E-commerce, short for electronic commerce, is the process of buying and selling goods and services over the Internet and spans various market segments. The growth in e-commerce sales has brought about several challenges for warehousing operations of all sizes and types. These challenges involve the need to store and move goods more efficiently and quickly while also meeting and exceeding customer expectations. By re-evaluating your operational procedures, implementing new strategies, and using the appropriate equipment, your company can adjust and gain a competitive advantage. Your most challenging obstacles can be turned into your greatest opportunities. The main type of e-commerce facilities you will usually find is business-to-consumer (B2C), which involves sales between businesses and individual consumers, such as online retailers selling directly to customers. Also, business-to-business (B2B) refers to sales between businesses, like manufacturers selling to wholesalers or retailers. Finally, there is direct-to-consumer (D2C) e-commerce, where brands sell directly to end-customers without intermediaries, such as retailers or wholesalers.
When considering the type of equipment needed to streamline or improve distribution operations, it’s important to prioritize the following factors. The equipment should be flexible enough to adapt to changing order volumes, inventory, product sizes, and mixes, and it should have the capacity to grow with the business, allowing for easy upgrades or additions as needed. In addition to increasing efficiency and safety, it’s important to choose equipment that maximizes storage capacity, minimizes floor space usage, and meets OSHA standards, providing operator safety features such as ergonomic design and backup alarms. Automation, such as conveyors, AS/RS, pick-to-light systems, or goods-to-person systems, can help reduce labor costs and increase efficiency. However, human oversight and intervention are still necessary. Therefore, equipment with easy maintenance access and minimal downtime requirements will significantly improve operational efficiency. Material handling equipment should be easily integrated with existing warehouse management systems and processes to ensure seamless operation.
When choosing storage equipment for your operation, it’s important to consider your warehouse layout and the type of equipment that can move within it. There are several options available, such as shelving, pallet racks, and carton flow. In addition, there is equipment that can help automate traditional processes like picking, packing, and shipping. For instance, pick-to-light and goods-to-person systems can efficiently handle order picking and consolidation. Automated parcel solutions, SLAM, and packaging equipment ensure smooth parcel flow without the need for manual labor. Conveyance and VNA storage can reduce excessive walking, streamlining the order-picking process. User-operated forklifts, reach trucks, and pallet jacks are essential for moving pallets and heavy loads, while robotic forklifts can handle repetitive tasks, freeing up staff for other duties. It’s important to choose equipment that can move seamlessly inside and outside, with quick charging opportunities and consistent power delivery.
Atlantic Installation specializes in providing comprehensive design and installation services, with a focus on automated or manual systems for order processing, picking, packing, and shipping. We can help upgrade safety protocols for your distribution center and streamline automation with conveyance of any size. Additionally, we can assist with implementing robust inventory management systems and flexible order processing to meet changing customer demands. Contact us to design a solution for your distribution center.
