Wednesday, July 10, 2019
2019 Warehouse Robotics Usage Increases to 25%
Supply chain consultancy EFT has reported 7% more survey respondents are testing robotics in selected warehouses in 2019, up from 18.4% in 2018.Small to medium-sized businesses are limited by the cost of technology and concerns over ROI, but robots may be a solution to the labor gap in the warehousing industry.
New Passive RFID Tags Optimal for Cross-Docking Facilities
RF Controls has developed a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that can work without a battery and “allows people to identify a tag with one-foot location accuracy from anywhere inside the building.” Its real-time location system is built around last known location, so the real-time location of a tag is still accessible, even after barriers are blocking the tag’s signal. And, the passive tags gather data that can improve operational efficiency, especially in warehouses.
Biggest Obstacle to BOPIS: Logistics and Inventory Tracking
Buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) services, offered by retailers like Target and Walmart, are used by consumers to pay fewer costs for quicker shipments. But 46% of retailers said in a survey conducted by Signifyd that “logistics and inventory tracking is the most challenging obstacle when offering BOPIS.”
“New Jersey is Becoming the Warehousing State”
New Jersey is becoming the warehousing state, according to Megan Chambers of the Warehouse Workers Standup effort, largely due to Amazon’s expansion. The warehousing and storage industry has added 25,000 jobs in New Jersey over the past four years, prompting organizations like Workers United to call for improved conditions.