With recent years providing the catalyst for the eCommerce boom and a surge in demand faced by warehousing and logistics leaders – Gary Morris, Senior end user client manager for transport and logistics at Brother UK expands on how the relationship between logistics and print will become increasingly interwoven to deliver on better fulfillment.
The last few years have prompted some of the biggest changes across the logistics industry. Sector leaders have continuously adapted to meet higher demand from the sustained rise in eCommerce, and from consumers expecting faster, more traceable deliveries with slick, efficient returns processes.
Businesses are looking for the same convenience, while demanding greater sustainability from operators as they place more scrutiny on the environmental impact of their supply chains.
These changes come at a time of increased pressure in the sector. Operators have sought to respond to inflationary challenges by finding new efficiencies, boosting productivity, and by rationalising their cost base.
So, as logistics firms face change, challenge and opportunity – how are automation, sustainability measures, and efficient operational technology supporting transformation in the sector?
Robotic hands make for lighter work
Early adopters of AI and robotic automation have benefited from huge efficiency boosts across entire warehouses.
Automated pickers, from flying drones to robots that can traverse aisles and climb shelving, are accurately and quickly picking and packing orders 24/7 for operators.
But cost is a huge barrier to implementing automated technologies in warehousing. And firms often need the engineering skills in house to implement and manage complex automated systems.
Encouragingly, going fully robotic isn’t the only answer to boosting efficiency and productivity. Many businesses are striving to make more incremental upgrades to their technology to automate parts of the pick and pack process.
For example, technology can be leveraged to help employees process information faster, or to take a more hands-free approach, in the traditional ‘person-to-goods’ picking process.
Pick-by-RFID uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags attached to products, helping employees find goods more easily in the warehouse. And pick-by-voice has the order picker receive information via a headset, leaving both hands free to do the picking.
The secret to more efficient operations is not to replace people, but to enhance manual processes with technology’s help. Smarter picking will lessen the burden on staff while speeding up tasks and increasing accuracy.
Growing greener
Environmental sustainability is an increasingly important factor when businesses are procuring new products and services. If a firm’s supply chain is sustainable, or its Scope 3 emissions are low, then the overall company is operating more sustainably.
As such, decision makers will be looking for certifications and green transition commitments from logistics operators when selecting new partners. It’s also likely that many logistics operators that haven’t already, will be looking for internationally recognised certifications. That includes ISO 14001, which proves a consistent investment in managing environmental systems,to reduce a company’s overall waste.
Many organisations will also be looking at their vehicle fleets as more advanced electric vehicles become available to the sector. Firms that have made early strides to transitioning their vehicles, or that have made clear commitments to do so, will appeal to the increasing share of environmentally conscious businesses.
Sustainable based decisions can also be made to the technology used by logistics workers too. With label printers a staple item in most warehouses, we’re seeing a rise in availability and use of linerless label printers.
Unlike the traditional labels with backing paper which is discarded into landfill, linerless labels remove the need for a waste backing paper and can be applied immediately without the need to peel off the liner. Ultimately this is one answer to reducing waste and slip hazards in the warehouse and really addresses one of the sustainability goals many companies are facing. Just a word of caution, not all printers are able to cope with linerless label stock: look out for linerless specific printers.
More harmony, less problems
Perfecting every-day internal systems of operational technology will greatly improve a firm’s ability to meet its customer’s changing requirements.
Accurate labelling of parcels and goods is a crucial factor for productive and efficient working.
But our recent research* shows that more than 60% of firms experience at least a week of downtime every year due to poor-quality labelling – one in seven experience a month or more of lost time.
Problems with delivering parcels due to unscannable barcodes is one major issue in this space. And more than half (57%) of companies said that unscannable labels were a major cause of lost time, which comes at a cost.
Whatever the issue, parcels with non-readable labels will not be sorted correctly and will have to be removed from the automated sorting process and re-labelled manually.
Implementing labelling solutions that minimise the time involved in correcting errors ensure parcels get delivered quickly and efficiently. As order demands increase, this should be a priority for improving logistics.
Mobile printers are one such option that give warehouse staff the ability to print labels on the spot. This saves time by improving the flow of labelling, helping the user to rectify errors on the spot, making it quicker and more accurate, ensuring that things keep moving during busy periods.
Operations teams are also ensuring industrial label printing technology is accessible in key locations across the warehouse. This enables workers to keep pace with spiking volumes while meeting the need for efficiency and traceability.
Mobile printers are becoming a popular option for use in warehouses and for in cab solutions. They provide staff with the flexibility to print a high-quality label wherever they may be, helping to optimise operators time labelling and to improve label accuracy.
The road ahead
Like many sectors, transport and logistics faces a period of exciting change. Partnering with a trusted technology supplier, which can take care of the burden of managing technology, that can enable tech to work in a more integrated way, and that can provide reliable hardworking hardware, will help free up logistics leaders to focus on the big picture.
