Operations managers are under constant pressure to find ways to increase the efficiency of their workforce, enhance the productivity of their warehouse, and lower the costs associated with their fulfillment and distribution center operations.
One simple solution: Wearable computing technology.
In a nutshell, wearable technology enables your workforce to interact with various forms of wireless wearable computer devices while performing a wide array of physical tasks requiring the use of both hands.
Instead of having to hold a tablet, smartphone, laptop, or radio, workers can gain access to, and interact with, rich data, graphic visual displays, audio, video, and, depending on the device, even live remote expertise — all while going about their normal operational activities.
Wearable computing technology enables workers to interact with body-borne devices through the use of vision, voice, gesture, and/or minimal touch, depending on the task and application.
Those devices empower workers with greater accessibility to information and knowledge without the burdens of traditional computing technology. As a result, wearable technology enables workers to:
- Accomplish tasks with greater efficiency.
- Achieve higher levels of accuracy in executing tasks.
- Use greater flexibility and mobility in completing tasks.
- More easily acquire the information needed to accomplish a task correctly.
- Complete tasks in less time than traditional methods allowed.
Wearable technology also enables management to better:
- Visualize and monitor operations without having to be on the floor.
- Anticipate and tackle problems that might affect productivity.
- Communicate and collaborate with workers in the process of completing tasks.
- Adapt to continuing improvements in technology.
Enhance Warehouse Automation
When you replace or complement existing technology with wearable technology, you can expedite a wide array of tasks associated with fulfillment and distribution center operations:
- Incoming receiving, item identification, and PO reconciliation
- Sorting, staging, palletizing, and transportation to storage
- Directed and non-directed inventory put away
- Inventory management, lot control, and serialization
- Forward replenishment and pick line slotting
- Order management and pick line optimization
- Order selection either by order or by batch
- Outbound consolidation, unit sortation — either automated or manual
- Packing, void fill, and collateral materials insertion
- Transportation management, shipping labeling and manifesting
- Sortation, shipping, staging, and carrier loading
- Inventory management including cycle counting
- Quality control
As a result, our Automate Warehouse Software features task directed functionality that can be used in conjunction with wearable technology.
Our easy to use, easy to learn apps have multi-lingual capabilities, work on a host of wearable devices, and enjoy the same 24/7/365 support the rest of our systems do. Allowing hands free operation, they deliver rich data anywhere it is needed in automated fulfillment centers, distribution centers, and warehouse operations.
To learn more, contact us, and we’ll be happy to share our thoughts on how to put wearable technology to work in your operation.
Walter High is VP Marketing at MSI Automate, where he has worked since 2012.