In the last ten to twenty years, warehouses have evolved massively. The industry has come a long way just in the last decade and has evolved to adapt to a faster pace. Driven by the evolution of various factors that influence the global market, warehousing continues to rise and change to remain one of the vital components in many industries.
The rule in business nowadays is simple: either you adapt or you break. The warehousing sector can confidently say that it has successfully adapted to the trends set by consumers and competition. From retail to manufacturing, every business that involves logistics has managed to or has to manage by making planned changes through the use of recent developments, which has so far produced positive results.
As warehousing experts and pros continue to tread the path driven by trends and change, they have to educate themselves. An important part of the adaptation process and preparing to move forward is looking back at what put you in your current position – a review of sorts.
To help you see the direction warehouse management is headed, this article will highlight how warehousing has evolved over the years.
More Strategic and Complex
Warehousing management has become more strategic and complex over the years. The simple warehouse which was once a small portion of the supply chain is not what it used to be. The primary concept of which warehouses were derived is still there: storage; however, the warehouse is now being called on to handle more complexity than it ever had.
There are many different types of warehouses that exist now that could play an important role in the near future. Warehouses such as high ceiling facilities and pop-up warehouses were developed throughout time to meet different requirements. Still focusing on adapting, it’s critical that current warehouses are agile and can adapt to changing conditions.
Accessibility
Historically, warehouses were only available to large businesses with a large-scale budget. Now, warehouses are more accessible even to small and medium businesses. This is driven by everyone wanting to manage their own operations and taking matters into their own hands.
The demand for industrial real estate has risen and continues to do so since the boom of ecommerce and the customer’s expectations of faster and more affordable shipping. For instance, there is accessible industrial real estate in many locations such as the warehouse in Kansas City that a business can either lease or purchase for different purposes. This all caters to businesses of all sizes.
Shift to Ecommerce Drives Automation
As aforementioned, the ecommerce industry is one of the main driving forces of the warehousing evolution. Ecommerce pros are facing the challenge of meeting customer expectations of cheaper and faster delivery and shipping. One of the strategies to address this demand is to automate.
Automated systems effectively reduce overstock and shortages and will boost profits in the long run. Automation cannot do it alone though, as it has to be partnered with quality warehouse storage systems to help an operation run smoothly.
Conclusion
Warehousing evolved in the past years by becoming more strategic and complex, accessible, and pushing for automation. It will continue to evolve in the next decade or so, as it depends on variables that can disrupt the majority of workplaces in many industries. Warehousing will continue to be pushed to adapt by the ever-changing fast-paced world.
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Angelo Castelda works as a contributor for a news magazine in Asia. On his free days, he likes to read books about the logistics industry and warehouse management. He also gets frequently invited to schools and universities to hold talks about the supply chain system and warehouse operations.