A warehouse serves as a crucial link in the supply chain, ensuring the smooth flow of goods from production to distribution. However, warehouse management is not without its challenges. Inefficiencies, inaccuracies, and suboptimal decision-making often lead to costly errors and delays.
The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its thousands of applications provide potential solutions for many of these problems. AI in the context of warehouse management refers to the application of intelligent systems and algorithms that can learn, adapt, and make autonomous decisions. From trivial tasks such as restocking shelves to more complex ones like determining optimal inventory layouts, AI can support operations in ways never before imagined.
As the nascent technology continues to develop, AI-driven solutions are becoming more commonplace, offering early adopters a competitive edge. Businesses that fail to keep up with the industry’s transformation are at risk of being left behind. Read on to learn how AI is transforming warehouse management and its implications for the future of logistics and supply chain operations.
Automation and Robotics
Automation isn’t new in warehousing, but AI-driven automation takes what traditional automation does a step further. Through the integration of AI-powered automation systems, robotic processes can be made smarter and more efficient.
In the past, commercial robots were confined to repetitive tasks that followed predetermined paths, such as moving pallets while making minor adjustments to avoid obstacles. However, a new generation of robots has emerged, equipped with the capability to handle objects of different shapes and sizes in unpredictable orientations.
With their newfound ability to manipulate objects in varying conditions, these robots can unlock a whole new realm of automation possibilities, expanding the scope of tasks that can be effectively automated.
RightHand Robotics, one of many startups leading the charge, has already developed a robotic gripper capable of picking and sorting objects of all shapes and sizes. Their robotic piece-picking solutions, combined with machine learning, can fully automate the tedious process of manually picking and sorting items from warehouses.
With order picking accounting for up to 55% of warehouse operating costs, these new automation protocols could lead to significant cost savings. As the number of AI applications continues to grow, the potential for warehouse automation will only increase. Businesses that thoughtfully execute their automation strategies will see the greatest benefits.
Inventory Management
Maintaining the right balance of inventory is essential for warehouse operations. Too much and you’ll have too much money tied up in stock, leading to higher costs. Too little and you’ll risk running out of items when customers need them. While the average stock-out rate is estimated to be about 8%, rates can climb much higher when demand is unpredictable and supply chains are overburdened.
During the Covid pandemic, retailers and distributors alike had to contend with supply chain disruptions and unpredictable customer demand. Even mega-retailers like Costco and Walmart, with vast resources at their disposal, faced stock-out rates above 30%. Estimates show stockouts cost North American retailers $349 billion in lost sales in 2022 – and that’s before factoring in indirect costs.
AI can help address this problem by anticipating and forecasting future demand for goods based on historic data and customer behavior. With anomaly and pattern detection, inventory AI can detect and alert businesses to changes in demand or supply that could affect inventory levels. Doing so helps warehouse managers adjust their purchasing decisions and restocking strategies accordingly, reducing the chances of losing out on sales due to stockouts.
AI-driven solutions can also help with inventory optimization, predicting optimal inventory levels based on sales forecasts, customer demand, and supply chain constraints. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithms can analyze data from a variety of sources to determine the most effective way to allocate inventory across different warehouses or stores.
Other AI applications such as natural language processing and image recognition are also being used to optimize inventory management tasks. Self-flying drones have recently been deployed in some warehouses to automate inventory auditing and update stock records. Similarly, image recognition AI is being used for automated item identification and sorting. While this level of automation is not usually needed, it underscores the broad range of AI inventory management solutions now available.
As AI becomes ever more ubiquitous in warehouse operations, the need for manual labor and cumbersome data entry will continue to diminish. With AI taking care of the mundane tasks of inventory management, warehouse managers can focus on higher-value tasks that require more forethought and strategy.
Warehouse Layout and Space Utilization
AI-powered solutions can also help businesses better utilize their warehouse space – an often overlooked but critical aspect of operations. With the average cost of warehouse space nearly $9 per square foot in 2022, it’s not difficult to see how unused space can quickly add up.
Manually designing a warehouse layout can be an arduous process that often leads to suboptimal results that require costly rearrangement in the future. With AI, warehouse layouts can be designed quickly with greater accuracy and fewer manual interventions.
AI-powered 3D mapping technology can help warehouse managers understand where space is being used and how it can be optimized. Through cloud-based scanning systems, businesses can create 3D models of their warehouses and accurately measure dimensions and distances between objects.
With this information, AI can generate a virtual model of the warehouse and use it to test different arrangements and layouts. This helps identify inefficiently utilized spaces and suggests rearrangements to increase storage capacity and improved traffic flows.
By reducing the need for manual layout design, AI-optimized warehouses can be up and running much faster, saving time and resources that can be used elsewhere. And with improved space utilization, businesses can avoid costly expansions and maximize the use of their existing warehouse space.
Data Analytics and Insights
Data is the lifeblood of any warehouse operation – from tracking orders and inventory to managing employee performance. With vast swathes of data coming in from different sources, manually analyzing it all can be a time-consuming and error-prone process. As businesses strive to be more data-driven, AI offers a way to make sense of data at scale.
Machine learning algorithms can analyze data from multiple sources and distill actionable insights that would otherwise be difficult to uncover. Bottlenecks that were previously undetectable are now easy to identify and fix. Lagging KPIs can be easily pinpointed, and long-term trends can be identified and used to inform future decisions.
With AI, big data can be enriched with new layers of data such as customer sentiment or supplier performance. Raw data can be transformed into actionable insights that warehouse managers can use to inform their decisions.
AI can also be used to measure employee performance, analyze customer profiles, and identify areas of improvement. While platforms like Tableau and PowerBI offer powerful data visualization insights, AI-driven analytics solutions take it one step further and add a predictive element to the mix. Augmented analytics, as it is known, helps businesses understand the past and predict what will happen in the future.
As data analytics becomes more pervasive in supply chain management, businesses will be able to move from reactivity to proactivity. AI-driven solutions help turn data into intelligence, enabling businesses to increase decision-making accuracy and agility.
AI Considerations and Challenges
While the potential benefits of AI in warehouse operations are clear, there are some considerations businesses should bear in mind before embarking on an AI-driven transformation. Without a clear roadmap, it can be difficult to determine which areas of the warehouse are best suited for AI. Businesses should identify their pain points and map out a clear plan for how AI can help address them before committing resources.
Selecting the right technology and finding the right partner can be a challenge without the right resources and know-how. With AI still a relatively new technology, businesses often lack the expertise to properly evaluate solutions. Given the complexity and price tag of many AI solutions, partnering with an experienced third party can help minimize risk and ensure a successful integration.
With a myriad of providers on the market, businesses should evaluate options carefully and avoid being drawn in by flashy sales pitches. Planning for the long term and selecting an AI platform that can scale as needs change is as important as selecting the right features and functions.
One of the biggest challenges for any AI implementation is data. Data is the foundation of any AI deployment – without it, AI algorithms are little more than guesswork. AI solutions like computer vision require high-quality data sets with sufficient variety to accurately identify objects. With data often coming from multiple sources, it must be collected and cleaned before it can be used to train AI models. Poor data resolution and accuracy can lead to incorrect insights and predictions, undermining AI’s benefits.
Data privacy is also a major consideration, especially with global regulations such as GDPR and CCPA coming into effect. AI algorithms need access to sensitive data to learn and function properly so having the right information security is paramount. Before deploying AI, businesses must ensure their data governance policies are in line with local laws and regulations.
Integrating AI-powered solutions into existing infrastructure can also be a challenge, especially for businesses with legacy systems. Assessing the current state of systems and deciding when and how to upgrade should be part of any AI implementation plan.
Finally, businesses should be mindful of the regulatory and ethical implications of AI-driven systems in warehouse operations. AI-enabled systems often rely on automated decision-making, which can lead to serious legal implications. Without proper oversight, organizations may be liable for decisions that are unethical or illegal. Regulatory frameworks must be established and adhered to ensure that AI-driven systems are compliant with local laws, regulations, and ethical standards.
The Bottom Line
AI is not a silver bullet and comes with its own set of challenges but with the right implementation plan and partner, businesses can unlock the full potential of AI in their warehouse operations. With advanced insights and improved decision-making capabilities, AI can help warehouses become more efficient, cost-effective, and responsive to customer needs. From automating mundane tasks and optimizing workflows to enhancing customer experience and uncovering new opportunities, AI is a key enabler for the warehouse of the future.
Ready to learn how Optichain can help you get started with AI in your warehouse? Contact us today. Our team of experts can help you develop a comprehensive AI implementation plan tailored to your business needs.
