Businesses in industries like food and beverage and auto parts are becoming more technically advanced, using technology to increase productivity, profit, and efficiency. To keep up with the supply chain, it’s essential that warehouse facilities follow suit.
This blog explains the different types of warehouse technologies and the benefits of modern warehouse automation solutions.
What Is an Automatic Warehouse?
An automatic warehouse is a storage facility that moves inventory in and out of the building with minimal human assistance. By implementing warehouse automation solutions at your storage facility, you eliminate labor-intensive duties such as repetitive physical work and manual data entry.
Warehouse automation solutions offer several other significant benefits. For example, one of your employees can load an autonomous mobile robot with heavy packages. Then, the robot transports your inventory from one end of your warehouse to another while the machine’s software records the inventory movement. This is just one example of how warehouse automation solutions improve your facility’s efficiency and accuracy.
Warehouse Automation Solution Categories
Warehouse automation solutions are divided into several categories:
- Basic Warehouse Automation: Basic automation refers to simple warehouse technology that mitigates manual labor, such as a conveyor or carousel system that moves inventory from point A to point B.
- Warehouse Management Systems: Warehouse management systems use software, machine learning, robotics, and data analytics to automate daily tasks and procedures.
- Mechanized Warehouse Automation: This type of warehouse automation solution uses robotic equipment and systems to help warehouse workers with tasks and procedures like lifting shelving systems to deliver products to human pickers.
- Advanced Warehouse Automation: Advanced warehouse automation is a combination of mechanized warehouse robots and automation systems that replaces labor-intensive human work. One example of an advanced warehouse automation solution is a robotic forklift fleet that navigates a warehouse using AI, cameras, and sensors.
Different Types of Warehouse Technology
As warehouse automation solutions become more popular, a wide range of warehouse technologies are developing, including:
Goods-to-Person (GTP)
Goods-to-person is a popular type of warehouse technology used to increase efficiency and reduce facility congestion. GTP warehouse automation solutions include vertical lift systems, conveyors, and carousels. When you use a GTP system correctly, you can triple the speed of your warehouse picking.
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS)
Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) are a form of GTP warehouse technology that makes storing, sorting, and retrieving systems cohesive. With an AS/RS warehouse automation solution, you can reduce labor costs, increase accuracy and performance, and maximize floor space.
Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
Automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) use magnetic strips, wires, or sensors to navigate a fixed path through your warehouse. When you invest in an AGV for your facility, you increase accuracy and improve safety by minimizing the risk of an accident.
Robotic Automation
With robotic automation warehouse technology, every piece of equipment at your facility is geared toward improving operations. This warehouse automation solution offers benefits like:
- Improved, consistent quality
- Increased production output
- Lower operating costs
- Superior ROI
- Higher safety standards
- Fewer redundant operations
- Simple integration
- Increased versatility
Automated Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs)
Automated vertical lift modules (VLMs) are a type of cutting-edge warehouse automation solution that provides a cleaner, sleeker look for your facility while maximizing floor space. This innovative warehouse technology also increases throughput and minimizes human error, making your warehouse a safer, more productive environment.
Benefits of Warehouse Automation Solutions
By using a variety of warehouse automation solutions, you get a wide range of benefits that take your storage facility to the next level:
- Maximized storage space
- Reduced handling costs
- Better inventory control
- Minimized manual labor
- Improved workplace safety
- Decreased shipping errors
- Enhanced material handling
- Improved order fulfillment accuracy
The Modula Automated Vertical Lift Module: A Superior Warehouse Automation Solution
At Southwest Warehouse Solutions, we’re always looking toward the future to provide you with the most modern and innovative warehouse automation solutions. Enter the Modula automated vertical lift module, the future of warehouse storage that offers a wide variety of benefits.
With the Modula VLM, your warehouse employees never have to walk to grab items. Instead, the product comes to them with a few screen taps, which means no more mispicks. This superior warehouse automation solution optimizes your operations, saves you money, and increases productivity.
The Modula VLM has a variety of other benefits like:
- Increased speed
- Automated internal and external bays
- Simple order fulfillment
- Up-to-date tracking information available at all times
- Clean, cohesive work environments
- Minimal redundancy
- Reduction of working hours required to maintain workflow
- Simple stocking and re-ordering procedures
- Superior safety standards
- Improved security
The Modula SLIM Automated Vertical Lift Module
Another modern warehouse automation solution we offer at SWWS is the Modula SLIM automated vertical lift module, an innovative way to store your products and maximize your facility space. Equipped with the same dynamic technology as the LIFT model, the Modula SLIM VLM provides you with plenty of storage space—without a large footprint.
With the Modula SLIM VLM, you can store a variety of products like:
- Loose materials
- Containers
- Small items
- Spare parts
- Coils
- Bottles
Offering a Variety of Warehouse Automation Solutions
Southwest offers a variety of warehouse automation solutions, from storage and retrieval systems, AGVs, and robotic automation to Modula VLMs. Our team specializes in helping warehouse managers maximize their workspace, so every piece of equipment is put to good use and every inch of space is finetuned for simple functionality. With our warehouse automation solutions, you can reduce human handling errors, improve employee safety and stock management, save time and money, and enhance your facility’s productivity by using cutting-edge automation systems that are easy to operate. Contact us today to learn more about our wide range of warehouse automation solutions, including the Modula VLM.
