When it comes to your manufacturing, logistics, or warehousing company’s next step — like implementing mobile scanners on your shop floor or automating a production process — you need to know the right questions to ask a prospective partner before you can have all the answers.
The need to migrate applications that support key business functions has never been more important. There are three primary reasons why:
If you read our recent post, 7 Reasons to Adopt Mobile Computing (& 3 Reasons Not To) you know all the benefits that come with integrating mobile computing into your manufacturing or warehouse environment.
For manufacturers, distributors and logistics professionals, the word “automation” is often thought of as a four-letter word. Coincidentally, the same train of thought applies to the cumbersome task of gathering and integrating your company’s data – when it’s done manually.
Looking for ways to make your team more productive without incurring more costs? You’re not alone: 70% of manufacturers are feeling the pressure to cut costs and improve productivity, even while 83% report that increasing operational complexity is making that task more difficult than ever.
Where will your warehousing operation be in five years? Research suggests that the answer to that question depends on how well your team is able to accomplish three important goals:
The last of these is perhaps the most important. Improving your inventory accuracy, even by only 1%, has tremendous business impact, influencing your pick-to-ship cycle time and reducing the money you spend on expediting orders.
These essential goals are challenged by the fact that warehousing operations are expected to grow in complexity over the next five years, with an average increase of 60% in SKUS expected by 2020.
When these questions are successfully answered, the results are tremendous. Fast, efficient pick/pack functions delight customers (which leads to more sales) and save money for the whole company.
As Zebra’s recent blog explains, if you’re a tier 2 automotive supplier, you are expected to walk a tightrope. Your customers demand just-in-time delivery without sacrificing consistency, traceability, or packaging/labeling standards. Anything less than that, and you’re going to run into chargebacks and other penalties.
More value, less waste. The goal of lean manufacturing is simple, but the process of getting there can be complex. In this blog, we’ll take a look at the helpful principles of lean thinking and highlight a few rising data collection technologies that manufacturers are using to put them into practice.
When it comes to automating manual processes in the warehouse, distribution center, or on the factory floor, the right technology and the right solution provider are two critical pieces that can make implementation a success. At the same time, your mid-size business rules may not be a direct fit with the enterprise software and solutions that are being offered today. Finding a technology provider who will learn your business and create a system to maximize your strengths is one of the most important decisions you can make.
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