Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Warehousing 2020
REDEFINING SUPPLY CHAIN AUTOMATION IN THE
AGE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY: GLOBAL REPORT
New supplier
and partner
locations
Talent/
skill
shortages
EXPANSION
PLANS TO EXPAND
PLANS
Volume of items shipped
Volume of items shipped
Automation of processes
Automation of processes
43% 41%
32% 25%
16% 16%
Faster
delivery
times
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Change to
inventory
policies
Omnichannel
pressures
76% 76%
64% 64%
62% 62%
55% 55%
52% 52%
MORE WAREHOUSES
AND LESS EXPANSION
48% 76%
Increasing number of
warehouses and DCs
65% 61%
Reducing number of
space expansions
54% 61%
Plan to relocate
warehouses and DCs
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68%
73%
EQUIPPING
STAFF WITH
TECHNOLOGY
Barcode
scanning
53%
Advanced
imagers and
cameras
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66%
Tablet
computers
50%
Wearables
62%
60%
Big data/
analytics
Warehouse/
truck loading
automation
47%
45%
43%
Internet of
Things (IoT)
Stationary
label printers
Mobile
thermal
printers
58%
RFID
MOVING TO BEST-OF-BREED,
REAL TIME WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Succeeding in the new supply chain paradigm calls for shortening merchandise delivery
times and slashing transportation costs, which were cited by executives surveyed as the
core reasons driving the move to the smart warehouse.
Warehouses must adapt to the growth of e-commerce
in the retail sector, and the flood of online orders and
proliferation of goods in the supply chain.
These initiatives reflect the move to best-of-breed
warehouse management systems and Real-Time Location
Systems (RTLS) which track the whereabouts of
objects in real time and will replace legacy operations,
survey respondents said.
55%
63%
Increasing mechanization
81%
43%
Legacy WMS
(basic WMS,
homegrown and
developed in-house)
71%
57%
50%
75%
Full-featured,
best-of-breed WMS
51%
76%
Real-Time Location
System (RTLS)
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55%
52%
48%
36%
Enhances
customer service
WMS
accuracy
Regulatory
compliance
95%
27%
Pen & paper
77%
49%
Computer on wheels/spreadsheet
46%
86%
40%
85%
RFID
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46%
Order turnaround time
41%
Order accuracy
27%
Staff turnover
25%
Traceability
On-time delivery
Order accuracy
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Manufacturing
Transportation
Retail
Wholesale
distribution
TRAINING
Average hours
required to reach
full productivity
HRS
TASK
INTERLEAVING
35%
55%
Mean percentage
of time
55
36
HRS
37.8
53.4
HRS
HRS
37.2
40%
45%
41%
41%
59%
63%
62%
60%
70%
56%
http://www.consafelogistics.com/in-practice/articles/innovative-methods-of-picking
53.6
HRS
Screen
only
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55.8
HRS
28%
39
HRS
HRS
HRS
CROSS DOCKING
41%
35.5
48.8
Logistics
14%
Voice guidance
only
12% 18%
58%
Voice and
screen
HRS
GOING GREEN
Over the next few years, warehouses will become increasingly eco-friendly. As conscious
capitalism has moved from the margins to the mainstream in business practices, the
warehouse industry is no exception.
Key eco-conscious initiatives include reducing and
recycling the packaging materials used during shipping,
and cutting down on energy consumption by purchasing
high-efficiency equipment.
7%
54%
19%
Expense
Savings
55%
47%
Use biodegradable
packaging materials
Move to vertical warehousing
for better space utilization
39%
36%
34%
34%
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CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
BARCODING INBOUND ITEMS
66%
82%
+16%
36%
51%
+15%
25%
39%
+14%
CHANGING REQUIREMENTS:
INDUSTRY MANDATES PROPEL
WAREHOUSE UPGRADES
Warehouse executives said technology upgrades are being
driven in part by the demand to comply with changing
customer requirements.
Barcoding inbound items: expected to increase from
66 percent to 82 percent by 2020.
Increasing use of Advanced Ship Notice (ASN): projected to
increase from 36 percent to 51 percent by 2020.
Meeting GDSN standards: the Global Data Synchronization
Network (GDSN) enables trading partners to exchange
business data automatically. Hence, when a supplier or
retailer, for example, updates it database, the other is
updated too. The GDSNs package measurement standards
will increase from 23 percent to 41 percent over the next
five years.
Implementing RFID technology: poised to expand from
23 percent to 41 percent by 2020.
WAREHOUSE UPGRADES
23%
41%
+18%
RFID
23%
41%
+18%
LABELING COMPLIANCE
50%
63%
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+13%
82%
41%
41%
Barcoding
GDSN
RFID
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The survey was targeted to IT and operations professionals in the logistics, manufacturing,
retail, transportation and wholesale market segments. Each survey was designed to reveal
current and planned experiences and processes related to respondents warehouse and/or
distribution centers.
The survey was completed by respondents from firms with at least $15 million in annual
revenues. Respondents were not aware of Zebras sponsorship of the research.
RESPONDENTS BY GEOGRAPHY
28%
35%
U.S. / CANADA
UK / FRANCE / GERMANY /
ITALY / SPAIN
14%
21%
MEXICO / BRAZIL
CHINA / INDIA /
AUSTRALIA
RESPONDENTS BY INDUSTRY
9%
100,000 OR MORE
MANUFACTURING
TRANSPORTATION
38%
11%
10,000 TO 49,999
5,000 TO 9,999
27%
7%
17%
50,000 TO 99,000
5%
11%
10%
21%
1,000 TO 4,999
RETAIL
500 TO 999
13%
21%
100 TO 499
LOGISTICS
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION
1 TO 99
12%
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11
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