Over 70% of APAC warehouse operators, including India, seek automation for safety. As safety emerges as a top priority, automation tools are recognised as essential not only for optimising operations but also for safeguarding workers, according to a latest study conducted by Zebra Technologies.
CT Bureau
Zebra Technologies Corporation latest warehousing vision study titled, ‘Elevating Every Move: The Formula for High-Performance Warehousing,’ indicates in 2024, India’s total warehousing stock reportedly surpassed 500 million square feet, making the safety of frontline employees a critical focus alongside operational efficiency. As safety emerges as a top priority, automation tools are increasingly recognised as essential for optimising operations and safeguarding workers. According to the study, frontline workers clearly communicated the benefits of automating warehouse operations and the risks of not automating fast enough.
As per the study, 63 per cent of global warehouse leaders plan to implement AI (63 per cent in APAC, including India) and augmented reality (AR) (65 per cent in APAC, including India) within five years. In addition, 64 per cent surveyed globally plan to increase spending on warehouse modernisation in the next five years, with APAC leaders, including India at 63 per cent. Meanwhile, 63 per cent plan to accelerate their modernisation timelines by 2029 like 64 per cent in APAC, including India.
From an industry point of view, Interact Analysis projects global warehouse square footage will increase by 27 per cent to 42 billion square feet in 2030 from 33 billion square feet in 2023. Warehouse labour spend is likely to show long-term expansion projected at a compound annual growth rate of 7 per cent through 2030.
The study finds out: 85 per cent of associates (88 per cent in APAC, including India) report that if employers do not invest in technology to improve warehouse operations, they will not meet business objectives. Also, 74 per cent of associates (77 per cent in APAC, including India) are concerned they are spending too much time on tasks that could be automated.
As per the study, 72 per cent of associates (79 per cent in APAC, including India) are concerned about safety on the (increasingly busy) warehouse floor, with 70 per cent (72 per cent in APAC, including India) specifically worried about injuries. About 69 per cent of associates (73 per cent in APAC, including India) reported there is a lack of qualified staff on the warehouse floor and express concerns about fatigue and physical exhaustion (69 per cent globally, 76 per cent in APAC, including India).
Even warehouse leaders admit they find it challenging to maintain the fill rates (51 per cent globally, 45 per cent in APAC, including India) and prepare orders (47 per cent globally, 51 per cent in APAC, including India) outlined in their service level agreements (SLAs), with order accuracy (41 per cent globally, 43 per cent in APAC, including India) and outbound processes (41 per cent globally, 40 per cent in APAC, including India) cited as the top two challenges in the Zebra study. Increased e-commerce activity is making “faster delivery to the end-customer” (37 per cent globally, 36 per cent APAC, including India) a top challenge for warehouse teams, even as technology use is on the rise.
“It is a clear sign to enhance warehousing solutions when associates worldwide note that their lives would improve with more thoughtfully integrated automation in their workflows,” said Subramaniam Thiruppathi, Director, India sub-continent business, Zebra Technologies. “Automating material movement, data collection, and information management benefits everyone. It makes warehouses safer, helps teams meet SLAs more effectively, ensures a steady flow of quality goods to the market thereby boosting customer satisfaction and workers engagement,” he added.
Warehouse leaders believe the impact of mobile device-based AI applications will centre in on worker safety, quality control, and inventory management. While 79 per cent say AI will positively impact their ability to detect potential hazards and issue alerts for prevention, 78 per cent think AI would make an impact on their ability to detect issu es or anomalies using AI. This sentiment is echoed by 82 per cent and 81 per cent in APAC, including India warehouse leaders. In addition, 77 per cent (78 per cent in APAC, including India) feel AI applications would impact their ability to forecast needs, streamline stock levels, and maximise space using AI applications.
Many global warehouse leaders who plan to automate, their goal is to mitigate errors. They hope automation will increase worker efficiency and productivity (54% globally, 56% in APAC, including India) as well as reduce order errors and manual picking (53% globally and in APAC, including India). Plus, 82 per cent of warehouse leaders (84% in APAC, including India) agree that giving warehouse workers more technology tools will help them exceed productivity goals, while reducing physical strain and preventing injuries.
