Upgrading Technology in Your Warehouse

Today’s model of the warehouse, including palletized storage and large storage spaces, dates back to World War II. It was during this time that a dramatic increase in the demand for storage resulted in a shift towards more efficient means of storage than the rudimentary shelving systems that were previously used. In the roughly 70 years since that time, many industries have gone international, and their production and storage requirements have expanded along with them. We now have the ability to control and monitor the flow of inventory from start to finish, and can track and analyze our warehouse systems in order to improve speed, accuracy and efficiency. Along with an efficient storage layout and the proper equipment, today’s warehouse technology allows warehouse operators to exponentially improve warehouse performance.

The purpose of implementing new technology is always to improve efficiency in one form or another. There are no gold stars or bonus points awarded for having the newest and fanciest tech. Like any business decision, in order for the implementation of new technology to be worth it for a company, there has to be a clearly-defined way in which the technology produces a return on the initial investment. Before deciding whether or not it’s worth implementing new warehouse technology in your warehouse, you’ll want to accurately assess your current operations. Identify strengths and weaknesses in your warehouse, figure out order profiles and volumes, and analyze any particular shortfalls. Once this data has been collected, the time is right to get in contact with the material handling pros at AK Material Handling Systems. We can analyze your product slotting in order to gather information about how well your warehouse is laid out and its overall performance. Once the analysis is complete, we’ll recommend ways in which you can optimize your storage and picking systems. This may involve reconfiguring existing systems, implementing new ones, or both.

One of the most important things to remember when seeking to upgrade technology in your warehouse is that every part of your internal supply chain must be committed to undergoing the change. No one part of your warehouse operates without influencing or being influenced by the other parts, so it is essential to confirm that each part of the whole is on board before installing new warehouse technology.

There is more information and technology available to warehouses than ever before, and organizations of every size are embracing new ways of integrating technology into their storage storage operations. At AK Material Handling Systems, we deliver warehouse storage solutions that work to improve speed and accuracy by way of technological integration. Voice picking, pick-to-light, and automated carousels are all examples of systems we’ve successfully implemented in our customers’ warehouses to fully optimize their storage and retrieval efficiency.

If you’d like more information about how we can work with you to integrate warehouse technology into your material handling systems, make sure to get in contact with us and speak with one of our rack systems specialists who are based near Minneapolis, MN.