LOGISTICS
its adoption in warehouse environments is long standing , and it ’ s at a stage where solutions can be adopted at scale .
Warehouse automation goes back 120 years Warehouse automation goes back as far as 120 years , to the first conveyors , while automated storage and retrieval systems were first deployed in the 1950s .
But with robotics beginning to feature more heavily than ever , many of today ’ s warehouses are reminiscent of something from a sci-fi film . What ’ s more , the pace of adoption is helping businesses control supply chain carbon emissions more effectively .
Gavin Harrison , UK Sales Director with warehouse automation specialist , Element Logic , says that it is the boom in ecommerce – combined with ever-growing demand for faster online order fulfilment – that ’ s prompting companies to invest in warehouse automation technologies .
He points out that these same companies , along with their customers , are also increasingly concerned about their carbon footprint and sustainability practices .
“ This combination of factors has led to businesses looking to warehouse operations for opportunities to reduce carbon emissions within the supply chain ,” Harrison says . “ Warehouses are a natural place to start , because around 90 % of them across the world are still reliant on manual processes , which is an inefficient use of both space and energy .”
“ The more a business relies on humans to run its warehouse facilities , the more energy it needs – particularly in terms of lighting and heating .”
78 December 2022