It’s always interesting to think about the future, and that’s no exception when it comes to warehouses. What will they look like in the future? How will they function?
Of course, at this present moment, it’s all speculation, but judging by the way technology keeps moving forward by leaps and bounds in this new century, chances are warehouses will become even more automated in both the near and distant future.
Could warehouses become more vertical, tended to by flying drones both inside and outside the warehouse, and run mostly by robots? Possibly.
What are some trends to consider regarding warehouses?
For starters, the way to think about warehouses has changed. They’re no longer just a place to store stuff on pallets if and when they’re needed. Instead of measuring time by days or weeks, now it’s time to measure time by hours… as in, can an order be fulfilled within hours, such that it gets to its final destination as quickly as possible? Warehouses of the future will be focused on timeliness. Most likely, there will be more regional distribution centers, located in close proximity to the urban populations they serve in order to get people what they want in as fast a way as possible.
That said, don’t expect warehouses to store things for a long time, like they used to… instead, it’s a “get it in, get it out” mentality. Sure, there are a lot of items in a warehouse, but the less time they actually spend there, the better for all involved. Expect inventory and the number of items in general to continue to rise, but don’t expect stuff to stay on shelves or pallets very long at future warehouses.
With that in mind, future warehouses will be even more automated than they are today. Automated packaging systems, shuttle systems, and high-density storage will play a role, as will automated lift trucks and drones. So, the need for human labor will decrease as machines take over.
For a while now, stationary piece-picking robots have been incorporated into some warehouse systems… but in the future you can expect those robots to become mobile. Slowly but surely, instead of seeing people walking around warehouses, you’re most likely going to see robots walking (or flying) around them.
Finally, expect developers to figure out how to implement “smart” systems for warehouses, such that machines running them will think and act more like smart people, even to the point of solving their own problems.
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