Page 6 - Logistics News July 2019

Thought Leadership

2024 Warehousing Vision

Study results released

Courtesy www.bizcommunity.com

Zebra Technologies Corporation recently announced the results of its 2024 Warehousing
Vision Study, analysing IT and operations decision makers’ current and planned
strategies for modernising their warehouses, DCs and fulfi lment centres.

THE STUDY reports on the forward-thinking utilisation as a signifi cant expected challenge
fulfi lment strategies companies are focusing on to and plan to address it by expanding the size of
keep up with the growth of the on-demand economy. their warehouses.
Both automation and worker augmentation • Sixty percent of organisations cited labour
solutions will be a key focus for decision makers’ recruitment and/or labour effi ciency and
plans during the next fi ve years. More than 77 percent productivity among their top challenges, with
of respondents agree that augmenting workers with 63 percent of respondents noting an immediate
technology is the best way to introduce automation focus on individual or team productivity
in the warehouse, but only 35 percent have a clear outcomes.
understanding of where to start automating. • IT/technology utilisation was identifi ed both
Eighty-seven percent of decision makers are as the most anticipated operational challenge
currently in the process of, or are planning to, expand (61 percent) of the next fi ve years and a
the size of their warehouses by 2024, with 82 percent desired long-term outcome for increased asset
anticipating an increase in the number of warehouses visibility, real-time guidance and data-driven
during this timeframe. performance. As warehouses expand, so will
“IT and operations decision makers are prepared the volume of stock keeping units (SKUs)
to meet this heightened demand over the next and the speed items need to be shipped.
fi ve years by taking an incremental approach to Decision makers will seek increased visibility
modernising their warehouse operations, in which and productivity by implementing more robust
they will fi rst work to improve individual and team returns management operations (81 percent),
productivity while achieving workfl ow conformity,” task interleaving (80 percent), value-added
said Mark Wheeler, Director of Supply Chain services (80 percent) and third-party logistics
Solutions, Zebra Technologies. “By 2024, leaders will (83 percent).
shift their focus to the integration of more holistic
solutions to build data-powered environments that The investment and implementation of new
balance labour and automation in the warehouse, technologies is critical for remaining competitive
ultimately empowering frontline workers with a in the on-demand economy
performance edge to lead the way.” • Almost half (46 percent) of surveyed
respondents cited faster delivery to end-
Key fi ndings customers as the primary factor driving their
By 2024, automation will enhance worker warehouse growth plans.
performance rather than replace workers • More than three-quarters (77 percent) of
• Sixty-one percent of decision makers plan to enable decision makers agree that they need to
partial automation or labour augmentation with modernise operations across the warehouse to
technology in the warehouse. remain competitive in the on-demand economy,
• Three-quarters of respondents believe human but are slow to implement new mobile devices
interaction is part of their optimal operational and technology.
balance, with 39 percent citing partial automation • Seventy-three percent of companies are
(some human involvement) and 34 percent citing currently modernising their warehouses by
augmentation (equipping workers with devices) as implementing or refreshing mobile computers,
their preference. tablets and barcode scanners.
• Decision makers anticipate using robotics/bots • By 2024, modernisation will be driven by
for inbound inventory management (24 percent), Android-based mobile computing solutions
outbound packing (22 percent) and goods in/ (83 percent), real-time location systems (RTLS)
receiving (20 percent) by 2024. (55 percent) and full-featured warehouse
management systems (WMS) (54 percent).
Rethinking fulfi lment strategies and operations to • Sixty percent of respondents cited mobile
meet emerging challenges across the warehouse barcode label or thermal printers as a key area of
remain a top priority investment as part of their plans to add, expand
• Fifty-nine percent of respondents cited capacity or upgrade devices in the next fi ve years. •

4 July 2019 | Logistics News