Top five industries eligible for warehouse automation

Customer satisfaction is on everyone’s mind, and so it should be. We know that happy customers are profitable because they come back for more. One way to keep them happy is quickly delivering what they want.

An automated warehouse from Element Logic will increase efficiency and accuracy by reducing human errors and improving overall quality. By handling repetitive tasks, automation leaves more room to focus on higher-level strategic activities that can help drive growth and success.

Due to its benefits, warehouse automation has skyrocketed in popularity in various industries. Even though most industries can gain immense benefits from automation, there are a few industries that are more suited for automation than others.

Examples of industries that should consider warehouse automation:

• eCommerce
• Online pharmacies
• eGrocery
• 3PL
• Industrials

Now, let us take a closer look at the benefits each industry can get from warehouse automation.

Warehouse automation in eCommerce

In recent years, eCommerce, or online shopping, has been booming. Convenience, a large selection of products, and competitive prices are believed to be part of the reason why. However, the benefits loved by customers also leave high expectations for supplier performance.

Your warehouse needs to handle a large variety of orders and deliver fast. That is the main reason why automation is vital in retail. In addition, it allows for more products in a smaller space, perhaps especially useful in micro fulfillment centers, better known as pickup points.

Automation solutions for retail can include industry-leading warehouse robots, material flow handling solutions, piece-picking robots, and software to keep track of the entire operation.

Warehouse automation benefits for eCommerce:

• Easier to handle a large variety of orders
• Increased control in high season
• Easy to scale up or down operations when necessary
• Faster delivery to customers
• Better space utilization

View how Boozt.com has benefitted from implementing warehouse automation from Element Logic.

Warehouse automation for online pharmacies

Pharmaceuticals face many of the same challenges as eCommerce, as online pharmacies are becoming increasingly important. The convenience of ordering regular prescription medication and getting it delivered to your house suit people’s busy lives.

In healthcare and pharmaceuticals, automation is becoming more and more prevalent. The advantages of automation in the pharmaceutical industry are many, but there are a few main reasons. Firstly, it significantly improves accuracy, perhaps the primary driver for its increasing popularity. On top of that, there are legal requirements to trace goods, track their movements, and maintain control, all of which can be automated. This automation reduces the risk of errors while boosting sales volume, making it another compelling reason for its adoption.

Warehouse automation benefits for online pharmacies:

• Improves accuracy
• Easier to meet legal requirements for tracing goods
• Better inventory control
• Reduce wrong pickings
• Increased customer satisfaction

 Get inspiration from Apotea, Sweden’s largest online pharmacy, and how their investment in automation improved their services.

Warehouse automation for eGrocery

Automation can offer significant benefits to grocery suppliers, such as ensuring the freshness of goods and streamlining the pickup or delivery process. While having many of the same challenges as other industries, amongst them more customers demanding home delivery, having the correct sequence of goods is crucial before transportation. Accurate sorting of goods can be achieved through automation, making delivery more efficient while saving time.

An automated warehouse can also handle the critical task of managing temperature zones, essential for groceries. Whether ambient, chilled, or frozen, automation can track what is required for different goods and maintain it within the desired range.

Warehouse automation benefits for eGrocery

• Easier to ensure the correct sequence of goods
• More efficient deliveries
• Improved management of temperature zones
• Fewer picking errors resulting in more satisfied customers

Find out how to calculate your company’s ROI.

Warehouse automation for 3PL

Overall the most important reason for 3PL companies to automate is to gain a competitive edge. One of the main benefits of an automated warehouse for any company is that you can store a greater volume of goods in the same space as a traditional warehouse. For 3PL companies especially, this is key as they often facilitate warehouse services for multiple eCommerce actors.

Third-party logistics companies have experienced a shortage of qualified warehouse workers. It may have something to do with a manual warehouse’s physical strain on the individual, resulting in people finding other jobs more attractive. With this shortage, automation can be the solution. While providing efficiency and accurate handling of goods, automating your warehouse can also attract the interest of potential workers. An automated warehouse offers an ergonomic workplace and increases warehouse capacity and attractiveness for employees and customers alike.

Warehouse automation benefits for 3PL

• You can store a greater volume of goods
• You save space
• Increased warehouse capacity
• More attractive employer
• Less staff turnover
• Flexibility and scalabilty to support multiple customers and changed customer requirements.

Get insight into how automation can be the solution to maximize warehouse capacity in 3PL.

Warehouse automation for industrials

When handling high-value items, the importance of each delivery increases. Warehouses supplying the industrial market face losing out on big payments if something goes wrong. An automated warehouse will increase your supply chain’s speed, efficiency, and overall resilience, leaving less room for errors.

Despite having much in common with eCommerce and consumer-directed retail, services and solutions for increased warehouse performance need adapting to suit industrial-size orders. The need for solutions, configuration, and capacity is different.

Warehouse automation benefits for industrials

• Fewer errors and wrong pickings
• Increase supply chain speed
• Increase warehouse efficiency
• Reduced cost per transaction

View how an automated warehouse made GS Bildeler the largest supplier of BMW car parts in Norway.

Warehouse automation for all industries

Whether you are in one of the industries mentioned above or others, there are some benefits of warehouse automation equal to all. Besides increased efficiency and accuracy you:

• Save space
• Reduce the cost per transaction
• Shorten delivery time
• Reduce training time
• Get fewer picking errors
• Get improved inventory control

The list goes on. Follow this link to learn more about the benefits of warehouse automation.