Top 10 Trends Driving Automation in the Manufacturing Warehouse
Identifies ten market and operational factors pushing durable goods manufacturers to automate inbound, WIP, and outbound warehouse processes.
The white paper examines how lean manufacturing, outsourcing, off-shoring, shorter product lifecycles, mass customization, global competition, supply chain pull, track-and-trace mandates, green initiatives, and rising fuel costs increase demand for automated storage, retrieval, and material flow systems. It explains how these pressures raise requirements for real-time inventory visibility, higher storage density, sequenced delivery, and reduced total cost of manufacturing. The document concludes that aligning warehouse automation with strategic objectives lowers labor and inventory while improving throughput, accuracy, and customer service.
Lean and build-to-order models require real-time visibility across inbound, WIP, and finished goods inventory.
Outsourcing and off-shoring increase supplier counts and order sizes, creating receiving and space-utilization challenges.
Shorter product lifecycles and mass customization drive SKU proliferation and the need for flexible, sequenced material delivery.
Global competition and supply-chain pull force smaller, more frequent shipments and tighter delivery windows.
Track-and-trace regulations, sustainability goals, and fuel costs favor automated handling and optimized trailer loading.
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