The disruptions of the past two years have been an alarming wake up call for the supply chain industry. We have learned that fast-moving shifts in consumer demand can cause ongoing problems for warehouses. Future trends may be hard to predict, but one thing is clear: modern retailers need to be better prepared for seasonal and supply chain related fluctuations.
Although inflation is predicted to continue to climb, retailers shouldn’t expect this year’s peak season to be a light one. According to Forbes, only 20% of consumers currently intend to spend less on holiday gifts than they spent last year while 12% of shoppers plan to spend more. Whether the challenge is uncertain consumer demand, shipping delays, or worker shortages, warehouse automation can relieve warehouse stress and help businesses scale in a sustainable way.
Don’t Underestimate Worker Shortages
According to a recent Freight waves report, 73% of warehouse operators can’t find enough labor. When warehouses don’t have enough workers, existing staff face long hours and relentless expectations. An increase in workload creates stress, causing turnover that can bring business productivity to a halt. If bad PR coverage about unsafe and near impossible goals isn’t enough, worker shortages also cause lost time due to injuries, inevitably resulting in a rise to customer related complaints.
Warehouse Automation Creates Resiliency
The supply chain crisis forced us to find immediate solutions to address worker shortages. Luckily, easily integrated technology advancements like warehouse automation were becoming more increasingly available. In 2021, 43% of employers automated some aspect of their processes.
Many businesses have already taken advantage of automation to unlock the many benefits it brings. According to The Association for Advancing Automation, robotic automation sales in the United States achieved a third straight record high period from April through June 2022. Amazon alone is investing $1billion in warehouse robotics.
Introducing automation can also increase fulfillment rate within your existing system while fulfilling SLA requirements, even in times of increased demand. This builds resiliency in operations by preventing future disruptions and mitigating unexpected shocks. Plus, you can scale from normal operations to peak season productivity efficiently. When the need to increase arises, companies can add workstations or robots to existing operations seamlessly within a modular system. Save countless hours on hiring, onboarding, and training with a modern, agile workforce.
Prepare Now for 2023: Attabotics is the Best Warehouse Automation Choice
Attabotics’ robotic automation solution was built for where you are now and where you are going. Not only can the Attabotics solution be implemented quickly, but it is also provides scalability that fits any structure regardless of size, shape, or location.
Let’s reinvent your supply chain with a better solution. Learn more about Attabotics here or contact us now to discover how Attabotics can work for you.
