Material handling requirements, technologies, and best practices are progressing rapidly-going far beyond distribution centers and warehouses, factories, and retail backrooms into temporary stores and even pop-up warehouses. During the past year, as a result of prosperous e-commerce order fulfillment demands, everything from increased automation and warehouse labor shortages to changing customer taste, and shipping expectations affected material handling efforts. These compressions have forced companies to continue to adjust their warehouse, distribution center, and in-store fulfillment and materials handling strategies, as retailers picked, packed, and shipped thousands of online orders.
On the other hand, the expanding e-commerce industry is establishing a demand for a flexible supply chain. E-commerce companies require third-party logistics and warehousing organizations to harmonize their supply chain with market fluctuations. Accordingly, the material handling industry has to build tailored equipment and systems that can make day-today operations more pliant. They are now producing engineered systems, remotely trackable transport vehicles, and smart warehousing systems to furnish real-time visibility and superior consumer experiences. This trend will continue as the demand for flexible supply chains will keep growing. In a bit to create flexible supply chains, the material handling industry has to switch its focus from mechanical to computer-controlled equipment and systems.
Further, one of the most critical components of this transition is the utilization of Big Data. These systems can bring information-driven decisions based on real-time data and develop the resources accordingly. Similarly, Big Data will also play a major role in analyzing production schedules and establishing the optimal downtime for maintenance. Predictive analytics based on Big Data can, therefore, help boost the performance of material handling equipment. Over the years, automation has played a significant role in supporting businesses to meet the growing consumer demand while keeping the production and logistics costs down, and it remains the core of flexible supply chains and manufacturing systems.
Logistics Tech Outlook’s editorial board has assessed and shortlisted a number of the foremost prominent organizations within the material handling system solution providers industry. We hope this issue of the Logistics Tech Outlook helps you build the partnership you and your firm need to foster a technologically-driven learning environment.
We present to you Logistics Tech Outlook’s “Top 10 Material Handling System Solution Providers - 2021.”