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47% of companies reported significant benefits in adopting artificial intelligence in the supply chain<\/a>. Despite all of the technological advancements made every day, many companies that need these agile technologies for their supply chains struggle to adopt them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the logistics and supply chain industries, we\u2019ve barely scratched the surface of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data applications.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Contents<\/p>\n In a McKinsey study, 43% of participants stated that \u201clack of a clear strategy\u201d was their biggest barrier to AI<\/a> and innovative tech at their organizations. Another issue is the lack of data to make AI and machine learning techniques work.<\/p>\n For these sorts of systems (Drones, mobile devices), you must input clean data. Your systems take that data as truth, and you\u2019ll run into problems when you put inaccurate data into a system.<\/p>\n When innovation isn\u2019t built into your overarching business strategy, it can be tough to get buy-in from all of the decision makers (if you have a board or partners to answer too). The value the technology will bring to your company must be clear to everyone, from the top down.<\/p>\n The senior members of your company must be committed, but also the people who will interact with warehouse technology every day: your warehouse employees.<\/p>\n BONUS:<\/strong> Before you read further, download our to see how Logiwa uses real-time data to help you get up to 100% inventory accuracy and execute advanced fulfillment strategies like wave planning.<\/a><\/p>\n The second largest obstruction to implementing new technology is qualified employees to operate and use it. The companies most successful at integrating new tech implement a tri-head attack for qualified employees:<\/p>\n The first point is critical for maintaining high employee morale. To get that buy-in you need from your employees, you\u2019ll need to assure them that you aren\u2019t trying to replace them with a robot. Offering them an opportunity to further their own career and learn how to use new technology is one of the ways to do that.<\/p>\n Around 60% of Millennials who took part in a Gallup poll reported that opportunities to learn on the job are important to them<\/a>. Your workforce understands that the world changes. They value continuous learning, and want to make themselves more valuable as employees. If you invest in them, not only do you create in house talent, you\u2019ll foster more employee engagement.<\/p>\n Tech companies initially focused on building out Jeff Bezos\u2019 \u201cOctocopter\u201d concept, which he revealed in 2013<\/a>.<\/p>\n Supply chain drone concepts have clashed with the Federal Aviation Administration ever since. Drones are a near perfect solution to inventory and equipment in hard to reach places. They can be equipped with RFID<\/a>, GPS, OCR, and barcode scanning ability. With their speed at reaching hard-to-get to places, they can outperform humans<\/a>.<\/p>\n Currently, drone development has turned to look inside the warehouses and distribution centers (DC)<\/a>. For warehouses and DC\u2019s that have inventory stacked so high, slow-moving equipment is needed to reach it. But drones equipped with the same equipment could reach these areas much faster than a human.<\/p>\n Drones turn inventory counting<\/a> into a much simpler task that causes minimal disruptions to operations.<\/p>\n Order pickers spend about half of their time moving from one location to the next. So warehouse robots<\/a> who can shorten the amount of time workers move about the warehouse have been in longer development than drones. Costs for these types of equipment have come down, allowing smart robotics to be incorporated in almost every operation.<\/p>\n There are a few primary types of automated robots:<\/p>\n Goods-to-person robots<\/strong>: These sorts of robots are usually equipped with sensors and machine learning capabilities. They carry carts or bins, allowing them to ferry inventory to waiting people for the last stages of order marshaling. Warehouse tech companies have also developed climbing robots who can traverse great inventory heights. Working in narrow aisles, they also allow for space optimization.<\/p>\n Imagine, your warehouse labor costs are cut by 70%. Your warehouse operates during the day and night with equal costs. Your inventory counts are updated daily.\u00a0Learn more about Locus Robotics<\/a>.<\/p>\n Driverless forklifts<\/strong>: Forklifts are an integral part of B2B operations. They allow employees to move heavy inventory that would be impossible to move without equipment. The most advanced driverless forklifts can pick up a pallet, drive to the next location, and deposit the inventory, without human assistance<\/a>. As they come upon obstacles, their sensors allow them to adjust course.<\/p>\n Inventory Robots<\/strong>: Using these robots, you can conduct inventory counts daily. Counting robots like the TagSurveyor<\/a> can scan inventory from up to 25 feet away thanks to RFID sensors and scanners. Instead of counting inventory every few months, you could know inventory counts every day. Not only would your inventory data be more accurate<\/a>, but it would also discourage inventory theft.<\/p>\n An example of what a robot driven warehouse looks like is located in England. Designed by Ocado Technology, it has been dubbed \u201cThe Hive\u201d. It can support more than 1,000 robots who can process 65,000 orders per week.<\/p>\n The efficiency of this operation is a bit difficult to describe, so you should watch the short video below.<\/p>\n\n
The Biggest Barrier to Adopting New Technology<\/h2>\n
Where Can You Find the Skilled Employees to Use this Tech?<\/h3>\n
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Drones and Other Types of Warehouse Robots<\/h2>\n
Automated-Guided Vehicles and Other Flightless Robots<\/h3>\n