The Material Handling Blog

“The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” Bill Gates This quote highlights a fundamental truth: the success of automation hinges not just on the technology itself but on the underlying efficiency of the processes it aims to enhance. This means that strategic planning and process optimization are essential prerequisites for reaping the full benefits of automation in warehouse operations.

Historically, intralogistics software providers have been known for providing very customized solutions to meet the unique needs of their various manufacturing and distribution center clients. Being in the industry for over 70 years, Bastian Solutions has identified various universal industry processes and created a standardized product suite with offerings in addition to providing customized solutions all under our proprietary software brand, Exacta®.

If your company is publicly traded, there's a good chance you’ve heard the term “SOX” before. The SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) yearly financial reporting audit touches every function of a public corporation – from human resources to supply chain management. SOX compliance is a massive operation both in terms of cost and labor force. The right software solution, however, can not only help you achieve the most out of your warehouse system design but can also help support you through SOX compliance.

The term ‘Warehouse Management System’ (WMS) is synonymous with the management of operations within a distribution center. But there can be gaps within the WMS’s broad scope that require another layer of integration to truly allow the system to operate as designed, especially when it comes to automation. Warehouse Execution Systems (WES) have been created to operate under the WMS to help fulfill business needs not easily managed by the WMS. In fact, it is a crucial element to enabling more automation in warehouse operations.

When talking about software as a service (SaaS) and cloud computing, people tend to use the two terms interchangeably. Although the two technologies are related, they are not the same. So what is the distinction? Simply put, SaaS is a type of cloud computing . Let’s roll up our sleeves and dig into the specifics so you can better select services and products that will benefit your organization... Continue Reading >>