Modern Materials Handling Magazine Archives

From aging facilities to a lack of warehouse labor, cold storage is challenged. Fortunately, several forces from new capacity and consolidation to a surge of automation promise to make order fulfillment of refrigerated and frozen food more efficient than ever.

It’s now clear that one of silver linings of the past year is that the pandemic has hastened the adoption of the software and automation necessary to streamline operations to meet rising e-commerce demands—especially in the face of shrinking labor availability.

Once confined to the shipping department, cubing systems are moving upstream to measure individual items and boxes as well as pallet loads to improve handling processes and cube utilization.

Despite the hype, drones have been slow to catch on in the supply chain. But some intriguing new use cases suggest the technology could be ready to break out inside the DC.

Our annual reader survey found a nearly 20% drop in respondents holding off on software investments compared to the previous year when readers were struggling through the early months of the pandemic. Our 2021 report shows strong interest in inventory and labor management capabilities.

Warehouse execution systems are all about orchestrating busy fulfillment centers in the here and now. Some WES solutions are moving into more predictive capabilities that simulate what is likely to play out in the near future, recommending actions. It’s all part of the fast-evolving WES solutions space.

Not everything fits in a standard sized carton that moves around the DC with ease. Some items are just too big, too small, too heavy or too irregularly shaped for standard conveyors and require special handling. Don’t be intimidated. With the right planning and resource allocation, you’ve got this.

A mobile goods-to-person order picking system helps an abrasives products maker efficiently fill orders from expanded inventory, while also bringing some training and retention benefits.

With narrower aisle configurations on the rise due to warehouse capacity issues, reach truck ergonomics can help when it comes to productivity and safety.

Modern Material Handling sat down with Beth Flippo, Chief technology officer at Telegrid Technologies and Drone Express to discuss the company's space in the technology industry.