Fulfiling online orders profitably has a significant impact on retail customer satisfaction - and the latest developments in warehouse technology provide significant efficiency gains and a good ROI, according to Conveyor Networks.
Warehouse controls are a key element in an automated system as they integrate the different components in the system and streamline it with the following advantages.
Safety is improved
- Less people are involved in the operation, human error is minimised as is the likelihood of accidents
- Designing a system in line with machine safety directives ensures the safety of operatives is central to the operation
Flexibility and onsite control
- The latest range of PLCs and Controls are more standardised, more commonly used and work well with new technology
- Good Control philosophy means bespoke requirements can be added in so that different settings can be used as required giving a greater degree of onsite control
Increased productivity
- Controls mean the operation runs consistently and much more predictably
- Changes can be anticipated and don’t require manual intervention to implement, saving time and costs
- Reduced error rates mean less downtime
Feedback
- Smart controls systems also monitor running time and the lifecycles of parts showing mean time to repair and improving efficiency and forward planning
- Similarly an unexpected operating problem will be communicated before it escalates into a more serious problem
Energy efficiency
- A smart system will only run when product needs to be moved rather than constantly running. For example eco modes built in to optimise efficiencies