The logistics industry is now a major player in the UK economy, generating £170 billion and employing 8% of Britain’s total workforce.
As logistics continue to go from strength to strength, the technology used throughout the process is subject to constant evolution. At the warehouse level where goods often start their journey within the supply chain, smart shelving is helping logistics companies to scale and compete like never before.
Here at Logical Storage Solutions, smart shelving is something we’ve been watching with a keen eye.
Our warehouse shelving experts are here to give you the lowdown, including how new technology can help your business go from strength to strength.
What Is Smart Shelving?
If you’re new to smart shelving, allow us to enlighten you! Simply put, smart shelving is the name given to shelving which has sensors and connectivity with specialist software. So, by using smart shelving, it allows logistics firms to do things such as monitor inventory, movement and conditions in real time.
Some of the components which can be found within smart shelving include:
- Weight sensors or load cells
- RFID or barcode readers
- IoT connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa)
- LEDs or pick-to-light indicators
- Warehouse Management System (WMS) integration
The key difference compared with static racking is that smart shelving is a data-generating infrastructure. This means it seeks to inform as well as just store goods.
Giving Logistics Firms Real-Time Inventory Visibility
In the world of logistics, a smooth process is required to maintain customer satisfaction. Even the smallest bottlenecks within areas such as picking or packing can lead to displays and ultimately lost business.
So one of the top perks of using smart shelving is that new information can be gathered to gain efficiencies across the board. In particular, smart shelving can prevent key problems such as
inventory inaccuracies, manual cycle counts and misplaced stock.
At the same time, inventory invisibility can be improved through continuous and automated inventory tracking. This can provide real-time stock level updates as well as immediate alerts for any discrepancies.
Labour Optimisation And Productivity
Logistics company owners might be surprised to learn that smart shelving can also improve employee productivity.
Labour remains one of the highest costs in logistics. However, smart shelving can help to reduce training time, provide visual clues to guide workers while also reducing walking and searching times as well as decision fatigue.
In short, this can result in faster pick rates, fewer picking errors and less reliance on highly skilled labour.
Seamless Integration With Automation & Robotics
If you happen to have any other smart tech within your logistics facility, then smart shelving can seamlessly integrate.
Some examples include autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), automated picking arms, conveyor and sortation systems, as well as AI-driven WMS platforms.
Instead of replacing shelving, automation increasingly augments it, making shelving intelligent rather than obsolete.
Data-Driven Warehouse Design
Of course, getting more information about your operations can also inform wider strategic decisions, including when it comes to redesigning your warehouse.
Smart shelving generates actionable insights such as SKU velocity and dwell time, slotting optimisation opportunities, seasonal demand patterns, bottlenecks and congestion zones.
This information works to improve dynamic re-slotting and can ultimately result in
smarter mezzanine and vertical storage design.
Improved Accuracy And Customer Experience
In logistics, accuracy is crucial at every stage of the process.
Smart shelving can also help in this area in a way which greatly improves the customer experience.
For instance, smart shelving can reduce mis-picks, short shipments and order delays. In turn, this translates into faster order turnaround and fewer returns, generating higher customer satisfaction and retention.
Discover Smart Shelving With Logical Storage Solutions
Local Storage Solutions is proud to be the UK’s leading provider of warehouse storage solutions. If you own or work on behalf of a logistics firm, our team can help your business solve any challenges within its storage.
To find out more about our industrial shelving including the latest smart shelving technology, please send us a message.
Or, to speak with us directly, please give us a call on 0845 689 1300.