The Future of Warehouse Management with Logistics Apps

Warehousing has been the backbone of supply chain management since its inception. Warehousing serves many purposes, including the storing of goods and timely dispatches. In short, warehouses are critical factors in how effectively businesses serve their customers. However, traditional warehousing functions will no longer suffice today; as businesses face rapid growth in e-commerce, increasing complexity in global trade, and continued upward inflationary pressure from customer expectations, the need to rethink their operating models using existing resources is rapidly becoming a necessity.  

This is the point of intervention that logistics apps can provide benefit. The “future of warehousing” using logistics apps is more than digitization; it is more about transformation. The advent of logistics technology has led to unprecedented levels of agility, intelligence, and precision in traditional warehouse operations. 

Why Warehouses Need Transformation

For decades, warehouse management systems (WMS) have been in place to track inventory and streamline workflows. To this day, however, many businesses still maintain entrenched existing processes that rely on outdated methods of manual tracking, fragmented spreadsheets, and siloed systems that include:  

• Inventory mismatches between systems and physical stock  
• Slow order fulfillment and shipment delays 
• Increased costs associated with inefficiency  
• Lack of visibility along touchpoints in the supply chain  

Modern logisitics apps provide prescriptive solutions to address these systemic pain points that have plagued warehousing since its inception. Logistics apps provide the combination of mobile capability, real-time data sync and cloud-based integration that creates a “smarter” and better connected warehouse. 

The Role of Logistics Apps in Modern Warehousing

Logistics apps are developed to integrate and leverage every aspect of warehouse management into one cohesive, seamless digitally enabled ecosystem. Here is how logistics apps are changing the way we think about warehousing: 

• Real time inventory tracking  

The days of counting stock counts at the end of the day have passed. With logistics apps today, users receive live visibility into their warehoused inventory, where the inventory is located inBarcode scanning, RFID technology, and IoT sensors have made it easy to minimize mistakes and improve precision.

• Predictive Demand Forecasting

Logistics applications that analyze sales trends and order patterns can make more accurate predictions about demand in the future. This ensures the warehouse does not under- or over-stock their products, thus always maintaining optimal stock levels.

• Automation of Repeating Tasks

Logistics applications automate repetitive tasks, from picking and packing to alerts that let the warehouse know it needs to restock some items. This enhances the ability of the operations to operate quickly and at higher levels of efficiency while freeing employees to focus on higher-value tasks.

• Integration with Delivery Networks

New logistics applications offer the ability to integrate with last-mile delivery services seamlessly. This allows a continuous flow of products from the warehouse shelves to the end customer’s doorsteps, with little lag time and an increased customer satisfaction rate.

• Workforce Optimization

An application can assign workers specific picking routes, gauge an employee’s productivity, and even recommend changes to staffing levels during peak seasons. This creates a balance between budgeting, cost savings, and productivity in the warehouse while improving accuracy, accountability, and efficiency.

Benefits of Logistics Apps for Warehouse Management

What is the future of warehouse management as it relates to logistics applications? It is measurable returns that create a sound ROI.

Measurable returns could take many forms in a logistics application, but here are the top five measures of return: 

• Increased Accuracy: A substantial decrease in human error related to inventory management and shipping.
• Faster Turnaround: An increase in the ability to speed up order processing, which ultimately leads to faster deliveries.
• Scalability: Applications generally have systems and processes in which they can adjust as your business grows and you don’t have to spend money on massive upgrades to infrastructure.
• Cost Savings: Lower labor costs, decreased space utilization, and product loss are all powerful returns to measure.
• Sustainability: Logistics, or green logistics, use space more efficiently, decrease waste, and align with sustainability goals.The Impact of Technology on the Future of Warehouse Management.

Innovative technologies are improving logistics applications to be more robust:

• AI & Machine Learning: Intelligent forecasting, abnormality detection, and optimization of efficient processes.
• IoT Devices: Synchronous, connected sensors that pay attention in real time to environmental factors, like temperature and humidity, that matter for goods very sensitive to changes. 
• Robotic Platforms: Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and drones that support warehousing applications to facilitate faster movement of inventory. 
• Cloud and Mobile Access: Facilities and administrative staff can see live warehouse data from any location and time of day. 

Finally, these technologies ensure warehouses will no longer be stagnant areas to store products. They will become active, evolving centers of intelligence.

Key Features Businesses Should Look For

When considering the investment in logistics applications for a warehouse, companies want solutions that offer:

• Fully customizable dashboards for real-time visibility.
• Ability to integrate with ERP, CRM, and e-commerce platforms
• Mobile-first application use while in the field
• Functionalities for advanced analytics & reporting for continuous improvement
• Security compliant applications to support your requirements to protect sensitive data

The Future

The next generation of warehouse management will evolve with ideas of flexibility and smarts. Warehouses will soon become digitally orchestrated centers that don’t just hold products but can predict, plan, and carry out operations with limited errors.

Businesses taking the lead on what is available now will be best equipped to gain a competitive advantage by meeting customer requirements faster and reducing expenses while being resilient in today’s volatile markets.

Traditional warehouse processes cannot keep up with the demand and expectations of the modern-day supply chain.

Logistics applications will give companies the capability, and benefit of not only real-time inventory visibility, but predictive forecasting capabilities and automating work processes.

Benefits will be realized through accuracy of recordkeeping, scalability, reduction in operating costs, and sustainability.

New technologies, AI, IoT, robots, and cloud technology will become the foundation for conversations about the next generation of warehousing.

With this in mind, companies should first look to integrate with existing systems or digitize their most current manual processes, then focus on mobility, machine learning, advanced analytics and security in logistics applications.

It is clear the future is digital, data-focused and accessed through applications, and logistics applications are tools, that every modern warehousing strategy must consider as essential, and importantly logistics applications will allow companies the ability to unlock workforce data and be more accurate, efficient and agile at scale.

At Creatah, we believe the future will be assisted by combining logistics applications with business intelligence tools. Companies will be able to take advantage of their warehouse by being to do much more than just warehouse goods, but activate deeper insights into products and decision making, faster throughout the entire supply chain.