Dec 08, 2022

Consumer demands for supply chain sustainability force distributors to develop practices that don’t affect the environment. Solutions that improve sustainability and reduce excess energy and time consumption can help distributors manage shortages, labor costs, and manual errors to protect efficiency and the environment. Studies show that 7 in 10 distributors face pressure from clients to develop sustainable warehousing practices. Additionally, studies indicate that 60% of consumers don’t mind paying a premium for sustainable products and nearly half indicate they prefer sustainability over expedited shipping. Without a drive to enable more sustainable warehouse practices, distributors could miss consumer expectations, suffer from higher labor costs, and impact the environment.

Sustainable warehousing helps improve time and efficiency by reducing energy consumption and managing labor costs. Consider following these tips for streamlined energy consumption and sustainable warehousing:

1. Consolidate workflows into single handhelds - Smoother workflows from single devices lead to fewer manual forms and paper-based systems. Swapped paper systems for singular handheld devices eliminate manual errors and paper waste. Enterprise devices can also help reduce labor costs and downtime so your warehouse is efficient and sustainable.
2. Develop clear management and device disposal with effective rental solutions - When you choose technology solutions that minimize e-waste and energy it creates stronger sustainability. A rental solution for your devices can streamline disposal and improve the device lifecycle for less energy consumption. Enterprise devices have a strong ROI and easy mobile device management to create supply chain sustainability, even when renting. A rental solution or consolidated workflows into single handhelds helps reduce the number of devices used in your warehouse to reduce e-waste.
3. Establish clear inventory tracking systems to prevent inaccurate storage - Real-time tracking of your inventory improves visibility and helps reduce overstocking and stockouts. More accurate storage and high visibility of your warehouse help improve stock and energy management. Use automated solutions like RFID technology to create a more accurate inventory that manages energy consumption.
4. Deploy energy-efficient technologies with battery management options - When the devices that power your devices aren’t working, employees are less productive and there is more downtime within the warehouse. Smart solutions give distributors precise information about battery health to improve visibility and anticipate issues. Proper battery management reduces the times they get thrown into landfills to reduce waste and preserve environmental safety.

Sustainable warehousing starts with reducing energy consumption and improving visibility. Learn how you can manage storage, devices, and workflows to preserve the environment.

Start swapping out inefficient energy-consuming tech for future-forward devices. See how they match your workflows and adapt to your employees when you schedule a demo with Heartland.