The growth of e-commerce has led the warehouse industry to face some very real challenges – in 2020, 87% of UK internet users made online purchases up from 78% in 2018. This trend has also been steadily increasing over time, in 2008 online shopping in the UK was only 53% – so growth over the last decade has been extensive and means our warehouses are feeling the squeeze and are becoming more and more reliant on technology to meet customer demand. Each year the industry needs to look at new warehouse trends that will help them to adapt and grow their businesses.
We look at the key warehouse trends for 2022 that will help warehouse operations deal with the increases in e-commerce and ensure businesses are keeping up with the competition.
Flexible pick methods
Batch pick and sorting will be up there in warehouse trends for 2022, it is a more cost-effective system to quickly deal with high volumes of small orders, using this flexible pick method means multiple shipments can be picked at the same time, before being separated into individual orders. This increases throughput rates and reduces travel times inside the warehouse.
This method of picking is useful for e-commerce and social media orders that need to be released in a short time frame at a low cost. Wave picking can also be a good solution for very busy warehouses that have many SKUs and a busy workforce of pickers, the wave solution reduces congestion between locations and means orders can be grouped into zones.
Integration of cobots
Cobot: The name cobot is an abbreviation of a collaborative robot. A robot that can work together with both people and cobots. An affordable solution to automate processes and support employees. Cobots are small in size, can be deployed in different places, are able to perform various tasks and above all are safe. wiredworkers.co.uk
A cobot is designed not to replace humans but to work with them collaboratively – they are typically used for the handling of goods, picking, packing and packaging. Their increased use in the warehouse is a result of the need to reduce the time it takes to complete certain tasks. The use of cobots are being used as an alternative to robots within some businesses, they are extremely quick and easy to install and programming is straightforward.
Data-driven warehousing
Are you using the data you have access to at its full capacity? Let’s answer that honestly, probably not – data use is a key component in the modern supply chain, from tracking shipments, monitoring orders and collating customer preferences but is not really been used to maximise your business and leveraging data will be key in warehouse trends for 2022.
Businesses are slowly beginning to implement data-driven warehouses with many of these solutions being warehouse labour management systems (WLM), this data is used to monitor metrics in real-time. These platforms can highlight inefficiencies and technical issues before they happen – making your warehouse operation much more efficient. For businesses wanting to keep ahead of the competition and streamline long term costs, this data will prove invaluable.
Mobile robots replacing conveyors
With the advances of new technology, conveyors are no longer the best way to move products and materials from place to place in warehouse distribution centres. Cheaper, portable plug and play mobile robots are set to replace the conveyor belt which are fixed systems within the warehouse design – the newer systems have evolved as a result of businesses needing to use their space in a more and more efficient way, something the larger conveyor belt system cannot fulfil. Smaller businesses are gravitating towards Robots as Service (RaaS) systems as a more efficient alternative to the traditional conveyor belt system.
The importance of reverse logistics
As the use of social media shops continues to rise and these businesses increase their reach, the more opportunity there is for users to ‘impulse buy’ which leads to higher volumes of returns – in fact, it is estimated, that currently, a fifth of all online shoppers make a return, so reverse logistics will become much more important as this sector grows to accommodate this new way of shopping and keep the customer happy.
Warehouse resilience
We do not need to be reminded of all the setbacks we have felt over the last few years but the impact these issues has had on large retailers and manufacturers has led them to source products and materials from a larger pool of suppliers – which, in some instances, could mean more localised suppliers. Due to this surge in business, these new suppliers need to introduce systems that enable them to meet the high demands of large retail clients.
This means the businesses will need to upgrade their warehouse management systems and scalable automation to create greater agility. It will also mean holding more stock, which requires more warehousing or increasing the warehouse capacity you currently have (if possible). There are currently many different factors affecting the warehousing industry and it looks as though for the foreseeable warehouse storage space is going to be a major issue – so businesses need to start thinking of viable solutions to ensure their warehouse can deliver demand. Mezzanine floors, pallet racking, warehouse shelving are all possibilities for businesses and with strategic design, it often means there is no need for an expensive warehouse relocation. Resilience will be at the forefront of warehouse trends for 2022.
Going green.
Going green is not only a brilliant step towards helping the environment but it helps to promote a positive brand image – making you more appealing to today’s more ‘conscious’ shoppers. Going green will also save you money in the long run, lighting and heating are two of the biggest expenses when running a warehouse and by implementing a few of the solutions below can really help make a difference:
- Replace existing lighting with LED lights
- Install solar panels and skylights
- Consider cool-roof solutions
- Use green building materials for new builds or extensions
- Build in green practices into your modern warehouse design features.
You can read more about creating an environmentally friendly warehouse here
