Best Automation Software in Adelaide: Warehouse and inventory management automation have been gaining steady traction for years. However, the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic has accelerated its adoption. COVID-19 has created a ripple effect on supply chains globally. Its impact will certainly be long-lasting. Distribution centres are under huge pressure. They have to keep up with the soaring demands and ensure the safety of their workforces. Most of the warehouses are overwhelmed with wild fluctuations in customer demands and labour shortages. There is also a boom in online shopping during this period of uncertainty. To support omnichannel distribution and meet the ever-increasing customer demands, warehouses and distribution centres will require advanced technology and processes. Automated Warehouse Management System (WMS) is the best solution to optimize your warehouse and inventory. Gain better supply chain visibility and keep your wheels turning with the best automation software in Adelaide.

Automation is imperative for warehouses to implement social distancing and decentralization, adjust inventory counts, and for quick delivery. Implementing the best automation software in Adelaide will help you gain operational efficiencies, cut down costs, boost scalability and build resilience.  You will need scalable processes to manage unpredictable demands. Automation will help you achieve this. Innovate and discover new ways to handle the challenges of your warehouse more efficiently. Digital automation will be the best solution to effectively tackle both the internal and external challenges of the supply chain. 

Digital automation software automates manual, repetitive processes like data collection and automatically supplies it to the database or ERP systems. Whereas, Physical automation involves mechanized automation tools like automated guided vehicles, robots, etc. Though both of these are beneficial to warehouses, Physical automation is costlier to implement. It serves best for bigger, high-volume warehouses and distribution centres. However, modern warehouses widely implement digital automation as it is cost-effective, easily scalable and offers a better ROI. 

Challenges Faced By Traditional Warehouse

Inventory Inaccuracy: Inaccurate inventory counts can cause discrepancies between your expectations and actual order fulfilment capability. It can result in improper stock levels and build up obsolete inventory. Incomplete or inaccurate records adversely affect the product picking process. It slows down the process and makes it inefficient. Physical checks are both time-consuming and error-prone which will lead to miss-picks and delayed shipments. Poor inventory control can lead to backorders, unnecessary resupplies and even product wastages. Inaccurate inventory management results in increased expenses and low productivity. Most of these issues are a result of burdensome, repetitive manual processes. Switch to an automated solution to overcome these challenges.

Automation is the key to solve such accuracy-related problems. The best automation software in Adelaide offers real-time, accurate information about stock levels and inventory. Phykon offers an easy-to-use, automated solution that will help you upkeep and scale your business effortlessly as per the requirements.

Warehouse Layout: Inefficient use of available storage space is still a common pain point of many warehouses. Ignorance about the warehouse layout can also impact the storage of goods and pickers. It will take longer to locate things, slowing down every other point in the shipping process. It is important to know where individual elements are as they move through the fulfilment process. Identifying frequently picked items and then, rearranging storage locations minimizes the time taken and distance travelled for picking these. It is important to efficiently utilize the available space with new racking and storage technology.

Only an optimal warehouse layout can solve this problem. You should maximize the use of available floor space and vertical space in your warehouse. Phykon offers the best automation software in Adelaide which will help in optimal space utilization and labour cost reduction. Automated WMS improves product accessibility, ensures security and helps you categorize the inventory in a systematic way. Automated systems offer a 3-dimensional view of the optimal arrangement when fed with the correct dimensions of your warehouse. Automated storage and retrieval systems can automate your putaway and picking process. Automated systems provide insights about the most-demanded products allowing you to store them in the most easily accessible locations.

Redundant Processes: Redundant processes increase the cost of labour and are often time-consuming. In conventional warehouses, multiple operations are performed on each item. As the system is manual and not organized employees may accidentally perform the same operation more than once. Such redundancies increase labour costs and consume your valuable time. Often the same order is passed on to multiple employees. Multiple people may work together to pick products from different parts of the warehouse to fulfil a single order. It increases the chances of mistakes — multiple employees pick too many of the same products.

The best automation software in Adelaide will help you eliminate such redundant processes in your warehouse. Barcode technology will let you scan the products that have been picked for the order and notify the user of any duplicates.

Demand Fluctuations: Seasonal demand fluctuations are a major challenge faced by warehouses. There may be a sudden dip in sales due to some global crisis or a sudden influx of demand during specific periods. Poor preparedness can do a lot of damage to your warehouse. You should be aware of the current market trends and the fluctuations in demand for the products that you work with. Arrange and organize your products in such a way that will let you push out your seasonal products faster. Apart from layout and picking, proper management of transportation networks and logistics are also essential to deal with this challenge. 

You will need an automated system that collects real-time information from each point in the supply chain. Accurate and timely information will help you in planning and forecasting demand and improve supply chain visibility.

Digital Automation Of Warehouse/Inventory

Digital automation is the key to solve your warehouse and distribution challenges. Automation eliminates repetitive, manual tasks, improves efficiency and reduces manual errors. It improves the productivity, accuracy and transparency of your supply chain. An automated WMS manages all operations in your warehouse including inventory management. 

The main features of an automated Warehouse Management System are listed below. 

• It optimizes warehouse layout, automates manual inventory and customizes warehouse workflow and picking logic.
• Make use of automatic identification and data capture technology like barcodes or RFID to locate goods.
• Direct employees to the right warehouse location and guide them to pick and pack items in the most efficient way possible.
• Send advance shipment notifications, generates bills of lading, packing lists and shipment invoices
• Efficiently track employee performance, cut down labour and labour cost
• Assist in cross-docking operation
• Make efficient use of available space and resources by placing the items in the most appropriate location and systematic arrangement. 
• Constantly track inventory levels thereby avoiding overstocking and understocking.
• Real-time tracking of goods in the inventory prevents product pilferage
• Closely analyzes warehouse operations and identifies areas for improvement.
• Lets you derive valuable insights from real-time data which helps in making strategic business decisions. 

Digital automation can elevate your customer satisfaction levels. It reduces order fulfillment time. An automated WMS avoids shipment delays and ensures the timely delivery. The best automation software in Adelaide is relevant in this present scenario where customers expect next-day delivery.  Make your end customer happy while keeping operations affordable with automated WMS from Phykon.