Warehouse Automation Solution: Why, How, & Where?

In the present times, the warehousing industry is at its peak, moving towards technological advances that would help them deliver better services. Warehouse automation can help businesses quicken up their supply chain operations, while establishing quality standards without human interference.

WHY BUSINESSES SHOULD AUTOMATE WAREHOUSE SECURITY

Warehouses store valuable assets that need to be protected. A breach in security leads to problems that result in heavy financial losses. That’s why logistics companies and storage facilities invest heavily in having physical barriers and security guards to prevent unauthorized access. Warehouse security can be automated to improve effectiveness while also driving down costs. Automated security means the effort and resources towards security for the business also reduces. For example, a floor manager can focus on more critical aspects of their work if they have a CCTV system monitoring their site and employee performance. This assurance brings employers peace of mind and reduces the time invested in manual surveillance. Not only that, but a warehouse automation system uses smart devices like cameras, sensors, and access control systems to provide a comprehensive security solution.

HOW TO START WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION

Warehouse automation requires a one-time setup of smart cameras and sensors all over the facility. The complete setup is handled by professionals who understand clients’ security needs and can design a solution tailor-made for each client. They decide what sensors to place where and how many cameras will be required depending on warehouse size, and what features can be used by the business to improve efficiency. Once all areas of focus are narrowed down, the entire solution infrastructure is set up. Ideally, the centralized platform is accessed by surveillance personnel and the third-party command center that monitors the site 24*7. All this along with the maintenance of devices, is handled by the solutions provider.

WHERE DOES A WAREHOUSE REQUIRE AUTOMATED SECURITY?

Automation can be implemented across various areas in the warehouse. A few different types of operations that can be automated are explained in detail below.

• Inventory Tracking

Warehouses handle a whole lot of inventory that is continuously moving in and out. It is both crucial to track this inventory and also very tedious and complex to track. With a set of simple smart devices like RFID scanners or smart detection-based cameras, the entire process of tracking and monitoring inventory can be automated. Usually, registers have to be maintained by manually present guards to monitor this inventory which is not required anymore. For example, an RFID scanner can be used at the GRN table to tag all inventory coming in and going out of the warehouses and even the smallest of discrepancies in inventory can be detected here. This reduces cases of pilferage and theft, which can often lead to massive losses for businesses.

• Access Control

Another place where automation can help a warehouse is in controlling movement. Rather than having guards or locks and keys, access control systems with door and gate sensors can be used to restrict and control access to different parts of the warehouses. The system can automatically detect the authorization level of an employee and decide whether access should be granted to the employee. These systems can also grant access based on timings and automatically send alerts to a command center in case of forced entry.

• Video Surveillance

Surveillance and monitoring of warehouses can also be completely automated. A warehouse typically requires a large number of manual guards to patrol and monitor the entire facility. Despite that, guards can’t effectively cover the entire facility at once and are ineffective in escalating the matter up the chain in case of a threat. Smart cameras, on the other hand, can monitor the entire facility at once. They can use video analytics to detect threats before they even occur by features like object detection, which allows the identification of weapons and other unwanted objects. These cameras can also send real-time notifications to relevant authorities in case of any threat detection. Moreover, these systems also have night vision and thermal sensors, making them highly efficient for night guarding.

BENEFITS OF WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION

• Warehouse automation reduces dependency on senior staff to monitor SOP adherence and employee conduct, leaving them with more time to focus on critical tasks. Employees no longer need to spend time and effort on maintaining daily logs and registers. This inherently improves the accuracy of the data recorded.
• Reduces the number of guards required to monitor the facility, thereby significantly reducing expenses incurred on remunerating guards.
• It helps to secure the facility and improve incident response by turning a reactive surveillance system proactive. Real-time notifications make these systems capable of reducing response time for threats like thefts and fires. This means damage to the facility is reduced, leading to lesser losses.
• Wireless security also means less infrastructure is required in the facility. All tasks like managing and storing data take place in remote servers. There is no need to have storage and servers at individual facilities, requiring less maintenance and repair costs for these pieces of equipment.
• Energy leakage is also a major problem faced by warehouses. A smart energy monitoring and control system can identify equipment and machinery which are consuming more energy than usual and warn personnel about the potential defects in them. They can identify problem areas leading to energy wastage. For example, the camera can detect that a refrigeration unit is empty and still running, leading to unnecessary energy consumption and loss.
• Recording of any facility can be accessed easily from any location at any time. This gives you peace of mind as you have visibility of all activities taking place in the facility at your fingertips.
• Having a wireless system also means changing or upgrading infrastructure is much easier. It provides you with the freedom to add cameras and sensors to your existing system as and when you please. This scalable solution enables you to expand your surveillance structure as your business grows.

IGZY’S WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION SOLUTION

IGZY provides an end-to-end warehouse automation solution to its clients. It offers a complete set of solutions, from smart IP cameras to various sensors like vibration sensor, door sensors, smoke detectors, temperature sensors, motion detectors, etc., to provide a comprehensive security solution. Igzy has experts who carefully examine each facility and develop a tailor-made system for versatile requirements. Everything from installation and setup to maintenance and repairs is taken care of by us. Our cloud platform enables long-term data storage and threat monitoring, reducing all possible complexities & grievances for our clients. Our solution aims to drive towards business efficiency, reduced expenses, boosted ROI & improved customer experience. To know more about our solution, get in touch!