Handling materials is one of the essential tasks in both the warehouse industry and the manufacturing industry. Even in retail, this can be one of the essential logistical tasks on which the efficiency of the entire process depends. Now, while material handling is a process as old as human civilization, present-day technologies are contributing to the evolution of this process.
These improvements come in both software and hardware form. The list is quite extensive but here are four most important material handling tasks that you will face.
List of Important Material Handling Trends in 2021
1. Automation and robotization
The first concept worth considering is the concept of automation and robotization. In 2012, Amazon bought Kiva Systems, a robotics manufacturer for a sum of $775 million.
A figure this high was seen as preposterously large back in the day and it made a lot of people believe that there’s no way that this deal could pay off. By some estimates, this investment saved the company as much as $2.5 billion.
Read more: Automation for Small Business: Know the Affordable Options to Choose
In other words, the ROI was overwhelmingly positive. This serves as a lesson to many in the industry of the efficiency of robots in the warehouse business, especially regarding materials handling tasks.
2. E-commerce acquisition of equipment
Another thing worth mentioning is the method of acquiring materials handling equipment. For instance, materials like conveyors are essential to the handling of materials in the majority of industries.
Getting hold of quality conveyors, however, is not a simple thing. Another pivotal matter here is the maintenance of these conveyors, which is often seen as a separate issue. Nevertheless, nothing can be further from the truth.
Know more: What is mCommerce: Future and Trends of This Technology?
Having a suitable supplier is also important because these machines get broken and need regular maintenance. This is why you need specialists in conveyor products and solutions. This way, you would be able to reliably and rapidly acquire necessary items in the shortest time-frame.
Being able to replace a broken part in no time drastically reduces the downtime in your production. In other words, it directly saves money for the facility.
3. Personal safety
A lack of trained and experienced staff in this field has increased the importance of personal safety in the workplace. Sure, it’s an ethical thing to do and it’s smart from a legal standpoint, nonetheless, even if it’s a minor injury in question, there’s a chance that a proficient employee will be absent from work.
Due to the hardship of finding a suitable replacement, it would be an unnecessary downtime that the business in question can do without. The simplest way to avert this would be to invest in better PPE and introduce a stricter and more comprehensive safety statement. Introducing these rules is just one part of the puzzle. The key thing lies in actually enforcing them.
4. Warehouse management software
The best way to upgrade the materials-handling practices in 2021 is to get decent warehouse management software. This is because it enables a proper organization of the warehouse in a way that enhances efficiency and bolsters safety.
Most commonly handled materials are placed in the most accessible spots, which minimizes the travel time of these materials. With lower travel time comes a lower likelihood that something will go wrong.
Also Read: Is Your Custom Packaging Worth A Purchase?
Other than this, efficient use of the warehouse boosts the productivity of the warehouse, which would, on its own, be a reason enough to follow this course of action.
In conclusion
In the end, more efficient material handling is essential for a number of reasons. First, it’s something that can drive productivity in the right direction. Second, it’s a matter of workplace safety.
Every mishandled material is a potential danger in the workplace. Also, a mishandled material risks being broken, lost or damaged. This is a direct loss of material value for the business in question.
Properly handling materials in the workplace can make all of these problems less likely to happen. With the right material-handling trends, this becomes a substantially easier thing to pull off.
Leave a comment