Online retailers strive for frictionless warehouses

The goal of online retailers is to have a frictionless warehouse, where there is a smooth operational flow from the initial order to delivery to the customer, without any stoppages.

The coronavirus pandemic caused a surge in internet sales from customers locked down in their homes. Most lockdown restrictions have now been lifted in England, but online sales have remained buoyant. Most retailers who have expanded their online presence are operating in competitive markets. To be successful, they have to satisfy customer demands for fast delivery and accuracy.

Retailers need to maximise the number of orders that are processed each hour. There are many points in the order processing cycle where friction can occur, which slows down order fulfilment. Writing for Internet Retailing, Claire Umney from Breathe Technologies said that:

“Smart warehouse technology, flexibility and speed of data flows are all crucial to adapting to the changing landscape of customer and marketplace demands and solving fulfilment friction points.”

A warehouse equipment supplier can help by providing efficient, well-designed equipment, such as trolleys that are easy to move and steer, packing tables with equipment holders and shelves that allow for easy access to materials and equipment to speed up packing.

A fully automated warehouse may be the only way to achieve a completely frictionless system, but this is very expensive. Automation can be introduced in stages, however.

Flexible technology and top-quality material handling and storage equipment boost the efficiency of the warehouse and help a business grow towards having a frictionless operation.

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