What’s Partial Automation & Is It Right for Your Operations?
Feb 08, 2024
Studies project a 16.2% market growth for warehouse automation by 2029, meaning supply chains are expected to invest over $54 billion in automation solutions before the next decade begins. For comparison, today’s market value is only a little over $25 billion, suggesting a double growth in modernization worldwide. Recent surveys suggest that as little as 5% of warehouses define themselves as automated. On the other hand, almost half admit to a high reliance on manual systems for picking, sorting, and packing.
Manual systems may seem familiar and easy to use at face value. However, even a 1% error rate has the potential to produce financial losses of up to $300 per mistake. Furthermore, about six in ten warehouse workers have a positive regard for warehouse automation as it maximizes worker safety, speeds up throughput with less effort, and unifies teams with reliable communication channels. Nevertheless, warehouses may still be hesitant to adopt automation due to high costs and lack of training, two factors that could slow warehouse operations if not properly remediated. That’s where partial automation comes in handy.
Partial Warehouse Automation Defined
Partial automation is a form of warehouse automation that involves the combination of automated systems and manual effort. At its core, it means some tasks are automated while others are performed by humans. For example, while material movement still requires a forklift operator, long-range scanners can help drivers capture barcodes without leaving their vehicles.
Scalable and customizable, partial automation is an excellent solution for warehouses that want to take advantage of the benefits of modernization without committing to expensive full-scale automation. As estimated 80% of warehouses have already begun to partially automate warehouse operations to accelerate productivity and prepare teams for large-scale implementations. This type of automation can help:
- Reduce errors – As we’ve seen, even a small error rate can lead to significant financial losses. Partial warehouse automation can reduce errors, such as incorrect inventory counts, misplaced items, and lost assets, by tracking data uploads, matching reports, and notifying teams of discrepancies that fit the preset definition issued by admin teams. Error reduction can later empower transparent traceability, successful audits, and easy compliance management.
- Increase productivity – With partial warehouse automation and dependable connectivity, employees can focus on more critical tasks such as overseeing automated systems, supervising inventory, and managing order fulfillment, which increases productivity levels.
Related: Reliable connectivity is foundational to successful automation. See why.
- Protect workers – Surveys show that 42% of employees cite safety as a top benefit of deploying automated warehouse solutions. High ergonomics and weight capacities facilitate material movement and repetitive tasks for less muscle strain. Quick response times reduce the chance of dangerous distractions and idle time. For example, voice-picking solutions can boost employee safety by 20% since team members don’t need to look down at their devices when order picking.
- Minimize Maintenance Costs – Lastly, automated warehouse systems can consolidate several mainstream tasks within one terminal, reducing operational costs since IT teams no longer need to manage multiple devices per worker. Moreover, next-generation handhelds and rugged tablets are designed with enterprise in mind, sporting higher sealing rates and durable casings to withstand high-demand workflows, drops, and exposure to extreme environments, ultimately reducing breakdowns. However, if repairs and replacements are ever needed, your strategic solution partner may offer experienced support, remote troubleshooting, and repairs to ensure maximized uptime.
3 Signs a Warehouse Needs Partial Automation
As supply chains continue to navigate new and recurrent challenges, the need for dependable automation only escalates. To remain competitive in today’s digital age, a proper evaluation of your automated systems is needed as it will enable IT teams to identify the following signs:
- Delays in Material Movement - Material handling is a critical aspect of warehouse operations that can make or break your business. Laborious cross-docking delays shipment ETAs as teams struggle to sort and retrieve the correct SKUs for an order. On the other hand, partial automation helps you integrate technologies such as conveyor systems, autonomous mobile robots, and voice-directed picking to streamline material handling processes and accelerate movement.
- Inaccurate Inventory Counts - Inventory management is another critical aspect of warehouse operations that can have a significant impact on your bottom line. If individual units are not correctly processed, customer-facing logs may display false out-of-stocks. On the flip side, overestimating in-stock products may lead to overspending in storage fees. Partial automation such as digitized forms and data capture permits teams to track and update inventory levels for accurate counts.
- Difficulties in Scaling Systems - As your business grows, your warehouse operations need to keep pace. Unfortunately, legacy technologies and unsupported operating systems can rarely keep up with new updates, security patches, and optimized applications. Furthermore, when unpredictable disruptions happen, such as natural disasters and foreign tensions, rigid systems are unable to adjust and embrace new challenges. Partial automation and flexible connectivity allow warehouses to restructure workflows, communicate with different stakeholders, and reallocate resources with at-a-glance visibility of your data.
Automating the Warehouse with Voice Picking
Partial automation can come in many shapes and sizes, but special attention should be given to voice solutions as they offer a high degree of flexibility and ease of use, which is ideal for warehouses wishing to avoid time-consuming training. In addition to optimizing order picking, voice technologies also empower warehouses with:
- Voice-directed putaway - Just as voice technology can facilitate picking, it can also be used to guide putaway tasks. Warehouse workers can use voice commands to go to the correct location and place items in their designated spots. This can speed up putaway tasks and reduce the likelihood of errors.
- Voice-enabled inventory checks - Inventory counts can be tiring and error-prone if done manually. By using voice-direct systems, warehouse teams can quickly and accurately check inventory levels without having to manually scan each item. This saves time and improves efficiency.
- Voice-guided replenishment - When inventory levels fall below your set threshold, they must be replenished quickly to avoid fulfillment delays. Voice-guided replenishment can help workers quickly locate struggling zones and deploy an audible message to replenish shelves.
- Voice-enabled quality control - Quality control is essential in any warehouse operation. Leveraging voice-enabled devices, workers can easily identify defective items using an audible checklist and document items for further action, such as returns or rework.
- Voice-assisted receiving - Receiving goods is often a time-sensitive task, especially in cold storage units where items are perishable or in high demand. Voice-assisted receiving can speed up the process by guiding workers through the receiving process, verifying quantities, and checking for damages.
The possibilities for partial automation with voice are endless. From maximized worker safety to increases in productivity, partial automation provides an intelligent strategy for securing agile adaptability in today’s supply chains. Reach out to our team to learn about more ways you can introduce automation systems into your facility and transform workflows with user-friendly, scalable automated solutions.