In today's fast-paced world, efficient shipping and logistics play a vital role in the success of businesses, and technological advancement is transforming every sector of the economy. 

Warehouses are no exception. In order to stay competitive and meet the demands of manufacturing, production, and consumers, it is crucial for warehouses to embrace cutting-edge technologies. 

By adopting a smart warehouse approach, businesses can leverage automation to greatly enhance productivity, efficiency, and accuracy. Moreover, the implemented solutions provide employees with greater flexibility and enable smoother workflows.

Let's explore some essential technologies that should be incorporated into your smart warehouse, along with strategies to ensure their flexibility, functionality, and effectiveness.

Automation and Robotics:

The integration of automation and robotics stands as one of the pivotal advancements in optimizing warehouses. By incorporating automated systems like conveyor belts, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and robotic arms, warehouses can effectively tackle repetitive tasks with enhanced precision and speed. This integration not only minimizes human errors but also significantly boosts productivity. Leveraging these technologies enables efficient sorting, organization, and transportation of goods within the warehouse, thereby reducing manual labor and maximizing overall efficiency.
 

Inventory Management Systems:

Smooth operations in a shipping warehouse heavily rely on accurate inventory management. Technology plays a vital role in this regard, offering sophisticated inventory management systems. These systems leverage real-time tracking and barcode scanning capabilities, empowering warehouse managers to monitor inventory levels, track product movement, and forecast restocking requirements. By optimizing inventory management through these technological solutions, businesses can minimize stockouts, decrease excess inventory, and greatly improve overall operational efficiency.

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS):

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) plays a crucial role in consolidating all critical warehouse data into a single, easily accessible platform. This consolidation allows select members of the supply chain to gain a comprehensive view of warehouse operations, with features like lightning-fast reporting, real-time statistics, and accurate planning capabilities. 

By integrating the WMS with other autonomous processes, businesses can reap several benefits, including real-time access to quality data, enhanced visibility across the supply chain, accurate demand forecasting, and reduced labor costs through efficient resource allocation.

Collaboration and Communication Tools:

Efficient warehouse operations rely on effective collaboration and communication. Technology plays a crucial role in facilitating seamless communication among warehouse staff, suppliers, and customers. Utilizing tools such as cloud-based collaboration platforms, instant messaging, and video conferencing enables real-time information sharing, effective problem-solving, and quick decision-making. By streamlining communication channels, warehouses can enhance overall efficiency and minimize delays caused by miscommunication. Embracing these communication technologies fosters a more connected and productive warehouse environment.

Optimize your Warehouse with Smart Technology 

The logistics industry is constantly evolving, and technology plays a pivotal role in optimizing shipping warehouses. With advancements such as automation, robotics, advanced inventory management systems, and data analytics, businesses can streamline their operations, boost productivity, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction. Embracing and harnessing the power of technology is crucial for companies to remain competitive in the dynamic world of shipping and logistics. 

One key aspect of achieving this optimization is the adoption of smart technologies within shipping warehouses. Get in touch today to discover how Exela’s technology can bring revolutionary changes to your logistics business.

Thanksgiving in Los Angeles happens to “fall” during the local rainy season, but that didn’t stop #TeamExela from turning up bright and early--and in unprecedented numbers--Thanksgiving 2019 to participate in the 7th Annual Funding Palisades Turkey Trot. Exela was a corporate sponsor this year and was represented by more than 50 participants (we had to stop counting at 50, and we can’t even begin to estimate how many were watching and cheering from the sidelines)--including Exela personnel, family, and friends. Race officials told us we had the highest group representation at the races that day. And you couldn’t miss us in our orange team t-shirts. Check out photos of the event here and here, and you’ll get an idea of what we’re talking about.

It’s been several weeks and several holidays since the Turkey Trot, but we’re still “kvelling” over the dedication our team demonstrates toward our #ExelaGivesBack program, of which the Turkey Trot was a highlight in 2019. As always, as part of the #ExelaGivesBack program, Exela agreed to match all donations from #TeamExela, dollar for dollar, and we’re also proud to report that in connection with this Turkey Trot, Exela raised over $10,000 for the Child Life Program at the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. The Program helps hospitalized kids of all ages cope with their hospital stays through age-appropriate therapeutic activities expertly designed to meet their needs. You can read more about the work the Program does here in this blog on Helping Hospitalized Children and Their Families.

To see what else #TeamExela accomplished in 2018 for the #ExelaGivesBack program, take a look at our Annual Corporate Philanthropy Review here. And stay tuned for some really exciting news about our plans for #ExelaGivesBack in 2020.

In the midst of a strong economy, U.S. retailers have announced more than 8,200 store closings this year, which is well above 2017’s record-shattering 6,700 and only a fraction of the 12,000 that experts forecast will close before the end of 2019.^[1] Store closings affect not only the retailers themselves. Store closings give rise to layoffs. Layoffs give rise to unemployment. Unemployment gives rise to budget-tightening. Budget-tightening inevitably has a damning effect on consumer shopping habits. If this is the situation in a strong economy, it’s not unreasonable to fear what’s ahead for the retail industry if the U.S. were to slip into recession-mode, as some economists fear it might sometime in the next 12 months.

If you can’t beat ‘em…

If the main reason for the so-called “retail apocalypse” is, as many analysts assert, that Americans are shunning brick-and-mortar shopping for the convenience, efficiency, and flexibility of online shopping,^[2] then it may be that the solution is to accept the problem and work within its confines. What that means is finding ways to optimize the customer experience vis a vis brick-and-mortar shopping. In fact, there’s been some movement toward this, with some retailers, including Macy’s and Restoration Hardware actually increasing their investment in their brick-and-mortar assets.^[3] Some are putting their money into spiffing-up their spaces, but others are going a step further, embracing “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” by using their brick-and-mortar stores to facilitate their online business.

Intelligent Lockers bridge the gap between online and brick-and-mortar

Among the most promising ways retailers are using tech to the advantage of their brick-and-mortar locations is by installing automated locker systems that offer the best of both online and brick-and-mortar shopping. These systems consist of banks of individual “smart” lockers” (which is to say, electronically enabled and internet-connected) of varying sizes (to accommodate varying sizes of merchandise). These have many uses in business but have a specific and significant value in retail: to bridge the gap between online and brick-and-mortar shopping to allow customers the greatest flexibility with regard to designing their own shopping experience. Here are just a few ways that works:

Buy-online, pick-up in-store (BOPIS)

One-day delivery was certainly a nice idea when Amazon introduced it. However, in practice, it’s rare for something you order online to actually arrive at your door the next day. BOPIS permits customers to shop online to their heart’s desire and then pick up their haul as quickly as immediately at the retailer’s local locker hub, without having to interface with a store employee.

Not all consumers want to pick up their packages personally, but many do for reasons that include the avoidance of “porch piracy” (theft of packages left “at the front porch” of their home, which is becoming an increasing risk in the online shopping economy), enhancing privacy (does the UPS guy really need to know you bought that thing from that vendor?), and, of course, the primal desire for instantaneous gratification (you ordered it now, you want it now; you just don’t want to have to deal with snarky employees, lines at the register, and whatever else annoys you about in-store shopping.

Buy online, return in-store

You bought a great shirt online, and it is great, but it turns out you aren’t keeping the slacks you bought it to go with. Instead of repacking the shirt, printing a label, and depositing it at a courier, you can simply return it at the brick-and-mortar’s locker hub, without spending a moment online at customer service.

Buy online, exchange in-store

Same shirt, different problem: you love the shirt, but it pulls at the shoulders. You don’t want to return it; you just want to size-up. With smart parcel lockers, all you have to do is to key in the size you desire into your smartphone or computer, et voila, it’s waiting for you in a locker assigned to you for the transaction.

What’s good for the customer here is also good for the retailer. In addition, intelligent lockers in the retail context enable more business to be transacted without additional employees. Down the line, it can mean fewer customer-facing employees altogether. It can also mean less inventory on the shopping floor, which will reduce theft and damage to merchandise. Click here for more information on Exela Intelligent Lockers and how they can optimize your retail business. Want it in printable format? Click here .