Think about the last time you made an online purchase… and your item didn’t arrive on time. Your excitement of opening a new purchase is now tainted because of the delay. This a worst-case scenario for any business, even if weather or the holiday rush are reasonable explanations. It’s also why product-supply businesses across virtually every industry are investing in warehousing technology.
Online retail sales are projected to reach $532 billion by 2020 in the U.S. alone. (Forrester) Your business’ ability to fulfill any online purchase has the power to accelerate future growth. Global online retail titans, such as Amazon, Walmart, and Apple, are exploring new technologies for warehousing. A proven solution for improving fulfillment services is localized warehousing. Amazon alone invested $13.9 billion to build 50 warehouses. (Bloomberg)
While few businesses have Amazon’s warehouse capital, there are many warehousing technologies that can improve fulfillment services. Many businesses are fighting to reduce cost of transportation and increase productivity to remain competitive in their space. Consumers are more selective than ever in their purchasing habits. Any fulfillment delays can have a domino effect on an online retailer’s reputation. This is why investing in warehousing technologies is an affordable way for many businesses to remain competitive.
Zebra Technologies’ latest Warehouse Vision Study surveyed over 1,300 warehouse professionals in twelve countries on what to expect with warehousing before 2020. (SupplyChain247) The study results predict a massive surge in warehousing technology in the next few years:
- Full-featured warehouse management systems (WMS) are expected to grow from 50% adoption rate to 75% by 2020.
- Expansion of existing warehouse space is being replaced by increasing the number of warehouses and distribution centers across a greater geographic space.
- The top five warehousing technology plans include equipping staff with technology (75% of study participants), barcode scanning (67%), big data/analytics (62%), warehouse/truck loading automation (56%), and Internet of Things (IoT) (52%).
Accent is prepared for the future of warehousing technology. Our Warehousing and Custom Fulfillment Services include a variety of in-house, one-stop solutions for your business’ peace of mind. We can provide warehousing, picking, packing, and shipping, and distribution of your materials at an affordable rate. Let us make your customers happy with our Warehousing and Custom Fulfillment Services. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about warehousing technologies moving into the future. Click here to start a conversation with an Accent team member today.