Today, time is the most precious thing for businesses, especially when it comes to eCommerce fulfillment. With the increasing competition in the market, brands are racing up to ship orders quickly and seamlessly. Consumers want to receive orders rapidly after placing them on eCommerce platforms.
To speed up the delivery process and manage the supply chain operations, businesses leverage the services of third-party logistics partners (3PLs). These 3PLs help businesses optimize the order fulfillment process from the initial stages of the supply chain.
Automation is crucial for the timely delivery of products, as most manual processes are time-consuming. Automation makes a huge difference for businesses to meet customer expectations. All you need to do is understand warehouse management, its processes, areas wherein warehouse automation is required, and its benefits for your business.
In this blog, we’ll dive deep to know about the automated order fulfillment offered by 3PLs.
Fundamentals of Warehouse Management
Warehouse management is a cumulative process of forecasting demands and ensuring safety in warehouse transport and shipping products to consumers. Warehouse management effectiveness comes with optimizing and integrating all processes, and this practice increases productivity while keeping costs low.
Different Processes in Warehouses
For effective management of warehouse operations, there are six processes included. Here is a brief of all the processes:
Order Receiving
Look for the inventory and register details about the items received. It involves the verification of accepting the right quantity of products at the right time.
Putting Away Orders
After checking inventory, put away products from the receiving dock to the right storage locations. All reliable third-party logistics providers perform these operations efficiently.
Safe Storage
This is one of the crucial steps in warehouse management as it requires the safe storage of inventory. The right arrangement of products facilitates fast and quick picking for systematic transportation and shipping.
Order Picking
When customers place orders, they are then processed, and 3PLs pick them up for safe packing and transportation to deliver them. The effectiveness in the operations increases customer satisfaction.
Order Packaging
Before the shipment of products, they require safe packaging. Your warehouse partner must ensure the security of products, including fragile products, with product-friendly packaging.
Products’ Shipment
After settling the quantity of the ordered products, 3PLs send them for transportation while ensuring higher safety via the right vehicle.
Businesses need warehouse automation and technology reliance to manage all these processes seamlessly. It includes:
Goods-to-Person (GTP)
The Goods-to-Person method effectively increases the efficiency of goods shipment, including the essence of conveyors, carousels, and vertical lift systems. If appropriately managed, the GTP system paces up the process of inventory pickup.
Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
With the use of magnetic strips, wires, and sensors, automated vehicles can navigate in a fixed path through a warehouse. These vehicles are adaptable to simple and large warehouses; and complex warehouses with space impediments are not ideal spaces for AGVs.
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS)
AS/RS function is another form of Goods-to-Person, including an automated system and equipment for order fulfillment. This equipment comprises vehicles to carry material, tote shuttles, and mini-loaders for proper storage of products. Warehouses that have less space leverage AS/RS systems.
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)
AMRs are more flexible than AGVs for warehouse management processes and utilize global positioning systems (GPS) to build effective routes through particular warehouses.
With advanced laser-assisted systems to detect hindrances, AMRs ensure safe navigation in dynamic warehouse environments. These systems require simple programming that a logistics provider can adapt quickly.
Pick and Put-to-Light Systems
With barcode scanning devices synced with digital light displays, these systems lead the respective persons or equipment to pick and place the selected products in the desired place. It reduces the probability of errors in the accurate placement of high-volume inventories.
Voice Picking & Tasking
This is another tech-driven process in a warehouse which is also referred to as pick-by-voice. In this process, the software uses speech recognition and mobile headsets.
This system facilitates the optimized pathway to help warehouse staff pick and ship products. This automated process nullifies the need for manual devices, including radio frequency (RF) scanners, to help the staff emphasize safety measures for warehouse management.
Perks of Automated Fulfillment to eCommerce Businesses
The consistency in the growth of eCommerce businesses comes from the reliance on advanced technology. Efficient fulfillment is pivotal for businesses to mark their significance in the market.
Here are some of the benefits that eCommerce businesses leverage from automated fulfillment centers:
Accurate Order Fulfillment
Automated storage and retrieval systems can accelerate order accuracy remarkably, eventually boosting customers’ shopping experience. Automated eCommerce fulfillment centers eradicate human error significantly. This brings more efficiency in the process of products’ packing and shipping safely to customers while maintaining dispatch accuracy.
Reduced Shipping Time
Faster delivery service is one of the crucial factors for brands to stay ahead of their competitors. Automated fulfillment processes reduce the complexities of picking and shipping products and ensure seamless order fulfillment.
Wrapping Up
With the booming eCommerce market, eCommerce fulfillment automation has become an essence of this industry. Automation increases the efficacy of processes and streamlines all operations seamlessly. With this, third-party logistics providers facilitate fast shipping services with accurate order fulfillment to customers.
If you are looking for a fulfillment solutions provider to level up your eCommerce fulfillment services, AAJ Supply Chain Management is a reliable partner that offers customized solutions. Our experts put in their expertise to manage operations with state-of-the-art facilities.Â
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