During every holiday season, businesses face the pressure to meet growing demands driven by e-commerce sales, which puts a strain on warehouses to keep up with overwhelming volumes of orders to process. The traditional method of hiring temporary seasonal workers can be difficult due to global labour scarcity and high operational cost involved. The article suggests that innovative technologies can provide a more sustainable and long-term solution for the challenges faced during peak holiday season.
One possible solution is the implementation of warehouse robotics and automation solutions controlled and managed by software like Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Warehouse Execution Systems (WES), to meet the rise in demand and reduce dependency on labour. Automated solutions such as flexible sortation and order consolidation systems can handle a variety of products with speed and precision. Others like mobile robots or Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) like smart forklifts can navigate into the warehouse to ensure efficient and accurate material handling, while interacting with other systems, boosting productivity and helping to quickly fulfil orders.
Another complementary way of coping with demand fluctuation is by using Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the context of warehousing, to get order projections for the season based on previous years’ trends and the current year’s performance. This can help warehouses prepare for peak seasons and manage inventory efficiently.
These technologies increase efficiency, productivity, and accuracy while reducing the need for manual labour and minimizing the risk of errors. Additionally, with the integration of automation, warehouses can monitor and track inventory in real-time, allowing for better decision making and forecasting.
Overall, during the holiday season, innovative technology can be a game-changer for intralogistics operations, allowing them to handle increased demand while maintaining high performance levels.
