In recent years, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have moved from a novelty solution pursued by only a handful of the largest companies to a mainstream technology capable of bringing real benefits to a range of operations both large and small.
If you’ve got a UniSort high-speed sliding shoe sorter in your operation, you’re not alone: Afterall, it’s a popular piece of machinery in the order fulfillment industry.
If your order fulfillment operation makes use of an Accuglide Accumulation Conveyor, for product accumulation, there is a pretty good chance that it’s an older piece of equipment. These are the workhorses in many warehouses and DCs, capable of lasting for decades under ideal circumstances.
Many warehouses, DCs, and order fulfillment operations rely on an Accuglide Accumulation Conveyor, and for good reason: It’s a great piece of technology that does its job well. In addition to controlling product flow and optimizing throughput, the Accuglide can help mitigate product damage, reducing both inventory and labor costs and driving profits.
Running a successful order fulfillment operation requires many things. One of the most important things is inventory—it is, quite literally, the stuff that orders are made of!
It’s no secret the holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for retail and shipping industries. And with increases in technology, ecommerce has become the driving force behind record numbers seemingly every year. Just last year, it’s estimated that shoppers spent $122 billion with online retailers alone.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2015 the Warehousing and Storage sector of the US economy employed 785,000 workers. By 2018, that number had grown to nearly 1.2 million—a total growth of more than 41 percent, or 415,000 jobs—driven largely by a growing economy and increased ecommerce sales across the country.
As the global supply chain becomes ever more connected and retailers of all sizes double down on various omni-channel fulfillment strategies in order to predict and cater to changing consumer behaviors and expectations, order fulfillment is only growing even more complicated.
For warehouses, distribution centers, and order fulfillment operations, there is no more certain way of putting the brakes on business growth and expansion than reaching (or nearing) maximum capacity—whether in terms of space utilization or throughput.
The PARCEL Forum is one of the leading events for anyone who works in the order fulfillment industry or who is responsible for shipping, warehousing, packaging, distribution, and delivery of parcels.
