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The world of warehouse management and automation control is full of abbreviations and definitions. And it is easy to get confused by the contradicting descriptions of capacity and functionality in different types of systems. In this blog post we will try to iron out some of the confusion and answer the question; what do I really need to run my warehouse?

That there is a buzz around artificial intelligence and machine learning is definitely not an overstatement. But is it a temporary hype or a game-changing technology development? And what can it do for warehouse operations? We asked Andreas Anyuru, CTO and Head of R&D at Consafe Logistics to sort things out.

Today, automated systems are everywhere and have become a natural part of our society. The history of warehouse automation started in the 60’s, with a rapid development into the fully automated warehouse of the 80’s – filled with stacker cranes and pallet conveyors. But what is warehouse automation today, moving far beyond just simple storage and retrieval?

Dangerous goods (DG), are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment, such as lithium batteries, chemicals, plastics, food flavourings, perfume, soaps, detergents, cosmetics, dyes and paints.

Most warehouses need some kind of IT-system to support warehouse operations – when pen and paper doesn’t cut it anymore. This can be a self-developed solution or a WMS module in an ERP system.

What drives changes in how you run your warehouse? Ultimately it is the behavior and expectations of your customers. Today e-commerce and omnichannel development drives constantly increasing expectations of wider ranges, higher availability and faster deliveries.

Omnichannel retailing means more touchpoints to reach customers. But often at a cost of greater complexity, more returns handling and a host of other logistics dilemmas. Here are 5 ways warehouse management can help you lay the omnichannel puzzle.