Does Artificial Intelligence Belong in the Warehouse?

It’s no secret that A.I. is a highly complex system capable of thought and following instructions. From AMR pick routing to advantageous truck loading, artificial intelligence has empowered several warehouse operations to create a balanced and harmonious chain from start to finish. As different industries grapple with persistent labor and material shortages, it is only natural to expect A.I. to play a role in ongoing modernization plans across the supply chain.

Market analysis shows that A.I.-enabled supply chains are 67% more effective than non-A.I. counterparts, thanks to the reduced costs over time and the reduced risks incurred by workers. This market is set to be worth $17.5 billion in the global supply chain software management market by 2028. That’s impressive momentum that’s not slowing down due to its ground-breaking versatility.

How is A.I. changing business operations:

While there are many concerns surrounding the implementation of advanced A.I. solutions, there are many ways artificial intelligence is currently strengthening business models within the warehouse. Whether through mobility solutions or real-time location, A.I. has been:

• Filling up the gaps in the supply chain by performing minor jobs that could endanger workers or have a high margin for human error.
• Optimize inventory management, streamlines warehouse storage, and supports processing automation.
• Tracking weather using historical weather trends to minimize the probability of being disrupted by a weather event. This way businesses pivot their plans to adjust for a troubling forecast making changes in the technology to automatically update plans.
• Noting user access credentials to protect data. Predictive asset management (PAM) manages assets by using IoT data to lower costs.
• Assisting with training and onboarding talent on the functionality and layout of the business or warehouse to maximize efficiency and cut precious time used on training.

Robust yet versatile, artificial intelligence helps consolidate inventory management, creating logistical systems that correlate with one another while reducing human error and enabling real-time delivery controls within the supply chain.

However, a key factor to consider is that data must be clear and structured. A.I. can only do what it’s been programmed to do and operates within the confinements of code. It takes data and converts it to computerized language that then gets morphed into a usable model.

Whether the data is assessed in the front end or back end, A.I. is here to stay and will undoubtedly be integrated into daily operations whether it’s to gather insider data on top

customers or used as a tool to yield predictions and draw models to analyze the past and project the future. To continue exploring emerging technologies, contact our automation teams for further questions.