London, UK: 81% of businesses within manufacturing, 3PL and retail industries, say staffing issues are driving warehouse automation needs, according to the Robotics and Automation report from consultancy Scala.
The report finds that over half of businesses surveyed are planning to invest in warehouse innovations to overcome labour shortages and rising e-commerce demands. This includes 59% deeming individual case or item picking systems as important to the future of the organisation, and 60% deeming full pallet putaway and retrieval automation as important to cope with future demand.
John Perry, managing director, Scala, said: “With no end in sight for the skills shortages across the industry, it’s perhaps not surprising that concerns over staff availability topped the list. The ongoing shortages are being exacerbated by rising e-commerce sales, with sales projected to reach $7.4 trillion by 2025.”
“If manufacturers, retailers and 3PLs are to cope with the increasing demands of e-commerce, these ambitions to introduce automation need to be actioned with urgency. Whether you’re a retailer trying to compete with delivery lead times, handle exceptional peak volumes effectively, or manage large volumes of online returns, having a smooth logistics process is a corporate priority.”
“This means partly removing the reliance on human labour in warehousing. Robotic and automated systems should be introduced for time-consuming and labor-intensive tasks, such as item picking and transporting around the warehouse.”
