The silent warehouse awaits

Why would you need them? There are no people to segregate from the quietly humming machinery that smoothly conveys products from shelf to bench to be wrapped or packed and conveyed onwards to despatch, where an automated truck awaits.

Whether you see this a dream or a nightmare is up to you. I can certainly see the health and safety benefits and perhaps the management algorithms that run future companies will beep in satisfaction at the quiet efficiency of it all.

While this might be the future, the article here shows robots have a way to go (especially with item picking).

Ten years ago if an adult was to ask the question – what is a warehouse? – no doubt they would have been sarcastically shown a picture book which also features a car, a tree and a school. It does not seem a stupid question these days, and not because of the dumbing down of the education system, but because of fast-changing patterns of distribution.

The explosion in eCommerce has pushed products way off the beaten track of DC to store, basically to anywhere a consumer will be inclined to pick it up. Therefore we see a storage role performed by mini-warehouses everywhere from railways stations to corner shops, and universities.

One of the prime movers in this sector is Doddle and we interview the COO where he says his company is as geeky about storage as any warehouse operators. We also hear how their targeting of locations with large, regular footfall could help retailers and couriers cope with the next big delivery peak.

Nominations are now open for the FLTA Awards for Excellence. Make sure you don’t miss out on the industry’s biggest and best night of the year in 2016. 

The International Centre in Telford is the perfect setting for the industry to celebrate the very best in forklift innovation. The audience can expect the gravitas of the industry’s leading Awards, a first rate business networking event, as well as a few surprises on the night.

Entering could not be easier, just go to the FLTA website and follow the instructions. The Awards are open to companies large and small and there is an amazing range of categories to compete in.

HSS is very proud to be the media partner for the FLTA Awards for Excellence so click here to find out how you can nominate yourselves and others.