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Lifting, bending, twisting, and typing top the list of repetitive motions performed in many occupations like warehouse work, nursing, and manufacturing. It’s no wonder that many of these industries are plagued by work-related injuries like musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Optimizing various warehouse processes is a sure-fire way to reduce costs and improve the customer experience. Of all the activities that happen in a warehouse, order picking is probably the one most ripe for optimization. Fortunately, it is also one that many businesses are choosing to automate. Here is why your warehouse might want to start its automation journey with order picking, some options for order picking automation, and the benefits of automated order picking systems.

In technical and industrial environments, work isn’t always stationary, and work equipment needs to move from one place to another. Using mobile carts to transport supplies and technology around a workplace offers employers and employees many benefits.

Today’s consumers expect a lot from your E-commerce brand. You can thank Amazon for that. When people can log on to the world’s largest online retailer and have items on their doorsteps in one or two days, this creates a relatively high bar.

Let’s start with a confession.

It’s not uncommon for many of the experts, aficionados and consulting resources out there - including us – to share our expertise and views about the warehouse industry with somewhat generic language. Almost as if it were some kind of monolithic workplace with few differences in how they are designed, built, work and managed. But today we will be looking to address this oversight and focus on the specifics of running a top-notch distribution center for an industry that drives so much of our economy in the US.

Before you begin reading this, please read the headline once again and understand that our intent here is not to provide tips on how to INCREASE your foot traffic, but to look at potential ways to make the most of the foot traffic you are already getting!

Your business might be perfect at managing its supply chain and getting products into the hands of its customers as promised. But what happens when a customer wants or needs to send something back?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 4.5 workers out of every 100 were injured on the job in the warehousing and transportation industry in 2023. Driven by labor shortages, rising consumer expectations, and other supply chain challenges, warehouses have been faced with massive pressure to continue delivering in increasingly complex conditions.

Earlier this month we spent some time reviewing the importance of making your Reverse Logistics processes sustainable. However, one of the challenges many businesses have to start down that path is the relative lack of scrutiny in the Returns area relative to other process areas which we’re much more in tune with all the levers impacting our KPIs there.

Warehouse work for humans is physically demanding. It can leave employees stressed and worn out, often requiring downtime to heal physically and mentally. Warehouse workers are prone to injuries, burnout, and mistakes. There is notoriously high turnover in these positions, and recruiting warehouse staff can be one of a company’s biggest challenges.