OCTOBER 20248logisticstechoutlook.comIN MY OPINIONMAXIMIZING EFFICIENCY IN DISTRIBUTION CENTER AND WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION: THE POWER OF INTEROPERABILITYBy Audreyanne Snow, Vice President of Operations & Logistics, Parts TownThe COVID-19 pandemic prompted many companies to rapidly adopt point automation products from various vendors, driven by the need to maintain operations and seize any available efficiencies. However, products from different vendors often lack the ability to communicate and integrate with one another, hindering the potential for maximized efficiency. In the rush to implement solutions, the focus on interoperability was sometimes overlooked. The Need for InteroperabilityModern distribution centers and warehouses are complex ecosystems of different automation and control systems. From picking systems and conveyors to label printing and tracking, as well as various forms of robotics and software, in many cases these disparate systems work independently of each other. Facility operators are likely experiencing an increasing need to Audreyanne Snowintegrate this automation with warehouse software systems, such as warehouse management and warehouse execution systems, to extract more value from automation. There are also signals that newer forms of automation, such as robotic palletizing/depalletizing and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), are beginning a path toward significant adoption. While individually these technologies bring efficiency gains, the true potential lies in their ability to be tied together seamlessly.
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