Warehouse Automation

Managing a warehouse involves keeping operations running smoothly, meeting customer demands and controlling costs. You may want to explore warehouse automation if you’re wondering how to streamline your operations and reduce errors. Warehouse automation can help you work smarter by using advanced technologies and systems to simplify processes, improve workflow and reduce physical strain on employees.

This article discusses the solutions you can integrate within your existing system.

What Is Warehouse Automation?

Warehouse automation refers to using technology to perform tasks traditionally handled by employees in warehouse operations. It involves using tools and systems to perform repetitive and time-consuming tasks like inventory management, order picking, packing, shipping and material handling.

Automation ranges from tools like autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to artificial intelligence-driven inventory management. It ensures your business can handle increasing demand, adapt to market changes and deliver exceptional customer service.

Benefits of Warehouse Automation Systems

Here are the advantages of using automated solutions.

1. Boosts Efficiency and Productivity

Warehouse automation improves efficiency, reduces employee errors and improves productivity. Manual workflows can be slow and inconsistent, leading to delays in order fulfillment. Automation optimizes every stage of warehouse operations.

Robots can work around the clock to complete tasks faster than employees. They can sort, pack and prepare items for shipping in record time. Faster operations mean shorter order cycles, allowing you to process more orders in less time. Automating your operations may be beneficial during peak seasons or sales events.

2. Increases Accuracy

Human errors in picking, packing and inventory management can lead to costly mistakes, returns and strained customer relationships. Automation ensures precision by removing the inconsistencies of manual processes. AI-powered picking solutions use machine vision and sensors to accurately locate and retrieve items.

Errors in order picking or stock levels can lead to costly returns and unhappy customers, while automated systems can improve picking productivity by up to 200%.

Reduced errors mean fewer returns, lower operational costs and increased customer satisfaction. Businesses can avoid losses because of mispicks, shipping mistakes or inventory discrepancies.

3. Reduces Labor Costs and Employee Turnover

Hiring and training new employees is costly, and the increasing demand for skilled workers makes retention difficult. Automation directly addresses these concerns by taking on repetitive, physically demanding tasks, allowing businesses to reduce their reliance on a fluctuating workforce.

Companies can allocate resources to other activities by automating high-volume and low-skill tasks. Automated systems handle routine work by picking, sorting, and transporting goods, reducing the need for a large manual workforce. When companies adopt automation, they can train employees for advanced roles. Reallocating employees to higher-value positions can improve job satisfaction and retention. Employees are less likely to leave if they are engaged in safer and more strategic work rather than physically demanding and monotonous tasks.

Companies that invest in automation may see reduced attrition rates because employees no longer face burnout from physically exhausting warehouse tasks.

4. Supports Scalability

Warehouse demand fluctuates with market trends, seasonal peaks and shifts in customer behavior. Scaling up a manual workforce to meet these changes is expensive and time-consuming. Automation provides a flexible solution that grows with business needs.

Businesses can add or reconfigure AMRs as their operations evolve. They might start with basic automation and expand as demand increases. For example, the rise of e-commerce has propelled some warehouses to scale rapidly. Instead of constantly hiring and training seasonal workers, warehouses can use automated solutions that adjust seamlessly to workload fluctuations.

5. Improves Safety

Labor shortages often result in warehouses hiring less experienced workers, which increases the risk of workplace accidents. Forklift incidents, improper handling of heavy loads and fatigue contribute to damaged inventory and employee injuries.

Robots reduce workplace accidents by handling heavy lifting and operating in hazardous environments. Collaborative robots and automated palletizers take on physically demanding jobs, while AMRs move safely around workers.

Sensors and AI ensure systems avoid collisions or other safety risks. Fewer injuries mean lower insurance costs, less downtime and a more stable workforce. Businesses employing more robots can also prevent costly damage to goods and equipment caused by employee error.

6. Provides Real-Time Inventory Tracking

Keeping track of inventory can be challenging, but software platforms like those offered by Prime Robotics ensure real-time visibility and accuracy. The software integrates with existing warehouse management systems (WMS) to provide live tracking, automated stock updates and coordination with warehouse robots.

This eliminates manual errors, reduces stock discrepancies and ensures products are always where they need to be. Warehouses gain live inventory monitoring because data syncs instantly across all systems, preventing misplacements and inaccuracies.

Types of Warehouse Automation Solutions We Offer

Arnold Machinery Company partners with innovative companies in the automation industry. Here are some of the warehouse automation technologies and solutions offered by Prime Robotics.

Autonomous Mobile Robots

AMRs are self-navigating robots that transport goods within the warehouse using sensors, cameras and AI. They are flexible and adaptable because they can map the warehouse layout, avoid obstacles and follow designated routes to deliver goods from one point to another.

Some AMRs include:

• MobileShelf: Autonomous shelf-moving robots move shelves or racks containing goods to designated areas for picking or restocking. They can operate within compact aisles and maximize storage use.
• Cold-adapted robots: These robots are built to function in temperatures as low as negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit to protect employees from harsh conditions of cold storage areas.
• MobilePallet: The MobilePallet automates pallet logistics workflows like receiving, decanting & putaway, storing, replenishing, retrieving, case picking, and staging.  These AMRs are engineered for heavy-duty tasks with a rated capacity of up to 4,400 lbs with a battery life of 10 hours or more of run time.
• 4-Way AS/RS pallet shuttle: These automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) optimize vertical space use.

Goods-to-Person (GTP) Systems

In GTP systems, automated storage and retrieval systems deliver items directly to a worker at a designated station. After the worker picks or packs the items, the robot returns the storage bin to its location. GTP systems benefit warehouses with high order volumes and diverse product ranges. Businesses can speed up order fulfillment by centralizing worker tasks at picking stations while minimizing errors.

Pick and Pack Stations

Pick-and-pack stations are ergonomically designed stations that combine automated picking systems with packing processes to streamline the final stages of fulfillment.

Automated systems retrieve items for an order and transport them to a packing station, where either robots or workers prepare them for packaging.

Pick-and-pack stations are ideal for businesses focusing on customer satisfaction through fast and accurate order fulfillment. They also reduce the physical strain on employees to create a safer and more productive environment.

End-to-End Material Handling

End-to-end material handling automation is a comprehensive system that integrates multiple technologies to manage all aspects of warehouse material flow. Combining hardware and software, this solution automates tasks like unloading, sorting, storing, picking and packing. End-to-end systems are best suited for large-scale operations with high throughput requirements.

Intelligent Execution Software

This software manages automated systems and workflows to optimize operations. It integrates with warehouse management systems and analyzes real-time data to prioritize tasks, allocate resources and provide smooth coordination between different automation technologies.

Prime Robotics offers floor manager and warehouse picking software to manage and monitor operations. These systems integrate with AMRs and other hardware with dashboards and analytics for seamless operation. The software also monitors inventory and provides data for replenishment and tracking item location.

Benefits of Partnering With Arnold Machinery Company for Automated Solutions

Arnold Machinery Company offers comprehensive solutions tailored to your needs. Here’s why you should partner with us:

• Warehouse assessment: We analyze your workflow, identify bottlenecks and evaluate space use to give you data-driven and customized recommendations for your needs.
• Design and planning: Once the assessment is complete, our team designs a tailored solution that integrates automation technologies. We provide detailed layout designs, timelines and cost estimates so you have a clear roadmap for implementation.
• Installation: We configure software and install equipment so your operations are operational and optimized from day one.

Contact Arnold Machinery Company to Integrate Warehouse Automation Solutions

Arnold Machinery Company has over 95 years of experience helping warehouse businesses achieve operational excellence. Our commitment is simple — Customer Satisfaction Is Our Only Policy^®. We’ll do whatever is ethical and necessary to ensure you’re happy with our solutions. We offer comprehensive services tailored to your needs, starting with free on-site consultations.

When we visit your facility, we listen to your current situation and goals to create custom recommendations designed to maximize your warehouse’s efficiency. To help you visualize the possibilities, we provide free AutoCAD designs for your warehouse to map out configurations that make the most of your space. We also partner with innovators like Prime Robotics to bring cutting-edge solutions to simplify operations.

Contact us today to get started.