Change is imminent; how do you ensure business survivability?

Around two thirds of consumers surveyed by Harvard Business Review feel that companies are not responding fast enough to their changing needs. Businesses must become life-centric, evolving with customers as they are impacted by any combination of unpredictable external forces such as inflation, climate change, new trends and technologies, or simply moving into new stages of life.

Distributors or resellers and supply chain operators have a mammoth task ahead of them. Not only must they have in-demand products on hand, they need to hand them over to their customers swiftly and accurately.

These are demands that cannot be effectively met by just manual means – unless you have a technical team that is extremely nimble to meet ever-changing consumer demands, and a operational team working round the clock seven days a week to fulfil orders on-time. While this way of working may make business sense at first, it won’t be long before you realise that it is extremely unsustainable for growth or expansion, and importantly, come at the expense of your staff.

So How can Automation Help?

Optimised Inventory Management

When it comes to inventory management, automation brings multiple benefits. However, one of the common questions posed by operators is, “Why can’t I just stockpile to make sure I have more than enough for rainy days?”. For some, stockpiling provides a sense of security, ensuring that they have enough to meet sudden spikes in demand. However, excess inventory can lead to hefty costs, reduced flexibility, and stunted growth. While this may have been a viable solution in the past, there are now more effective solutions available today.

Consider autonomous forklifts equipped with advanced sensors, navigation systems, and cameras that provide real-time visibility into stock levels. This technology allows businesses to maintain and optimise inventory management, while automatically triggering reorder requests when thresholds are reached, if required. This proactive approach not only prevents stock shortages and excess inventory but also streamlines the order fulfilment process, enhancing efficiency and accuracy of picking, packing, and shipping operations.

Shorter Delivery Times with Fewer Errors

By integrating automation technologies with existing sub-systems, operators can significantly accelerate processes while drastically reducing the time spent on error resolution – errors that automation is designed to prevent.

With automation working tirelessly around the clock, operators can fulfil more orders than ever before.

Scalability and Flexibility

Automated systems can easily adapt to changing demands, effortlessly handling fluctuating product volumes and expanding product lines, providing the flexibility your business needs to not only survive, but thrive, in today’s volatile markets.

And contrary to popular belief, it is possible for traditional warehouses to automate incrementally.  In this case, automated systems are also scalable. Businesses can easily expand their warehouse capacity through modular automation systems. A modular approach is less CAPEX intensive, allowing for gradual growth – accommodating increasing order volumes without disrupting existing operations.

Business Survivability

Everything points back to the end consumer. By implementing automation solutions, businesses can significantly improve customer satisfaction with ensured product availability, faster and more accurate order fulfilment, shorter delivery times, and adaptability to changing demands.  Business survivability will hinge on real-time visibility, precise order fulfilment, and quicker response times – which can only be achieved with at least some degree of automation.

With the undeniable benefits of automation now clear, selecting the right warehouse automation solutions partner is crucial for your business’s future success. The right partner can serve as a catalyst for your business’s growth, while choosing the wrong provider can turn automation into a costly and time-consuming endeavour.

Embracing automation can be a daunting task, especially if previous experiences with automation providers have been less than stellar. In the face of ever-increasing demands, automation isn’t a mere buzzword for business survivability – it is a game changer.

Source: Industrial Automation Asia