Current warehouse management trends
1. Dropshipping:
Dropshipping is a popular up-and-coming method in e-commerce where the business dealer does not own the listed product. When the dealer receives an order for the product, they transfer it to another dealer or manufacturer who then ships the product to the customer. According to a study from the Wall Street Journal , dropshipping has become more prevalent with large-scale and independent retailers. An estimate from Shopify suggests that independent retailers require less than $1000 a year to get started with their business.
Learn more about dropshipping here.
2. Automation (Machine learning and AI):
Artificial Intelligence is transforming every industry and logistics is no exception. Predictive modeling can help businesses anticipate consumer demand and their own supply so warehouse management becomes easier. AI and machine learning have been able to provide huge insights on supply and demand in ways that traditional models and systems weren’t able to do before. This can help businesses optimize their warehouses and supply chains.
3. Sustainable warehousing:
Warehouses are huge sources of carbon footprints that have devastating impacts on the environment. Companies have taken note of this, and many of them are moving toward a ‘zero carbon’ strategy. Some are even pushing for a ‘carbon-negative’ strategy when managing their warehouses. To achieve sustainable warehousing, some preferred strategies are:
- Replacing traditional forklifts with electric forklifts
- Automating energy management systems
- Installing sustainable lighting
- Managing temperatures better
4. The introduction of drones:
Goldman Sachs forecasts that the drone technology has a $100 billion market opportunity. Drones are used for inventory management and for accelerating the picking, packing, and lifecycle process. For a small business, two drones can do the job of 100 employees with improved accuracy. By combining cameras and sensors with advanced image processing techniques, drones can read barcodes with close to 100% accuracy from 10 meters away.
As businesses continue to become more complex and dynamic, adapting to the trends become vital in simplifying and streamlining processes.
