Warehousing in India is gradually transforming for the better and becoming an extremely essential part of the manufacturing and the services industry. Initially, warehouses meant nothing other than gigantic spaces which were instrumental in storing and stockpiling goods.
But the nature of warehouses and warehousing industry is getting modified from the traditional godown facilities they were initially thought of, to the multi-faceted units which offer a seamless transition of goods and articles from the manufacturing industry to the customers, while integrating advanced technology and automation in the procedures.
Why are innovations essential for warehousing purposes :
With the continuous evolution of supply chain and manufacturing processes, warehousing operations are also facing a transition to evolve into an enhanced industrial sector. In the earlier days, the main utility of a warehouse was simply driven by its storage capacities. But these days, warehouse operations are driven by increased customer satisfaction which can be ensured by the rapid expectations of accuracy and on-time delivery; rather than just maintaining a storage space involving a huge workforce. The main reasons which can be attributed to the essence of automation in warehousing operations can be denoted below.
- Labour issues – Though labourers in India are abundant in numbers, they are highly unskilled. Due to the lack of receiving proper education and industry-related knowledge, it is an arduous task to manage such labourers. Labour unions and other bodies often take advantage of these differences and cause rifts inside the company or management by instigating strikes and suspension of works, which considerably hamper the necessary operations. Hence, it is important that innovation in automation and technology be applied to warehousing practices to minimise or eliminate the need for the human workforce.
- Cumbersome material handling – Certain manufacturing industries like iron and steel and other metal and metallurgical industries; as well as the textile industry are prone to handling massive quantities of materials in their daily operations. Managing such huge quantities of materials is an extremely laborious task and human intervention might cause safety concerns. Hence automation and needful innovation in technology should be applied for the ease of managing the warehouse operations.
- Effects on the environment – Challenging work environments cause a hindrance in the productivity issues of warehousing industries. It is often observed that human labour results in the proliferation of the carbon footprint and thus these operations would be detrimental to the environment. Replacing manpower with machines can effect in the seamless operation of warehouse tasks and also reduce the carbon footprint of the industry to a huge extent.
Solutions to the above problems :
Innovations in warehousing practices are essential because :
- They result in enhanced operational efficiency
- Reduce the cycle times
- Prevent loss sustained in material handling
- Provide controlled access.
Automation and optimisations result in the innovations that are deemed essential for warehousing. The control over the power of technology as well as maximising the potential of the facility can result in the boost of productivity which definitely gives the warehousing facility a competitive edge over the others. Improved material handling solutions, picking and packing, material movement and storage, etc can be ensured through the successful integration of automated warehousing technology and mechanised equipment. Thus companies should concentrate on increasing their warehouse facilities through efficiency in supply chain and pertinent technological innovations.
Automations that have been necessitating warehouse modifications in India :
There are numerous reputed companies which provide automation solutions for warehousing businesses. Certain technological innovations which have been making their mark in the Indian warehousing industry are :
- AS/RS
- Unit Load AS/RS
- Mini Load AS/RS
- Racking Systems
- Barcode readers etc.
Thus it has been proved beyond doubt that these tech innovations will convert the Indian warehousing and supply chain industry and endow a bright future to this industrial sector.