Automation Technology for an Efficient Warehouse

Warehouse automation technology is a scope of process improvements ranging from using robots to various technologies to increase efficiency and productivity, eliminate bottlenecks and improve safety.

Warehouse automation is all about automating activities and decision-making to achieve a self-sufficient supply chain. Looking into data, the warehouse automation adoption rate was only 8% in 2019; however, it is expected to rise to 45% by 2030.

SMS Fulfillment automated warehouse – 99.9% picking accuracy

Investing in the right warehouse automation solutions offers many benefits to keep your workflow running smoothly. The Kardex System is an innovative goods-to-person solution with many advantages, enabling a fourfold increase in productivity with smart order batching.

Kardex System is designed to speed up order picking performance by accelerating the simultaneous processing of batches. It reduces walking distances by up to 65%, minimizes picking errors, and optimizes storage space.

Benefits of Kardex order fulfillment solution

• • Increased order processing

• • Reduced additional pallet storage spaces

• • More stock items

• • Same-day order processing

• • Reduced picking time by 60%

• • Precise order picking

• • Error-free picking & delivery

• • Reduced travel time

• • Reduced warehouse footprint

By eliminating picking errors via a combination of intelligent and intuitive technologies, our picking accuracy now stands at 99.9%.

SMS Fulfillment client example

Let’s look at a real-world example.

A wholesaler’s product range stores 5,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) in 3,000 compartmentalized bins. In a traditional warehouse with a rack system, storage bins take up 450 m² of floor space. The Kardex System stores them in only 67 m². This equates to an 85% reduction in the required floor space.

The same warehouse fulfills around 500 orders with an average of five order lines per order per day. A traditional warehouse requires eight order pickers based on an order-picking trolley that can hold 16 orders simultaneously.

When using the Kardex System, the number of bins presented increased to as many as 300 per hour. After factoring in the walking distance between the two units, warehouse automation boosted the productivity of each order picker from 60 order lines an hour to 270 order lines an hour.

As you prepare for the year to come, consider modernizing your operations. SMS will help overcome these challenges and provide the flexibility you need in the future.

For more information, contact our team.