TE-commerce and the post-pandemic challenges

E-commerce has boomed during the pandemic, but what will happen when restrictions are lifted? Will shoppers return to the streets in the same numbers? A retailer's dilemma about where to invest, or how to best serve customers while taking advantage of real estate commitments, can lead to an increase in sales. The fulfillment center storage space is small.

These will be small, highly automated facilities located in urban areas, close to customers, and possibly also within existing retail stores. Scalable, low-cost automation will allow retailers to meet more customer needs, facilitating quick 2-3 hours home delivery or pickup.

Similarly, automated storage facilities for parcel delivery consolidation are being planned by carriers or city governments to streamline 'last mile' deliveries in urban areas. These local collection centers will require close cooperation between the parties involved, but will allow customers to pick up several parcels ordered from different retailers by pin code at one point of “ATM” service. Growing environmental concerns about clean air and congestion will drive a radical transformation of urban logistics.

Speed, resilience and space

After the 2020 shock, major retailers and manufacturers will look to build more resilience into their supply chains by sourcing from more suppliers, many of which include could be much smaller local businesses. These suppliers will need to adopt agile systems and processes that will enable them to perform to the exacting standards demanded by large retail customers. For many, this means upgrading the warehouse management system and creating agility through the use of flexible and scalable automation.

Creating a solid resilience also means holding more stock, which means more warehousing. The pressure on available warehouse space due to Covid-19, Brexit and the inevitable rise of e-commerce will be a big deal for businesses in 2021 and beyond.

A 2020 report published in the autumn by estate agent, Knight Frank, predicts that an increase in online retail sales will boost demand for UK warehouse space 92 million square meters by 2024. The maximum use of the cube will be imperative; so careful warehouse planning and smart use of automation can provide a cost-effective solution to looking for more space.

Businesses will need to cleverly design automation to enable scalability and investment in low CapEx projects that create immediate values - as opposed to focusing on large-scale projects over an extended period of time.

Digital Transformation

A business's competitiveness depends on its ability to access and analyze critical data. And business intelligence will develop smart warehouses, where robotic arms, agvs, automated packers and sorters are seamlessly integrated for production, not only for optimal performance, but also for All valuable data is shared in real time with broader systems to provide a competitive advantage.


See more: Smart factories

Warehouses and fulfillment centers will become more integrated, smarter, and more connected. The digital transformation of the warehouse will be continued in 2021.
On the control front, field-mounted devices are advancing rapidly, facilitating 'n' plug options for quick installation, flexible system expansion, or quick replacement of components. . Preventive maintenance is also taking it a step further with predictive analytics, powered by Profinet (Process Field Net) and BPN connectivity to end devices for rapid data collection and remote support.
 

The reality of Brexit 

Brexit has become a reality. The complexity of the paperwork for shipments to Europe has put many businesses in considerable difficulty, with vehicles being held up at customs points due to incomplete declarations and lack of data. As a matter of urgency, many organizations will need to upgrade their systems to cope, adapting their warehouse management systems to the new customs requirements.

The risks of delays at ports also increases the likelihood that European businesses will keep more cargo in the UK, driving demand for UK warehousing space higher. Similarly, UK firms are expected to generate inventory on the other side of the Channel. Such moves will require more inventory visibility across multiple locations, requiring smart warehouse management software capable of providing an overview picture.

According to many businesses, Brexit has prevented the flows of cheap labor from Europe, affecting traditional warehouse operations that use a lot of labor such as picking orders. Combine this with the increase of the National Living Wage to £8.72 for employees over 25 and the expectation of continued prolonged social distancing requirements for the foreseeable future, and possibly a little It is surprising that businesses will seek to introduce higher levels of automation into their warehouse processes.

Both retailers and manufacturers will seek operational resilience through agile automation. By adopting intelligent software and new innovative technologies, such as automated mobile robots (AMR), many businesses, especially SMEs, will move to take advantage of flexibility operations, speed, and performance of person-to-person merchandise automation in their warehouse operations.
 

Year of Robots, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (IOT)

This will be the year of industrial robots and robotics, the past 12 months have opened the eyes of omnichannel retailers to the vulnerability of highly manual processes. Their almost complete reliance on online sales during the pandemic has underscored the critical need for reliable fulfillment, and efficient picking and packaging of orders. 
 

Automated mobile robots deliver the flexibility, speed, and performance needed to efficiently automate human-to-human cargo. Importantly, they also provide scalability, which is important to enable businesses to deploy the technology required by the business. AMR systems combined with picking technology can increase order picking efficiency from less than 100 units per hour using traditional methods, up to 600 orders per hour, with an ROI that can be at least 12 months.

Is your business ready to apply smart warehouse and automated warehouse?

2021 will be a boom year for logistics and warehouse automation. If your business is planning to invest in smart warehouse storage systems, it is absolutely the right strategy, please contact TPA engineers immediately for advice on smart warehouse solutions, automatic warehouse.

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