Keymas: The Advantages of Automation in the Warehouse

If you are considering automating your warehouse operation, there are a number of advantages for doing so.

The most obvious advantage being having fewer humans working in the warehouse, therefore you will have less staffing costs. Automated systems are able to run 24 hours per day all year round without needing sick days or holidays. Where you can have automated systems working together without the need for human interaction, you can get tasks completed faster with greatly reduced Health & Safety risks.

Warehouse automation makes perfect sense for many different business sectors and industries. A fine example of how automation helps to increase productivity and reduce running costs can be seen with some major retail and food sector giants such as Argos and Ocado who have made automation work to their advantage.

Companies such as Ocado have 40% of all orders fulfilled by one of their giant fully automated warehouses in Hatfield?

Here are some more key advantages of automation that you may not have thought about:

Space Savings

Automating your warehouse will enable you to reduce your physical footprint. Because the smart technology behind modern automation systems allows you to minimise storage space while at the same time maximising the inventory handling, you can reduce your operational space in some cases by as much as 75 to 90%. This means you can store the same amount of goods or products in a space that is just 10 to 25% the size of warehousing space needed by non-automated systems. This gives you two options: increase your inventory in your existing available space, or move your operation to a smaller, less expensive warehouse.

Lower Building Costs

Obviously, when you consider the money saving aspect of moving your warehouse operation to a smaller premises, that can be temptation enough to automate. However, saving space within your warehouse can also help to bring down your existing building costs. When you remove the need for space to cover in-aisle guidance systems and the cost of specialist flooring, because these are not needed with an automated system, then you will have another financial advantage. Fully automated storage and retrieval machines weigh much less than narrow aisle trucks.

Better Productivity

Everyone know that in business, if you increase your productivity you increase your profits. Automated warehouses work at a much faster rate than using conventional narrow isle trucks and forklifts. Without the human need for rest, food and sleep, your automated system is able to perform for you around the clock. Your productivity levels will also be increased through reduced waiting times for manual location and retrieval of goods from storage shelves because your automated system will deliver it automatically.