In the past, warehouse workers, otherwise known as pickers, would worth with lists and manually run a warehouse. This took pickers a long time to get shipments in order just and this laborious practice soon became outdated when digital advanced, writes Suzanne Vallance, who works for Ferrari Packaging, a wholesale packaging supplies company based in Scotland.
IoE practices in warehouses
Warehouses have started to use the Internet of Everything (IoE), robotic systems which makes the working day much more effective. IoE and voice picking have improved the efficiency of warehouse practices. Sensors can now even detect everything through a robotic system and businesses can check where their pallets are, whether that is in the warehouse or en route to the shipping dock.
Progressively, businesses are adapting to IoE technology and are connecting the different departments in their organisation. These warehouses, like new technology that we use every day, are called “smart warehouses” and have increased productivity across the board.
IoT and cloud software for business
Cloud software is continuing to develop and change security perceptions. Steve Banker from Forbes Online has stated that there are benefits of using IoT in warehouses and has highlighted how pickers are management are adjusting to the change: “Most well run warehouses have a Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) that depends upon bar code data. Warehouse floor level operations personnel and warehouse managers execute their tasks based upon this data.”
This is true, figures from 2015 have shown the growth of IoT in business, especially in the use of cloud technology:
Cloud software is hosted elsewhere, virtually and businesses manage their accounts by accessing the software over the internet. Organisations will be charged a cloud fee, however, this includes hosting services.
What is a voice picking cloud?
The main method of internet picking is through a voice picking cloud solution. This means organisations can host their information remotely.
This is beneficial as it means your business does not have to obtain, install or maintain servers. This will not only improve staff efficiency in the long run but it will cut costs. In-house IT hardware can be problematic when it comes to continual security and maintenance.
Argos is just one of the UK’s multichannel retailers that have moved away from paper trail picking. This has been beneficial to the company as they claim it has boosted staff productivity and accuracy.
Getting it right the first time is now more important than ever as the fast delivery pressure from the “Amazon effect” is hitting the retail business. Thankfully for Argos, its level of accuracy is going up and accuracy error rates have decreased from just over 1% to less than 0.3%.
By adopting a voice picking system a business will become more consistent. The paper trail has become outdated, therefore it may be worth businesses looking into business improvement across the board, especially in the operational side of businesses.
Operational vs technical in the warehouse
Remember, improving the technological side of your business is vital, but maintaining the operations section of it, is just as important.
Adopting cloud technology will allow for reduced operational costs, but it’s good practice not to reply on the cloud alone to protect your goods. Amazon uses the cloud to help protect against theft, by using a system that updates every thirty minutes, however for the SME traditional methods for protecting your stored items should not be disregarded. Invest in suitable packaging supplies that will act as a secondary dimension of protection for your goods.
IoT warehouse operations
Changing your business ethic can be risky, therefore it always worth trialling different methods of IoT. By using the internet to enhance your workplace it will not only encourage your employees to work harder but they will learn new, digital skills. The beauty of the internet is that is growing and it is never too late to change, you could see the benefits of IoT in your warehouse works in a matter of months.
July 27, 2016
Posted by: George Malim
Hack the Pentagon, a pilot bug bounty programme launched by the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) in partnership with HackerOne, was the first-ever federal government-initiated cyber security bug bounty programme, writes Tej Aulakh, a managing consultant at Spirent. (more…)
July 26, 2016
Posted by: George Malim
Event date: November 15, 2016
High Tech Campus Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Sensors and sensor networks are becoming more and more essential for industrial or business use. Real time information from ‘the real world’ to support decision making and control of vital processes will be an integral part of business processes. (more…)
July 25, 2016
Posted by: IoT global network
It has been predicted that an incredible six billion people will have a smartphone by 2020. In our pocket, we possess a supercomputer, millions of times more powerful than all of NASA’s combined computing capability during the Apollo space missions, writes Simon Skellon, the vice president of sales at Mitel. (more…)
Posted by: George Malim
The World Cities Summit in Singapore explored how cities can better govern and build up resilience through policy, technology and social innovations. City leaders and planners sought to look for ways to create and integrate innovative urban solutions for a more sustainable future, writes Nigel Chadwick, the managing director for EuroNorth at Dassault Systèmes. (more…)
July 22, 2016
Posted by: George Malim
The internet of things (IoT) is introducing itself into every industry and revolutionising the lives of consumers and businesses alike, writes Paul Burke, the vice president of management for cloud and applications at Oncam. (more…)
July 21, 2016
Posted by: George Malim
IoT devices are often built to strive for efficiency. If you remove the huge, power hungry screen of a mobile phone the energy consumption will naturally be lower, write Abilio Marques, a senior software engineer, and Bettina Rubek Slater, the chief operating and chief marketing officer of Pycom, in the second part of their blog. (more…)
Posted by: George Malim
As we well know, world leaders are working on managing climate change and are negotiating hard to forge treaties that reduce carbon emissions. However, as the IoT revolution kicks in the effort going into protecting the planet, may actually be counter productive if we need more energy to drive the connected living we aspire to, write Abilio Marques, a senior software engineer, and Bettina Rubek Slater, the chief operating and chief marketing officer of Pycom. (more…)
July 20, 2016
Posted by: George Malim
Event date: September 26-27, 2016
Millennium Hotel London Mayfair
Rethink! Internet of Retail Minds is a 2 day event and a new international knowledge exchange platform bringing together all professionals who play an active role in the retail and Internet of Things scene. In 20 real-life case studies, state-of-the-art keynotes, and interactive World Café sessions, 35+ influential speakers will share their knowledge into key topics such as the future technologies and developments in the retail industry, digital marketing, big data & analytics, and omni-channel customer touchpoints. (more…)
July 18, 2016
Posted by: IoT global network
Event date: November 21-22, 2016
Hilton Canary Wharf, London
Cloudonomic Minds Europe is a 2 day high level, strategic event and a new international knowledge exchange platform bringing together all professionals who play an active role in the Cloud, Internet of Things, and IT scene. In 20 real-life case studies, state-of-the-art keynotes, and interactive World Café sessions, 35+ influential speakers will share their knowledge into key topics such as the effects of digital transformation on IT strategy, cloud technologies & innovation, IT security & compliance, and many more. (more…)
Posted by: IoT global network