Mobile technology has completely revolutionised so many industries, including the supply chain. In warehouse environments, mobility is more important than ever. Customers expect more and more every year, quicker delivery and quality products at competitive prices. To stay competitive and sustain growth in the future, you should invest in mobile devices to improve your supply chain, logistics and transportation of your goods.
By adopting mobile technology throughout your warehouses and distribution centres, you will see the operational benefits which will have positive implications for your customer service and improve your growth rates of sales and revenue.
What is Mobility?
Mobility in the warehouse is the connection that your workers have to the warehouse management system regardless of where they are in the warehouse through mobile devices. These devices can be barcode scanners, mobile tablets or computers or other wearable devices that can be used in the warehouse environment.
Mobility allows managers and employees to work freely in the warehouse environment without being tied to one place by a device that cannot be moved. These mobile devices can provide data and information in real-time that allows managers to make smart business decisions. Here is why mobility is essential in warehouse environments:
Improved Productivity
The number of processes and teams that all work in tandem in a warehouse to bring goods through the supply chain is monumental. There are many places where things can go wrong, and a lot of efficient organisation and processes are needed to keep the whole thing flowing efficiently.
With mobility in the warehouse, you can manage logistics operations more effectively, allowing managers to float between areas and keep things running smoothly without being tied down to specific locations by devices that need to be plugged in. This improves communication across the whole supply chain, allowing you to streamline your processes and improve worker productivity.
Real-Time Decision Making
Without managers being tied to desks and monitors by wires, they are more easily able to track the status of goods as they come and go from anywhere within the warehouse. They can be on top of the warehouse floor, travelling to and from locations all while still able to monitor the performance of employees, the warehouse itself or the entire supply chain from the device in their hand.
All this enables them to make real-time decisions that will have positive implications for the business. You won’t have to wait for data to be put together from paper forms and make decisions much further down the line. Instead, you will have all the tools and information you need in the palm of your hand to make smart, cost-effective decisions based on real-time data.
Cost-Effective
These mobile systems are not only incredibly affordable, but they can pay for themselves down the line due to the improved business processes that they allow for and the reduction in human error when you use the likes of barcode scanners rather than taking stock manually. The data in mobile devices can lead to good asset utilisation, extending their lifecycle and reducing breakage and losses.
Health and Safety
There can be restrictions in warehouse environments due to health and safety reasons, like refrigeration temperatures in the cold chain that employees need to carefully monitor. With mobile tracking, employees can receive alerts about their time spent in restrictive areas so they can ensure that they are complying with health and safety laws.
Quicker Transit Time
The quick movement of goods is paramount to the supply chain. With mobile devices, the communication between the different hubs and delivery centres will be more transparent and efficient, allowing for fast-paced processes and any mistakes or problems to be resolved quickly.
With mobile devices, your assets are tracked, and information regarding transportation processes and the condition of the assets is available in real-time, helping the whole process move more quickly and smoothly, keeping both your customers and end clients satisfied.
Longer Asset Lifecycle
With the increased visibility provided by your mobile tracking system, you will be able to utilise your assets better, improving their lifecycle and reducing the overall cost of ownership. With mobile tracking, you will always know where your assets are, and which employees were responsible for them. So should something go missing or become damaged, you will know which party is responsible.
At GSM Barcoding, we can provide you with all the tools you need to ensure your workforce can stay connected. With our Enterprise Mobility Management solutions, we can implement wireless networks and Mobile Device Management software into your business to maximise business productivity. And for barcoding solutions, we can provide you with barcode label printing and asset labels, contact us today for more information.
