Transforming Warehouses and DCs into Next Generation Logistic Hubs

How are warehouses and distribution centres evolving into the logistic hubs of the future?

In today’s retail market every second counts throughout the supply chain to deliver the right goods to consumers when and where they want them. When it comes to warehouse distribution, time is certainly of the essence. Will the consumer receive the product that they’ve ordered by the estimated delivery time? Technology is of course the enabler of this. And, wearable technology is becoming more influential in helping workers pick the correct items at a faster rate than ever…

Increasing Demand on the Supply Chain

“SOTI’s global retail report, “From Clicks to Ships: Navigating the Global Supply Chain Crisis 2022 Report,” showed 68% of consumers expect to always know where their order is within the delivery process. SOTI’s research also showed 36% of global consumers say they will shop elsewhere if they must wait more than two days for a delivery. As a result, businesses are under major pressure, especially with peak shopping seasons around the corner” says Faki Saadi, Sales Director, UK, France, and Ireland.

To combat this, SOTI, Renovotec and ProGlove have partnered to ease pain points in the supply chain. ProGlove’s fleet of cutting-edge wearable scanners, coupled with SOTI’s Enteprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution, and Renovotec’s host of professional and managed services, means employees can do their job more effectively and accurately.

ProGlove – Wearable Glove Scanners

“This partnership is built upon our shared mission to reduce the cost and complexity of business-critical mobility and the IoT. Through the integration of SOTI MobiControl and SOTI Surf, now with our wearable scanning technology, businesses can easily secure, manage and support their mobile operations. This will be more important than ever and a critical step to drive worker augmentation along global supply chains and shop floors,” Carlos Villafane, Country Manager UK and Ireland.

ProGlove’s wearable glove scanners increase a picker’s speed by up to six seconds per scan. With greater reliance on technology, not only is the picking and packing speed increased but the number of mistakes is reduced. There are fewer returns, and less time is spent in the training and development of staff to use the technology. As ProGlove devices become ever more user-friendly. All of this can improve customer experiences.  A key driver in gaining the competitive edge. More than six in 10 (61%) global consumers said they will continue to shop with brands that can deliver their goods the fastest.

The Benefits of Wearable Tech in Warehouses

A site survey by Renovotec is used to assess the location, the square footage, the assessment and usability and the existing technologies in place. This enables a clear guarantee of the future coverage, data rates and security of the site for any proposed solutions. This also comprises a discussion of future needs so this can be factored into the initial review.

Wearable scanners can significantly speed up the warehouse distribution process with enhanced capabilities. Such as identifying materials as they arrive and catching any wrong deliveries immediately. Thus, making a warehouse receiving process error-free. Maintaining speed and accuracy during assembly, while documenting every step of the process–hands-free–affording the worker a safer and more ergonomic working experience. Lastly, being able to rely on an error-free recording of product data. Therefore, improving the quality and reliability of tracking and tracing goods during transportation.

With the instant documentation of products, greater physical movement capabilities for workers, the elimination of errors and enhanced instant data capturing, businesses can ensure the picking and packing stage of the supply chain is far more efficient and profitable. On average, wearable barcode scanning accounts for a scan rate improvement ranging from 25-35%. Additionally, all the data it captures can be downloaded and accessed on user-friendly dashboards.

“Speeding up the picking process is a vital step in making supply chains more effective and giving consumers more confidence when it comes to receiving their deliveries,” said Richard Gilliard, Managing Director at Renovotec. “But all the data capturing elements are of such importance too, and that’s where the relationship with SOTI and Renovotec is so vital. It’s data measuring, capturing, and presenting dashboards integrated with customer CRM and back-end processes that makes vast amounts of information easily digestible and actionable.”

The Bottom-line Impact

In such a precarious market, every cost saving measure is vital. Especially as a return culture has become prominent in the retail industry. Roughly 30% of products are now being returned to suppliers at a significant cost. Sometimes needing to travel thousands of miles back to the source. Returned goods are shipped to different places, and at different times. Depending on the item, a decision is then made on whether it can be resold. While accepting returns can clearly be a nuisance for businesses, many continue to offer generous policies to keep customers happy.

But this cost can be greatly reduced by lessening the need for returns in the first place. By firstly ensuring goods are picked correctly and accurately in the warehouse. Then distributed to an ultimately satisfied customer.

“It’s vital to ensure wearable technology is not misused and that corporate data is not compromised. Firstly companies can take advantage of SOTI MobiControl, like geofencing which grants access to specific features when devices enter a location-based geofence, and remove access when devices leave, and lockdown mode which restricts devices to business-critical apps only. Secondly, lockdown restricts workers to use only business-critical apps to ensure the highest level of productivity”, states Richard Gilliard, Renovotec Managing Director.

Managing Devices

Wearable technology is the future of picking and packing. But of course, that means there will be more devices in the field. It is vital these devices are managed effectively so that they remain at optimum performance. Presenting the most useful data to end-users as possible.

To get the most out of wearable technology, the deployment and systems must be coupled with an EMM solution. Which enables users to gain the most important insights from them. The partnership with Renovotec enables full system integration and ongoing bespoke support. As part of their managed service offering. An EMM solution offers companies full visibility into their business fleet devices. Helping IT leaders avoid mobility challenges. Such as unwanted device downtime, security risks leading to compromised data and lack of insight into IT issues.

Managing business mobile devices are crucial to ensure the company continues to function efficiently. Because without visibility, your IT team will be blind to many tech issues. Leaders of enterprises should actively solve problems before they escalate and get out of control. Thus, with an EMM software, devices can constantly perform at peak level. Resulting in increased ROI, fulfilment of organisational needs and enhanced customer satisfaction.

“This is an exciting new venture and partnership for SOTI. ProGlove’s long-range wearable scanners are a game changer for supply chains everywhere,” says Faki Saadi, Director Sales UK, France, and Ireland at SOTI.