The year is rushing to a close, with businesses looking once more to the future and what is next on their development and innovation agenda.
Post-pandemic, the impetus to work harder yet smarter, to move fast yet do it right, is arguably stronger than it’s ever been. In warehousing, this means optimization, from stock arrival and inventory management to stock picking, packing and product returns.
The warehouse of the future
E-commerce shows no sign of slowing down. Peak season is busier than it has ever been, and consumer expectations are higher. There are labor shortages to contend with. Meeting client SLAs is a constant challenge.
There is also the pressing need to plan for what comes next.
Advanced technologies like computerised pallet systems, robotics including Locus Robotics, SVT Robotics, 6 River Systems and Lowpad are all making order fulfillment more efficient and reducing picking errors.
Increased warehouse automation, AI, the transition to net zero – these are all rushing towards us quicker than ever before.
Preparing for the future: warehouse optimization in 2023
If this is the future, what does the year ahead hold for UK warehousing?
For the majority, it’s about getting ready.
The next 12 months will require operators to make those small changes that improve existing operations and ease the strain, leaving room for the testing, evaluation and implementation of new technologies – about making the best use of warehouse space, of people, of technology. 2023 will be about optimizing everything, for maximum picking efficiency and productivity, and to be in the best position to make those crucial investment decisions.
At PALLITE Inc. we believe in starting with the physical environment. Once you have a physically efficient, organized warehouse space in which to work, you can plan the best use of people and technology to fulfill picking operations in that space.
That isn’t to say that planning your physical space should be done without thought to the people or technologies that will use it – quite the opposite in fact – but it shouldn’t be an afterthought.
Optimizing the warehouse
Every square inch of your warehouse space should serve a purpose. You need dedicated walkways and safe spaces for vehicle traffic, and the remainder should be dedicated to either pick locations or storage bins. Small, fast-moving SKUs can quickly take up vast areas when not properly organized.
It’s important to ensure storage bins themselves are utilized to their full potential, with appropriate pick bin shelf sizes and heights, strategic grouping of products, and clear identification of SKUs for ease of picking.
PALLITE Inc.: for the future
PALLITE Inc. was born out of the desire to help warehousing and logistics to meet current challenges and be future-ready. This focus, along with our commitment to innovation, has allowed us to develop our product offering in line with what the industry wants and needs.
“At PALLITE Inc., we don’t believe in doing things for the sake of it, when we could be doing them better. Just as we in our business want to be working faster, smarter, and with more mind to our impact on people and planet, we want to help businesses to do the same through our products. For this reason, we’re always innovating to make sure our products offer ultimate performance, flexibility and usability as standard, move with the times, and help businesses get ready for the future that’s on the horizon.”
PALLITE Inc. CEO IAIN HULMES
PALLITE™ PIX™: optimizing warehouses since 2021
Our flexible warehouse storage solutions help operatives improve picking efficiencies and pave the way for further modernization. Providing flexible yet incredibly durable honeycomb paper cardboard pick bins.
PALLITE™ PIX™ is the original warehouse storage solution, while PIX™ Slots is ideal for smaller, lighter SKUs, and PIX™ Slots Angled comes with the added benefit of pick bins with rearwards-angled shelves.
The entire storage bin range offers fantastic flexibility and full customization as standard. Individual units slot together easily, without the need for tools, and can be quickly flat packed when not in use. Easy-to-fit, interchangeable dividers enable warehouses to flex their storage around their products, rather than the other way around, and change their storage configuration at a moment’s notice. We’ve also left ample space for labels and tags so humans and automated systems alike can easily find specific items.
PIX™ storage units are all manufactured with palletised bases to provide ease of movement with forklifts or pallet pump trucks be they empty or full. They are mounted on a skid that can also be easily adapted for use with Goods-to-Person (GTP) AMRs, and we’re currently working with robotics suppliers to optimize their designs for use with collaborative (co-bot) autonomous mobile robots.
As with all our products, the PALLITE™ PIX™ warehouse storage bins are made from durable paper honeycomb cardboard, offering a light yet strong alternative to metal warehouse racking.
A Better Future
We get excited about warehouse storage optimization – about what’s possible and about how we can help businesses to achieve those possibilities. We’re ready for a more efficient, productive and sustainable future, and we want to bring as many businesses as possible with us on this supply chain journey.
