Warehouse Automation

Warehouse automation is a great way to support a workforce while improving efficiency and increasing productivity. Technology can enhance a team of employees and allow them to focus on more meaningful tasks. While automation used to be expensive and out-of-reach for most businesses, advancements in technology have made it more accessible and affordable.

Whether a business is ready to bring automation into the workplace or just wants to know what the options are, ISS Material Handling’s team of experts are here to help. We have years of experience in many industries, making warehouses more efficient and effective through warehouse automation.

This page shares information about warehouse automation and how it can be integrated into a warehouse. It covers:

What is warehouse automation

Advantages of warehouse automation

Levels of warehouse automation

Types of warehouse automation

Warehouse automation solutions

What is Warehouse Automation?

Put simply, warehouse automation uses technology to perform tasks in a warehouse. There are jobs robots or sensors are ideal for such as moving loads through a warehouse, picking items to fulfill orders, or packaging shipments. 

By integrating robots, sensors or other technology, warehouses are able to enhance their workforce and lower operating costs. With warehouse automation, repetitive or laborious tasks can be done with the help of technology, improving accuracy and productivity. 

What Are The Advantages of Warehouse Automation?

While it is an investment, there are advantages to adding warehouse automation to an operation. There are tasks that technology is better suited for, and this allows a business to save its human workforce for where their skills and talents can be best used. Warehouse automation brings speed, accuracy and consistency to a repetitive task. In addition, technology such as sensors can reduce errors.

When a warehouse integrates automation with a human workforce, the amount of goods that can move through the building increases. Robots and other technology can also perform more dangerous tasks such as moving heavy or potentially hazardous items, improving work safety.

What Are The Levels of Warehouse Automation?

The great thing about automation is a warehouse can add as much or as little as makes sense for the operation or for a specific time of year. Some businesses feel they get the best advantages from having a mix of people and automation. Others use automation to do as much work as possible. It’s up to the business to decide what the best mix is for the operation.

There are four levels of automation:

Basic 

The first level of warehouse automation is basic. This means the warehouse engages simple technology to assist their employees with some tasks.

Systems

Systems warehouse automation is adding a digital platform or a warehouse management system to increase productivity while still relying on a human workform to actually pick and fill orders. For example, a warehouse management system can plot out schedules based on orders so workers can fill them more quickly.

Mechanized

A warehouse that employs mechanized warehouse automation uses technology to assist human team members with tasks. A robot might pick goods and bring them to an employee for packing.

Full

Full warehouse automation means a warehouse is using as much automation as possible. This may include a mix of robots, sensors, vehicles and other technology. Some warehouses that are fully automated still include human team members working alongside the automation while other fully automated warehouses are completely run with technology.

What Are The Different Types of Warehouse Automation?

While there are many different warehouse automation technologies, they mostly fall into several different categories.

Goods-to-person technologies 

Goods-to-person technologies do just what they say: bring items to the team member. These technologies are some of the most used to improve efficiency. This category includes carousels and vertical lift modules.

Automated storage and retrieval systems

Automated storage and retrieval systems are vehicles and shuttles that move and store products. These technologies help to maximize space and reduce manual labor.

Pick-to-light systems

To guide workers to inventory, warehouses use pick-to-light systems. This straightforward technology makes a warehouse, fulfillment center or manufacturing site more efficient.

Automated guided vehicles

Automating routine tasks like moving products from one area of the facility to another is proven to improve speed, safety and accuracy. Automated guided vehicles are computer-controlled vehicles that travel throughout a workplace without a driver.

Warehouse Automation Solutions

An expert in warehouse solutions can help to identify the best automation for a warehouse’s needs. ISS Material Handling’s team of experts have years of experience working with warehouses to determine the best way to achieve their goals. 

ISS Material Handling offers warehouse automation solutions, including:

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are computer-controlled, driverless machines that travel throughout the workplace to deliver products.

A warehouse carousel is an automated shelving system that transports goods to users on a track system.

Collaborative robots are robots that can be programmed to learn multiple tasks to work beside human team members.

The robots-as-a-service program allows a business to contract robotic automation.

Automated packaging solutions use technology to seal, package, weigh and label boxes before they’re shipped.

Pick modules are multi-level, engineered systems that fulfill multiple SKUs and move items through a fulfillment facility.

Pick to light technology is the quickest operator based picking system that uses LED lights to guide workers during the fulfillment process.

Warehouse shuttles run along rails inside a racking system to store and retrieve pallets, containers, cartons and trays.

A vertical lift module (VLM) is a lift system made up of trays that automatically store, retrieve and deliver items.

To add efficiency, safety and profitability today through warehouse automation, contact the experts at ISS Material Handling.