Automation needs a clear plan

Technology and more
technology is what can be
expected in the warehousing
industry, says Martin
Bailey, managing director of
Industrial Logistic Systems
(ILS).
While not all of the
technology will stand the test of
time Bailey says some real gains
have been made in warehouses,
creating more efficiency.
“Greater variety, better
systems, more integration,
more efficiency and greater
flexibility are all gains we have
made,” he says.
The ongoing investment in
technology has also meant that
many of the newer systems and
processes are costing less and
have become easier to access.
“We often still lag behind
in South Africa when it comes
to the application of some of
the newer technologies, but
we are going to have to change
our way of thinking,” he says.
“It simply cannot be business
as usual. South African
companies are going to have to
take a new approach, exploring
the range of options available
to them as we are no longer
competing nationally but at an
international level.”
Warehouse automation will
continue to dominate in the
near future.
“As we
look at these
world class
systems and
technologies
we are going
to also have
to take a
look at how
we operate
and manage
warehouses.
It’s not simply
a matter of
automating a
warehouse,”
he explains.
“There are a lot of things
that have to first be in
place – including having the
appropriate infrastructure and
the right people to then operate
those systems. Training of
warehouse employees will
become crucial.”
He says automation
immediately increases risk in
the warehouse. “I have seen
fully automated warehouses
built without a proper strategy
in place only to find that it
does not serve
the needs of
the business.
There is no
changing that
after the fact
like a manual
warehouse,” he
explains.
“Whilst
these new
technologies and
systems do give
the competitive
edge and have a
higher reward,
it is just as much
about installing
the right things in the right
environment.”
He says sometimes
automation can take months
before being implemented
correctly and a business needs
to be able to withstand that.
INSERT & CAPTION
The capital investment
into the technology
is irrelevant. What is
important is why it is
needed and what it will
mean to the bottom
line of the business.
– Martin Bailey