A pandemic dominated 2020 really challenged the business landscape and challenged the demand of automation in the warehousing sector. This could be an outcome of the boom that the e-commerce sector witnessed despite the pandemic. The shift towards e-commerce is driving an evolution in how warehouses are managed, requiring fast, economical shipping as well as delivery of products to customers. Investing in cost effective technology that can quickly adapt and change with a business is now more important than ever.

The question is what is motivating businesses to automate their warehouses? Automation provides faster response times and lower costs to the customers demanding quick delivery of products at the doorstep. But automation is not just about finding ways to meet customer demands and reach the required efficiency levels, it can also improve the occupational health and safety of existing staff by taking on dangerous or repetitive tasks or jobs that have a higher risk of injury.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR’s) are a rapidly growing feature of modern warehouse facilities that show a clear profit in terms of saved costs and increased efficiency. The technology, nowadays, offers warehouses immense flexibility and scalability when it comes to moving and managing materials.

There was already a strong trend towards automation operations before the pandemic struck. However, it has increased the focus on risks and is likely to accelerate this shift towards automation of warehouses. With many technology options available, warehouse managers should be sure they are getting the software, return on investment and flexibility their business needs.

Although automating operations will ensure greater resilience in the future, the challenge for supply chains will shift towards finding and retaining staff with the skills to operate and maintain automation systems.