As challenges in the industry evolve, automation has become a crucial tool. It enables 3PLs to improve operational capabilities by streamlining processes, reducing errors, and freeing up resources for strategic initiatives. In this article, we will walk through the fulfillment process, from picking to shipping, providing practical ways that automation can help address these challenges.

We know that dealing with shipping errors can feel like a never ending battle. It's frustrating, time-consuming, and, frankly, a bit disheartening when the hard work of your team doesn't translate into flawless operations. Every mispicked item or incorrect order not only reflects on the team's efforts but can also ripple out, affecting customer satisfaction and your bottom line. Designed to reduce manual order picking errors, the system relies on our WCS Picking Software and LED light devices to direct the operators. Our technology addresses key logistics challenges, improving both operational performance and customer satisfaction.

In today’s competitive environment, it’s important to evaluate operating costs and find new and innovative ways to optimize operating expenses without sacrificing productivity. Some of the leading expenses for warehouses include the cost of manual labor, consumables/packaging, and carrier shipping charges. Of these three, manual labor is the leading ROI driver for operators who are considering automation equipment.  Coincidentally, automation can also help optimize the other areas as well (packaging, consumables, and carrier costs) when done thoughtfully. We’ll save those topics for another article, but for now, let’s focus on labor.

Warehouse automation promises to not only streamline operations, but also to drastically improve efficiency and scalability. But the pressing question remains: Is the investment worth it? Return on Investment (ROI) is a key financial metric used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare the efficiencies of different investments. In the context of warehouse automation, ROI helps determine the financial return you can expect from investing in automation technologies compared to the cost of the investment. This calculation is essential in making informed decisions, as it provides a quantifiable measure of the potential benefits relative to the cost.

Personalization of the order experience involves both the e-commerce shopping process, as well as the delivery, packaging and unboxing experience physically. By leveraging software, warehouse technology, and data, businesses can carefully curate the fulfillment process and unboxing experience for each customer. In this section, we'll explore the specific methods used to achieve this personal touch along with examples of each method in practice. With the e-commerce space getting more and more crowded by the minute, adding a personal touch to each order is key. Custom order fulfillment can enhance the overall buying journey from the first click to the final unboxing. It fosters deeper connections, leading to increased loyalty, more frequent business, and a notable rise in customer retention.

Developing an effective parcel sortation system involves taking careful consideration of a variety of factors. Understanding the types, shapes and sizes of the packages to be sorted, the limits of the technology, the method of identifying and scanning every package, as well as the types of software rules that are needed in order to accomplish the goal. Gathering all these details is essential to good material handling practices, and missing any one of these details could introduce costly mistakes.

As consumers continue to increase their online shopping habits, some going so far as to prefer it to retail shopping, it’s becoming more important than ever to have efficient shipping processes in place. Unfortunately, manual shipping processes lead to common shipping errors and increased costs due to human errors.