2020 has been a challenging year for business all round. “Not only has our adaptation to change been tested during the lockdown period, but it will also be the key factor in who will survive these challenging operational times,” said Anthea van Breemen of Forte Warehouse Solutions.The world over, quarantine policies and lockdown restrictions have changed the way companies operate.
“With work from home being the new normal we switched to the likes of TEAMS, Zoom and Skype for business simply because we had no other choice,” said Van Breemen. “Installing new processes and systems while everybody has been operating from home locations has forced most companies into new ways of thinking.
Suddenly everything had to be digital.”This impacted significantly on the operations of most companies in the warehousing space which was deemed an essential service industry from the get-go.“The essential services industry was thrown in the deep end and had no time to implement the necessary tools and processes to allow for less interface and remote location working. For the most part we found companies had to make do with what they had at lock down while facing new challenges.”
According to Van Breemen most warehouses in the essential services industry experienced sudden increased volumes and had to hire more workers. The challenge was to minimise disruption. “They also needed to be able to address unexpected and unplanned challenges such as when key personnel were forced to self-isolate. This immediately leaves a gap in the organisation – especially if these were the people holding all the k nowledge.”
Van Breemen said the crisis had highlighted the importance of systems and processes in the warehousing space that were structured and backed by technology for decision making.
“Warehouse management systems (WMS) are critical in the modern-day warehouse environment,” she said. “A good WMS has processes in place that lead the business of inbound, outbound and stock control through the daily routines and allow quick staff training.”
She said now that businesses had been forced to adapt to new technology, the introduction of a WMS was not so frightening. “We are definitely seeing a growing number of enquiries and implementations.”