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How top 3PLs are Automating Warehouse Cross Docking 

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Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Warehousing

How top 3PLs are Automating Warehouse Cross Docking 

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Cross docking requires the ability to validate and accept incoming stock with accuracy and speed and consolidate outgoing consignments based on last-mile destinations,”

— Shaun Hagen, CartonCloud COO/ Head of North America 

With the right management and workflows in place, implementing cross docking can save you hours, and reduce costly storage overheads. So what is cross docking, and how does it work? 

Cross docking (and transloading) is used frequently in American logistics and global supply chains to optimize delivery routes and transport legs, and reduce unnecessary warehouse storage periods. 

Logistics software provider CartonCloud summarizes cross docking as where a staging area within a warehouse is used for short-term holding, as stock is sorted, collated and assigned to outgoing runs based on delivery location. When implemented correctly, cross docking can provide the ability to optimize your supply chain to be as fast and productive as possible. However, navigating incoming stock, handling stock in staging, and collating stock to outgoing runs to optimize truck load and last-mile delivery can be extremely complex. 

Many American logistics businesses use the trusty pen and paper for cross docking operations, even when they have a WMS in place for other warehouse operations — however, paper records can be notoriously inaccurate, and create hours of admin time to manually enter data into warehouse systems after the fact. So why are warehouses still using paper? The recent Q1 2023 CCLI industry survey found a staggering 97% of companies currently use paper records for at least one operation in their day-to-day business. 

The nature of cross docking requires fast processing and allocations, and clear, concise reporting in real-time — something a lot of WMS software providers are unable to deliver, and paper processes miss the mark on. Having the ability to automate the process with cloud-based software saves time and increases accuracy. Until now. 

“For cross docking, you need to have the ability to easily validate and accept incoming stock with accuracy and speed— and also have the ability to consolidate and allocate to outgoing consignments for delivery, based on their last-mile destinations,” explains CartonCloud’s COO/ Head of America Shaun Hagen. 

“We work with a range of logistics providers to help them streamline their cross docking operations, ultimately moving them off pen and paper or other platforms, to use barcode scanning and automated allocation— which boosts their accuracy and saves a huge amount of time.” 

Many American and global supply chains often have freight passing through several warehouses before it is assigned to the delivery run for its final destination. Cross docking removes unnecessary miles and storage periods, by optimizing delivery runs based on grouped end destinations.

Mr Hagen explained using the cloud-based system to automate data entry and streamline freight validation and order details for optimized cross docking can maximize supply chain efficiency by coordinating outgoing stock within combined transport consignments. 

Ohio-based 3PL warehouse ODW use CartonCloud for cross dock operations and contract logistics order charge capture. 

“It has been valuable both as a stand-alone WMS and a complement to our own WMS,” said ODW’s Ms Gates. 

Want to know if cross docking is right for your business? CartonCloud’s powerful cross dock features provide logistics businesses across the United States and North America with transparency over incoming stock, in order to manage and track stock sorting and movement. Find out more at www.cartoncloud.com, and book a FREE DEMO today to see the system in action.

Damotech warehouse security
Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Warehousing

Warehouse Management: Top 6 Order Picking Problems and How to Solve Each

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One thing easily stands out when it comes to warehouse management: you must be prepared to organize, maintain and manage it as best as you can. But while this may sound like an easy-to-do job, the truth is that you can’t do it on your own.

While optimizing the entire process may help, your business may still be exposed to errors that slow down its operations and affect its bottom line. If your business has started experiencing order-picking problems, it is time to learn how to fix them.

As a warehouse executive, you can showcase your leadership skills by teaching your team how a warehouse management system can assist in addressing the issues at hand. Below is a look at the top six most common problems you’ll likely face and how to handle each.

1. Accidental Redundancies

A cursory look at any warehouse operation shows multiple operations happening at any one time. Every ongoing process follows a particular order which ensures that nothing goes wrong. In an ideal situation, none of these operations collides or get repeated severally.

The presence of redundancies in your operations will only lead to mistakes and lost time.
To address this, implement a warehouse management system to automate your operations. With it, you can rest assured that employees won’t pick, mark, and mistakenly ship one order multiple times. Integrating barcoding tech into it will assist in preventing duplication.

2. Misplaced Items

How often do your workers head to where a product is supposed to be, only to find that it has been moved? Marking and placing items in the wrong bin or category causes your pickers to spend additional time trying to trace the missing item. This, in turn, affects trucking efficiency!
Improper marking leads to delayed orders, delayed shipping, and frustrated customers.

A frustrated customer will, in most cases, leave a negative review affecting your conversion rates. You can increase efficiency by using a warehouse management system. The system tracks the location of every product in the warehouse, allowing for better order fulfillment.

3. Employees Choose the Wrong Product or Quantity

When an employee fulfilling an order chooses the wrong product or quantity, you hope that the packers will notice the issue. Regrettably, these are some of the problems that go unnoticed in warehouses where speed is critical to order fulfillment.

Sending out an incorrect order is expensive and makes your business look unprofessional, especially when there are too many returns. Remember that too many complaints online regarding your order fulfillment rates will affect your overall business reputation.

Once again, you can solve this issue by ensuring all products being fulfilled get scanned using a barcode scanner. The scanner will send a notification to the pickers ensuring this mistake gets rectified before the product gets to the hands of the packers.

During dispatch, the packer can then scan it again to confirm all its details are correct.

4. Your Warehouse Layout Is a Mess

A 2018 survey on warehouses by Logistics Management established that only 68% of all warehouse space is well utilized. And the clearest indication that something is wrong is when you find that your vertical space is open, aisles are cramped, and employees are confused.

The first thing that you’ll ask yourself here is how a warehouse management system can help solve this mess. What you may not realize is that many such programs can use gathered data and 3D modeling to provide layout recommendations.

Using the information the system provides can also offer a glimpse into which products will soon go into demand, depending on the season. From this, you can have the employees update the warehouse locations and layout of items accordingly, bringing the in-demand items closer.

5. Relying on the One Order Per Picker System

Whenever a new order comes in, what’s the recommended action? Does one picker search the warehouse for every product on the order list, or do you send multiple selectors to look for different products? While at it, have you considered using warehouse zoning for product pickups?

Different strategies work differently for each warehouse. But regardless of how you look at it, having a picker locate one product per run is ineffective. It will lead to the wastage of valuable resources making the whole order fulfillment process last longer than it should.

Often this happens in warehouses where pickers have to wait for printed order papers before scouring for products. With a sound warehouse management system, you can reduce the time wasted by using coordinated workflows.

The system will assign specific runs to one employee, enabling them to collect multiple items simultaneously. In such a scenario, the person on that run will get all the items on their order sheet from one zone, leading to better order fulfillment rates.

6. Who Selected a Certain Order?

Lack of proper accountability in the warehouse leads to increased irresponsibility. Your people will become demotivated, and their productivity will begin to decline. A functional warehouse needs visibility and accountability.

It calls for you to have a way to know who picked what order and at what time.
An ideal warehouse management system can help you set up detailed workflows. The workflows allow you to track the progress of each order. Using it, you can communicate with your people, monitor their performance, and send notifications whenever necessary.

Besides communication and alert notifications, such a system also increases order traceability. If a problem occurs with the order, you can use the system to track its progress to try and determine when the issue may have happened and take measures to prevent a recurrence.

Conclusion

Warehouse management is among the most essential processes that typically occur in a warehouse. Given its importance, this is not something that you can afford to implement incorrectly.
Considering that most processes in the warehouse are linked in a way, a problem in one phase can lead to costly mistakes in the subsequent phases. All the six problems mentioned above provide a clue about what can go wrong in a warehouse at any time.

Fortunately, you can prevent this by educating yourself and your people on the warehouse challenges you will likely face and how to deal with each. In the long run, you can implement a warehouse management system to reduce the damage they may cause or prevent them from happening.

Author Bio

Sean Richardson is the owner of Complete Plumbing Solutions, a full service plumber in Cork.

Damotech warehouse security
Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

A Dampening Goods Demand Has Warehouses in a Bind 

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After two years of declining availability, the industrial real-estate vacancy rate is up again. According to real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, the first quarter of 2023 posted a 3.6% nationwide industrial real-estate vacancy rate marking the third straight quarter increase. Warehouse space and logistics networks continue to be pared back and the remaining half of 2023 will appear to follow a familiar trajectory. 

The pandemic fueled a red-hot warehouse hiring spree adding roughly 700,000 workers over a two-year period. Average hourly pay increased by 8% and investment in logistics networks was beefed up. Tales of companies worried that workers would leave their centers for modest pay increases down the street were common. Workers maintained tremendous leverage with US warehousing employment hitting a peak of 1.96 million jobs in June 2022. Since then, however, over 41,000 jobs have been shed. 

Like most sectors, broader economic uncertainty is driving this cooling trend. There’s been a pullback of online sales and a looser US labor market has left employers with little wiggle room. Many companies had put in place attendance bonuses and similar incentives during 2021 and 2022 to retain workers, especially around the end-of-year peak season. The market for 2023, however, is drastically different, and even though the US jobs market overall has remained strong (consumer spending has boosted 1.5 million jobs over the first five months of 2023), the nature of the spending is what matters. 

For example, Americans spent more on services in May, but less on goods. Despite recession fears and lingering inflation, air travel was a service that continues on an upward trajectory. Many airlines project healthy profits and a continued strong summer demand, as does the healthcare industry. But warehousing and distribution networks rely on goods. E-commerce sales dropped by 15.1% in the first quarter of 2023. Contrast this with the middle of 2020 when e-commerce sales represented 16.5% of overall US retail sales. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared to two years ago the number of warehouse workers is still approximately 275,000 jobs ahead. But the ramp-up was so extreme that it will take time to move back to a more calibrated level. The average hourly wage for a US warehouse worker stands at $23.71 – this remains 8% higher than in 2022. Contrast this with pre-pandemic hourly wages in the $14 to $18 range and there is room for downward movement. E-commerce sales will eventually pick up but it’s hard to say if the pandemic peaks can be replicated again. 

 

 

 

Damotech warehouse security
Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

Warehouse Management: Top 6 Order Picking Problems and How to Solve Each 

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One thing easily stands out when it comes to warehouse management: you must be prepared to organize, maintain and manage it as best as you can. But while this may sound like an easy-to-do job, the truth is that you can’t do it on your own.

While optimizing the entire process may help, your business may still be exposed to errors that slow down its operations and affect its bottom line. If your business has started experiencing order-picking problems, it is time to learn how to fix them.

As a warehouse executive, you can showcase your leadership skills by teaching your team how a warehouse management system can assist in addressing the issues at hand. Below is a look at the top six most common problems you’ll likely face and how to handle each.

1. Accidental Redundancies

A cursory look at any warehouse operation shows multiple operations happening at any one time. Every ongoing process follows a particular order which ensures that nothing goes wrong. In an ideal situation, none of these operations collides or get repeated severally.

The presence of redundancies in your operations will only lead to mistakes and lost time.
To address this, implement a warehouse management system to automate your operations. With it, you can rest assured that employees won’t pick, mark, and mistakenly ship one order multiple times. Integrating barcoding tech into it will assist in preventing duplication.

2. Misplaced Items

How often do your workers head to where a product is supposed to be, only to find that it has been moved? Marking and placing items in the wrong bin or category causes your pickers to spend additional time trying to trace the missing item. This, in turn, affects trucking efficiency!
Improper marking leads to delayed orders, delayed shipping, and frustrated customers.

A frustrated customer will, in most cases, leave a negative review affecting your conversion rates. You can increase efficiency by using a warehouse management system. The system tracks the location of every product in the warehouse, allowing for better order fulfillment.

3. Employees Choose the Wrong Product or Quantity

When an employee fulfilling an order chooses the wrong product or quantity, you hope that the packers will notice the issue. Regrettably, these are some of the problems that go unnoticed in warehouses where speed is critical to order fulfillment.

Sending out an incorrect order is expensive and makes your business look unprofessional, especially when there are too many returns. Remember that too many complaints online regarding your order fulfillment rates will affect your overall business reputation.

Once again, you can solve this issue by ensuring all products being fulfilled get scanned using a barcode scanner. The scanner will send a notification to the pickers ensuring this mistake gets rectified before the product gets to the hands of the packers.

During dispatch, the packer can then scan it again to confirm all its details are correct.

4. Your Warehouse Layout Is a Mess

A 2018 survey on warehouses by Logistics Management established that only 68% of all warehouse space is well utilized. And the clearest indication that something is wrong is when you find that your vertical space is open, aisles are cramped, and employees are confused.

The first thing that you’ll ask yourself here is how a warehouse management system can help solve this mess. What you may not realize is that many such programs can use gathered data and 3D modeling to provide layout recommendations.

Using the information the system provides can also offer a glimpse into which products will soon go into demand, depending on the season. From this, you can have the employees update the warehouse locations and layout of items accordingly, bringing the in-demand items closer.

5. Relying on the One Order Per Picker System

Whenever a new order comes in, what’s the recommended action? Does one picker search the warehouse for every product on the order list, or do you send multiple selectors to look for different products? While at it, have you considered using warehouse zoning for product pickups?

Different strategies work differently for each warehouse. But regardless of how you look at it, having a picker locate one product per run is ineffective. It will lead to the wastage of valuable resources making the whole order fulfillment process last longer than it should.

Often this happens in warehouses where pickers have to wait for printed order papers before scouring for products. With a sound warehouse management system, you can reduce the time wasted by using coordinated workflows.

The system will assign specific runs to one employee, enabling them to collect multiple items simultaneously. In such a scenario, the person on that run will get all the items on their order sheet from one zone, leading to better order fulfillment rates.

6. Who Selected a Certain Order?

Lack of proper accountability in the warehouse leads to increased irresponsibility. Your people will become demotivated, and their productivity will begin to decline. A functional warehouse needs visibility and accountability.

It calls for you to have a way to know who picked what order and at what time.
An ideal warehouse management system can help you set up detailed workflows. The workflows allow you to track the progress of each order. Using it, you can communicate with your people, monitor their performance, and send notifications whenever necessary.

Besides communication and alert notifications, such a system also increases order traceability. If a problem occurs with the order, you can use the system to track its progress to try and determine when the issue may have happened and take measures to prevent a recurrence.

Conclusion

Warehouse management is among the most essential processes that typically occur in a warehouse. Given its importance, this is not something that you can afford to implement incorrectly.
Considering that most processes in the warehouse are linked in a way, a problem in one phase can lead to costly mistakes in the subsequent phases. All the six problems mentioned above provide a clue about what can go wrong in a warehouse at any time.

Fortunately, you can prevent this by educating yourself and your people on the warehouse challenges you will likely face and how to deal with each. In the long run, you can implement a warehouse management system to reduce the damage they may cause or prevent them from happening.

Author Bio

Sean Richardson is the owner of Complete Plumbing Solutions, a full service plumber in Cork.

ROI 3PL distribution chargers made4net “largely making compromises between the way a warehouse wants to work and the way the system allows the warehouse to work,” logistics gather business
Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Warehousing

What Small Business Owners Need to Know Before Choosing a Warehouse Management Software

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Many small business owners think they can manage inventory, shipping, and order fulfillment just fine with spreadsheets – until suddenly, they’re faced with too much demand and not enough organization. 

This can happen when you get your first wholesale order, or if you suddenly experience an uptick in customer inquiries about order statuses and shipping updates. Where once a simple Excel sheet did the job, you find you’re overwhelmed and struggling to fulfill orders on time or keep up with customer questions.

Warehouse management software can help small companies grow as painlessly as possible by automating inventory tracking, streamlining order processing, and integrating with shipping carriers to provide real-time updates. The right warehouse management software (WMS) can make or break a small business, so choosing the right one is a big decision. Choose the wrong system, and you have incorrect inventory levels, incorrect shipments, or delays in packing orders. Selecting the right WMS can save you time, money, and a lot of headaches down the road.

Why does WMS matter?

You may think that picking the right WMS is critical for every business, and you’d be right. But it’s especially important for a small business owner. The reason is high customer expectations. Your customers will expect Amazon-level service and reliability from you, even though you don’t have Amazon’s resources. Regardless of the size of the business they’re dealing with, over 60 percent of consumers expect free shipping on their orders, and they expect orders to arrive within three days. That’s quite a lot to live up to. 

There’s also the matter of your reputation. Enormous companies like Amazon or Walmart can get away with the odd negative review or experiences due to the sheer volume of transactions. But for a small business, it only takes one or two negative reviews before it starts seriously affecting your revenue. 

Finally, the necessity of picking the right WMS also comes down to your margins. Small business owners need a WMS that is going to save time and money down the line. A well-suited WMS can streamline warehouse operations, automating key processes such as inventory management, order fulfillment, and shipping. By reducing manual tasks and optimizing workflows, business owners can significantly save time and improve operational efficiency. Time saved translates into increased productivity and the ability to handle higher order volumes – without the need for additional labor costs.

What to factor into your decision

This should go without saying, but don’t get swayed by the latest and greatest WMS system just because everyone is talking about it. You want something that has features that work for your business. For example, imagine your business specializes in ecommerce and dropshipping. You should look for a WMS that offers simple integration with popular ecommerce platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. This will let you automate order imports, and inventory synchronization, and get real-time tracking updates.

Conversely, your hypothetical ecommerce business probably doesn’t need advanced automation features like robotic picking or conveyor systems. Those would be more suitable for large-scale operations with high order volumes and extensive inventory management needs. 

You may also want to look for advanced reporting and analytics with demand forecasting, integration with your existing accounting or ERP systems, and seamless integration with popular shipping carriers such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL.

Your WMS also needs to provide you with room to grow. You may be a small business now, but hopefully that won’t always be true. You want to invest in a WMS that works for your business today while having the capacity to scale up with you. 

For example, look into whether the WMS can handle increased order volumes, warehouse locations, and product lines without sacrificing performance or racking up significant additional costs. This will save you the hassle and expense of having to switch to a new system as your business grows. Alternatively, if you’re not planning on expanding your small business, you can find more cost-effective systems, like a basic WMS package with limited features.

You also need to look at ease of use. Small business owners typically don’t have time to learn new, complex systems. That’s why user-friendliness is a great factor to take into consideration. Do you want something as close to plug-and-play as possible? Do you want a WMS that comes with a ton of user support? When you investigate potential options, check out how easy the analytics dashboards are to interpret, or how intuitive you find the user interface. Ultimately, you want a WMS that will seamlessly slide into your business with a minimum of fuss. 

Lastly, it’s crucial to look at affordability. While cost should not be the only determining factor, you do need to look for a WMS that sits inside your budget and provides a solid return on investment.

WMS options are typically one of two pricing models: perpetual licensing and monthly subscription models. Your choice will significantly affect both your initial and annual budgets. Perpetual licensing models are more expensive upfront since you’re effectively buying the software outright. Entry-level WMS options for this pricing model typically cost around $2,500 per warehouse. 

Recurring service costs are typically significantly lower. You pay month-by-month and many providers include some support and upgrade options in the monthly price. The subscription model uses cloud infrastructure for data storage and processing, offering flexibility and scalability.

Aside from pricing models, you should also calculate any potential additional charges for installation, customization, or support. Balance the costs against the potential benefits and efficiency gains the WMS can bring to your operations. 

For example, imagine you choose a subscription-based WMS that costs $100 per month per user plus a $1,000 installation cost. If you have five users, that means one year of your WMS will cost at least $7,000. Your WMS should ideally result in over $7,000 of additional sales that year, or recouped employee time. 

When gauging the cost-effectiveness of your WMS options, don’t be shy about asking for multiple demos, getting at least three quotes, and asking what services are included in the cost. These vendors will be more than happy to make sure they’re the right fit for your business.

Choosing the right WMS

The process of selecting the best WMS for your business is an important one. The right WMS will help you keep up with customer expectations, manage your reputation, and even grow your business later on. The wrong WMS could be an expensive waste of time that results in frustration and loss of revenue.

By keeping business fit, scalability, user-friendliness, and cost in mind, you should be able to figure out which WMS is right for your business.

Author Bio

Carl has led Smart Warehousing since 2001 and spent his entire career in the logistics, warehousing, and fulfillment space, from working the warehouse floor to CEO and founder. He is a logistics management and operations veteran, actively leading the business to its next phase of growth. 

Damotech warehouse security
Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Warehousing

The Crucial Role of Security in Effective Warehouse Management

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The issue of security in warehousing is as old as the concept of centralized storage itself. From the ancient granaries of Egypt to the sprawling distribution centers of today, the need to protect amassed goods from theft, damage, and unauthorized access has always been paramount.

However, in today’s complex warehouse management ecosystem, security has taken on an even more crucial role. In an era where supply chains span continents and warehouses act as critical hubs in these networks, a single security breach can have far-reaching consequences. It can disrupt operations, lead to significant financial losses, and even damage a company’s reputation.

The Importance of Security in Warehouse Management

Security is critical in any operation, but warehouses have plenty of unique challenges to deal with. All that stock in one convenient location makes warehouses a lucrative target for a variety of threats.

These threats not only come in the form of physical theft but also include a range of other security risks that can have significant impacts on warehouse operations. Let’s look at some of the key challenges:

  •       Workplace fraud/theft: The annual report by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners found that 5% of a business’s revenue is lost to workplace fraud. A staggering 86% of all fraud was “asset misappropriation” or theft in other words. Warehousing is highly vulnerable to this type of threat and it isn’t a surprise to find the report listed warehousing in the five highest median losses by industry.
  •       Unauthorized Access: Warehouses often house valuable goods, making them attractive targets for intruders. Unauthorized access can lead to theft, vandalism, and potential disruption of warehouse operations. Implementing robust access control systems is crucial to prevent such incidents.
  •       Cyber Threats: In the digital age, warehouses are not just physical spaces but also part of a larger, interconnected IT infrastructure. This makes them vulnerable to cyber threats such as data breaches and ransomware attacks, which can compromise sensitive information and disrupt operations.
  •       Operational Disruptions: Security isn’t just about preventing theft or cyber-attacks. It’s also about ensuring the smooth operation of the warehouse. Incidents like fire, equipment failure, or even accidents due to a lack of safety measures can cause significant operational disruptions.

The above list only touches on the threats that the industry faces, but it does illustrate the point that security should be an integral part of warehouse operations.

Security Measures in Warehouse Management

Understanding the threats is the first step to more secure warehouse management. Based on this foundation, it is possible to create a comprehensive and integrated security system that uses the latest generation of equipment and technology to boost warehouse security.

Here are some key measures that can be implemented:

  •       Surveillance systems: Advanced surveillance cameras provide real-time monitoring of the warehouse premises, helping to deter potential threats and allowing for rapid response in case of any security breaches.
  •       Access control systems: Sophisticated access control systems, including key fob building entry systems, restrict unauthorized entry, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access the warehouse. These systems can be particularly effective in preventing theft and unauthorized access.
  •       Cybersecurity measures: With warehouses now part of larger, interconnected IT infrastructures, robust cybersecurity measures are crucial. These can include firewalls, secure networks, and regular system updates to protect against cyber threats.
  •       Safety protocols and equipment checks: Regular safety protocols and equipment checks can help prevent operational disruptions, ensuring that the warehouse functions smoothly and efficiently. This includes everything from fire safety measures to regular maintenance of warehouse machinery. Security can play a large role in reducing time lost through human error and other operational disruptions.

The good news for warehouse managers is that the technology that powers these security measures is evolving rapidly and becoming increasingly sophisticated.

The Future of Warehouse Security

The rapid development of technologies like AI and cloud computing is helping all aspects of warehouse management, including security. For instance, AI and drones are now being used to monitor inventory.

When it comes to security, such technologies are potential game changers. Here are just a couple of ways that technology is going to shape warehouse security in the future:

  •       AI-Powered Surveillance: Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to enhance surveillance systems, enabling them to detect unusual activity and respond in real-time. This can significantly improve the effectiveness of security measures. 
  •       IoT-Enabled Access Control: Internet of Things (IoT) technology can be used to create smart access control systems that not only restrict unauthorized access but also provide valuable data on personnel movement within the warehouse.

As these technologies continue to evolve and become more integrated into warehouse operations, we can expect a future where warehouse security is not just about protection, but also about enhancing efficiency and productivity in warehouse management.

Security: At the Core of Successful Warehouse Management

Security is more than just making sure a few items of stock don’t “wander off” into the night. Rather, it is an integral part of warehouse operations that can boost efficiency and profits.

Put simply, embracing security innovations ensures efficient, profitable warehouse operations.

 

 

 

greyorange
Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Warehousing

GreyOrange Named the Leading Global Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) Vendor in 2023  SPARK Matrix™ Analysis

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Quadrant Knowledge Solutions recognizes GreyOrange as industry leader for its warehouse fleet management platform and robots

GreyOrange Inc., a global leader in automated robotic fulfillment and inventory optimization software, today announced it is recognized as the  2023 Customer Impact Technology Leader by Quadrant Knowledge Solutions in the SPARK Matrix™: Autonomous Mobile Robots 2023 report. The global market study provides competitive analysis and ranking of the leading technology vendors, provider capabilities, competitive differentiation, and market position.

In his analysis of GreyOrange and the global AMR market, Kumar Anand, Analyst, Quadrant Knowledge Solutions, reported, “The company strives to stay at the forefront of technological developments by aligning its operations with the evolving needs of its customers, GreyOrange has firmly established itself as a pioneer in this rapidly evolving industry”.

Anand further emphasizes that GreyOrange’s robust product portfolio and its initiative to combine artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) and robotics help organizations optimize their operations and meet pressing fulfillment needs.

GreyOrange has redefined efficiency and productivity in warehouse automation through its state-of-the-art GreyMatter™ fulfillment orchestration platform, which includes a command center that displays real-time performance metrics that are essential for making informed and dynamic decisions.

The SPARK Matrix™ report includes several highlights regarding technology leadership by GreyOrange to combine AI/ML in GreyMatter™ and Ranger™ Robot Series to lead the fulfillment automation industry:

  • GreyOrange provides a dynamic master framework that is capable of integrating with and handling the Ranger Robots and GreyMatter software to deliver agility, accuracy, and ideal workflows for efficient fulfillment outcomes.
  • The GreyMatter fulfillment orchestration platform uses real-time and predictive data to collaboratively orchestrate how and when orders are filled by people, the company’s AMRs and other companies’ robots and automation agents that have been certified to the Ranger-standard of performance and pre-integrated with GreyMatter.
  • GreyOrange is expanding its Ranger robotics portfolio to include hardware produced by other companies, certifying the standard of performance and ensuring that the bots pre-integrate with GreyMatter as part of its Certified Ranger Network.

Click here to download the full report.

GreyMatter assigns work to leading vendors such as Mushiny Intelligence, Technica International, Vicarious and Youi Robotics. The multiagent orchestration platform controls HAI Robotics and Fetch Robotics (now Zebra), hardware vendors, both evaluated as ‘Strong Contenders’ in the 2023 SPARK Matrix.

Click here to download the SPARK Matrix™: Autonomous Mobile Robots, 2023 report, compliments of GreyOrange.

BBI north warehouse Myfbaprep
Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Warehousing

MyFBAPrep Expands eCommerce Warehouse Network to More Than 100 Warehouses & 85-Million-Square-Feet of Global Warehouse Space

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MyFBAPrep, an eCommerce warehouse and logistics network, announced today that it has added an additional 70-million-square-feet of warehouse space to its existing network, bringing the total to 85-million-square-feet of warehouse space globally. The expansion brings the network to over 100 warehouses and a presence in key international markets including Mexico, Europe, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

The additions add depth to MyFBAPrep’s warehouse network, which is strategically located in major metros and allows merchants to leverage a comprehensive suite of eCommerce logistics solutions at a global scale. This suite of logistics and warehousing services includes Amazon 1P and 3P (FBA); DTC fulfillment with nationwide 1-2 day shipping; retail replenishment (B2B) including Walmart, Target, Amazon and grocery; storage; cold chain services; reverse logistics; domestic trucking; container drayage; and value-added services (VAS) including kitting, bundling, assembly and more.

Complementing its already robust network in the U.S. as well as in various countries across Europe, MyFBAPrep’s recent expansion also brings access to key new warehouses in the following international cities:

  • Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
  • Brantford, Ontario (Canada)
  • Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
  • Chilliwack, British Columbia (Canada)
  • Wrexham, Wales (United Kingdom)
  • Ipswitch, England (United Kingdom)
  • Preston, England (United Kingdom)
  • Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany)
  • Manzanillo, Colima (Mexico)
  • Guadalajara, Jalisco (Mexico)
  • Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas (Mexico)
  • Altamira, Tamaulipas (Mexico)
  • Monterrey, Nuevo León (Mexico)
  • San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí (Mexico)
  • Heroica Veracruz, Veracruz (Mexico)
  • Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán (Mexico)
  • Mexico City, Mexico (Mexico)

Recently recognized ninth on the Inc Regionals 2023: Southeast list of fastest-growing companies, MyFBAPrep has had exponential growth since its inception in 2018, achieving more than an 8,000% growth percentage over the past three years. Like AirBnB connects travelers with vacant properties, MyFBAPrep matches top-tier eCommerce sellers with warehouses that can pick, pack and ship their products worldwide.

AI
Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Warehousing

Gather AI Becomes the Largest Autonomous Inventory Management Platform in the World

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Gather AI, a provider of AI-powered autonomous inventory management solutions for warehouses using commodity hardware, announces today that it is acquiring the business of Ware, another large player in the market. With this acquisition, Gather AI is now the market leader in the space with 25 customers, more than any other autonomous inventory management company, and the technical platform best able to meet accelerating customer demand.

The global warehouse market is expected to grow at 7.7% CAGR and reach USD 1.26 trillion by 2030. Driving this growth are the global restructuring of manufacturing and logistics and a transition to online commerce. This strategic shift is causing a rapid overhaul of the supply chain with 71% percent of warehouses reporting that this is driving a change in the way they manage their inventory. To keep up with this restructuring, operators are accelerating their digital transformation.

Gather AI is transforming warehouse operations. With its solution, AI software enables drones to fly autonomously through warehouses to photograph inventory stored in pallet locations. AI reads bar codes, text, and other information in the images and automatically compares it with what’s in the warehouse management system (WMS). The warehouse manager can view inventory data in real time from a web dashboard and easily view their warehouse.

Gather AI has seen an 8x revenue growth in the last year. Customers have seen a tremendous benefit from the solution including a reduction in inventory counting staff from six to one, finding $1 million in lost inventory, reducing full facility scans from 90 days to 2.5 days, and boosting revenue with innovation and differentiation. Results like these helped Gather AI raise a $10 million Series A last year.

Customers will be integrated into the Gather AI platform in the coming weeks with the support of the combined Ware and Gather AI teams.

BBI north warehouse Myfbaprep
Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Warehousing

5 Practical Ways to Reduce Human Errors in Your Warehouse

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Human errors often undermine warehouse productivity. Profit and reputation are slowly eroded with each mistake that occurs. Everyone makes mistakes; any member of your workforce could go to the wrong location, forget to scan an item, or inadvertently pick up an incorrect quantity. These errors may be considered acceptable for running a warehouse, but they can be mitigated with the right strategies.

While human error may be responsible for some mistakes, the root cause most likely lies in your systems, processes, technology, environment, or equipment. Identifying and addressing the underlying issues can significantly reduce these errors. Here are five practical solutions that have proven highly effective:

1. Evaluate Your Storage Strategy

Take the time to periodically assess your storage methods and make necessary adjustments to optimize efficiency and utilize your warehouse space effectively. This strategy can considerably reduce human errors and should be one of the first things to take care of. Put in place the following:

High-demand items should be placed in easily accessible locations near the packing area. But do not lose focus – popular products will likely change over time. Make sure you regularly review your stock to understand trends and relocate the new in-demand items when needed.

Check to ensure proper labeling of all storage lots, slots, and bins has been carried out: every storage location should be clearly and accurately signed to avoid confusion and prevent misplaced items.

Use individual bins for each product and avoid storing multiple items within one bin, which can lead to picking complications. Each bin should contain only one type of product to simplify picking.

Conducting routine inventory checks is vital to help identify mislabeled or misplaced items, which are common causes of picking errors. Addressing mistakes during replenishment prevents downstream issues.

Consistently assign the same location for items with the same SKU. Keeping products with identical stock-keeping units in dedicated locations reduces the chances of errors during picking.

2. Implement a Warehouse Management System for Automation
Utilizing technology is a surefire way to reduce human error in the warehouse. The right technology can enhance workforce productivity and efficiency, leading to increased profitability. A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a specialized software package designed to streamline, regulate, and optimize warehouse operations. The best systems organize and control every aspect, from when items enter to when they are shipped out.

An outstanding feature of a WMS is the capability to generate smart pick lists. These lists provide employees with the most efficient route through the warehouse, optimizing their picking process and reducing mistakes. By leveraging the power of a WMS, you empower your workforce to operate with error-free precision.

Other exciting technological advancements in warehouse management include using drones and robots. Keeping abreast of the latest knowledge and innovation is essential to improving accuracy and reducing errors.

3. Checks, Measures and Validation
To effectively reduce mistakes, measuring their frequency during specific periods is crucial. Choose a consistent measure, such as the percentage of accurately picked orders on the first attempt, to help your analysis. Also, consider factors beyond the warehouse, like return and complaint rates. A reliable WMS system can assist in measuring and reporting these errors.

Emphasize responsibility and involvement by holding warehouse staff accountable for their errors. The use of labels and barcodes helps to identify workers or products that cause specific issues. Look for trends and take action – it may not be an individual but  a problematic process or location.

Depending on the severity and frequency of errors, you may need to decide whether additional steps are necessary. Weight checks or triple signatures involving the picker, checker, and driver are alternative options depending on your process, workforce, and available technology.

When you have accurate numbers, it’s easier to spot trends and issues. A robust and measurable system must be implemented to collect good data. Don’t leave it to guesswork.

4. Improve The Working Environment
A fatigued and uncomfortable workforce will likely make errors. Simple changes like providing comfortable floor matting in areas where employees stand for extended periods can make a significant difference. Air conditioning, heating or better lighting may also add to your staff’s comfort. Don’t consider it an expense; view it as an investment in your people. Show your team that you care about their well-being as they operate the warehouse.

Make sure that all storage areas are easy to access. If you hold large, heavy items, such as engineered wood flooring or furniture, the product must be easy to move by forklift. When shifting things is difficult, errors occur because staff are reluctant to complete the work correctly.

5. Take a Look at Employee Satisfaction
When staff feel demotivated, they are not invested in your company, and workers who are pushed to reach unachievable targets cut corners. Both of these factors lead to mistakes that hurt your bottom line.

Ensure that your workplace is open and honest. Allow workers to admit errors without fear of the repercussions – establish a reporting route or process that is easy to use. Take error admission as an opportunity to improve things and lower the rate of mistakes.

You can raise morale in many ways; put steps in place to ensure your workforce is engaged, motivated, accountable, and adequately rewarded. Drive down mistakes and increase productivity in a more original way – a blame culture is never successful in the workplace.

In Summary
Reducing human errors in your warehouse is critical. Mistakes impact productivity, efficiency, and overall success. You can make a considerable difference by implementing a series of practical strategies and regularly reviewing the impact.

By adopting these practical approaches, you will develop a culture of accuracy, continuous improvement, and efficiency in your warehouse. Embrace these strategies and pave the way for a thriving, error-free warehouse environment.