-TO-PERSON ON THE RISE

A surge in e-commerce sales and the resulting need to meet omni-channel fulfillment demands is driving much of the change across the warehousing and logistics industry, and it’s certainly a driver in goods-to-person fulfillment, says Marvin Logan, vice president of consulting services for systems integrator Bastian Solutions. A shift to smaller orders containing multiple stock-keeping units (SKUs) has changed the picking landscape for many organizations, he says, pushing them toward processes and technologies that can