The Material Handling Blog

Peak season has come and gone. Happy New Year! As we close the door on a busy holiday season, it’s a good time for distribution center leaders to pause and reflect on how to apply the learnings of 2023 in order to make operational course corrections and define capital investment needs for 2024 and beyond. The 2023 holiday season demonstrated continued sales growth, most notably in online sales, whether for BOPIS (buy-online-pickup-in-store) or ecommerce purchases, according to Bain’s recent report.

The ongoing labor shortage crisis is being felt across various sectors, with warehousing being no exception, and its impact threatens efficiency and productivity. The question being asked today by most manufacturers and distributors is not “Should I automate?” but rather “When and how much should I automate?” To best answer those questions, it’s crucial to first understand common material handling and automation considerations.

In today's rapidly evolving global economy, industries are facing a unique challenge: labor shortages. The shortage of skilled and unskilled laborers is being felt across various sectors, with warehousing being no exception. Warehouses serve as the backbone of the supply chain, but the ongoing labor shortage crisis threatens their efficiency and productivity. Thankfully, technology has stepped in to address this challenge with the implementation of warehouse automation. In this blog post, we will explore the labor shortage issue, its causes, and how warehouse automation is revolutionizing the industry, ensuring smooth operations and boosting productivity.

While effective labor management is vital in any operation, it’s critical to not lose sight of its importance as the supply chain and material handling industry moves further down the path of automation.

The need to reduce labor cost, improve ergonomics, maximize system efficiency and speed, and improve product quality has never been more vital than right now. Here are ten important aspects of industrial robotic systems you should know. Read: Top 10 Things to Know About Industrial Robots