The importance and utilization of material handling equipment are shifted from low to high in the market. The equipment has become more mandated in the operation than a decade back.
Currently, it is impossible to carry out the activities without the help of material handling equipment. This is due to the fact that space optimization involves the utility of vertical and horizontal space. It leads to the rise of shelves.
Thus, it is very much difficult to access the products/inventories that are positioned at a greater height by humans.
Handling equipment plays a major role in reaching the products with easy access. Using machines and robots, it became easier to load and unload the inventories within a short period of time.
Time is a Crucial Factor
With the logistic advancements and new operational methods, it is highly demanded to move the shipments more efficiently. Efficient operations greatly involve the infrastructure and equipment of the firm.
SWOT-analysis helps them in analyzing competitiveness, but it gives you a theoretical calculation. Thus, changes and improvements are much needed in every stage of operation. The greatest bottleneck a firm can encounter lies in dispatch and replenishment.
Time is the crucial factor that defines the productivity of a firm in every aspect. The inflow and outflow of inventories incur time. Optimizing the time taken in the involved activities depends on the resources available and are used.
Reducing operational time is one of the main goals of warehouse management. If optimizing the operational time is the art, then Material Handling Equipment is the artist. Yes, you are reading it right.
Streamlining the Workflow
The workflow acts like a bridge between the various activities that are interlinked. Any interruption in the flow greatly impacts the other predecessor or successor activities. Thereby reducing productivity and warehousing efficiency.
Material handling equipment is quite useful in streamlining the workflow. Okay! But how? The workflow in warehousing or distribution centres is the loading and unloading of goods. Firms face constraints in optimizing inventory distribution.
Space matters a lot in this case. So, the space saturation makes it difficult to carry out the logistic. The wrong pick up and drop time is the main reason behind it. In the warehouse, stocking SKUs in both small and large batches transfers the heavy load.
Handling equipment is helpful in moving the batches of inventories within less period of time. Thus, the workflow is streamlined within the defined time.
Maximized Inventory Management
When it comes to inventory management, material handling plays an important role. Most firms use forklifts and reach trucks to lift and transit the inventories to the desired shelf. In the viewpoint of maximizing the inventories/stocks, firms have switched to multi-deep storage systems and high rise shelving/racking systems.
In order to maintain the stocks in the desired time, the efficiency of product movement is improvised using the forklift. These machines enable the firm to have control over the space management by utilizing the vertical space to the utmost level.
Also, it is practically impossible to use human resources to store stocks at a greater height. Both small and large scale industries are utilizing handling machines to a large extent.
Depending on the firm’s financial and budget strategies, firms choose rental or used equipment or owning new equipment.
Increased Productivity
Increasing productivity is not a simple task. And it doesn’t come in overnight. When introducing or bringing a change in the methodology and techniques there comes to constrain.
Speed and accuracy is the new mantra for warehouse management. Human resources make picking errors thus leading to accuracy loss. It is also unavoidable.
Thus replacing humans with handling equipment has shown promising results. Order Picker is the most widely preferred equipment in picking up the inventories from shelves.
This machine supports the firm in getting the best out of it. Handling equipment has significantly increased the productivity of warehousing.
Supply Chain
Warehouse management is decided based on the supply chain management that is being practised by the firm. Warehouse layout makes the operation either easy or complex.
Optimizing the supply chain helps your firm in managing the dispatch and stacking the inventories. Material Handling Equipment enhances the supply chain thereby increasing the overall efficiency.
When the movement is optimized with respect to layout, the integrated activities of warehousing is improvised. Handling equipment is the best choice for your organization to improve supply chain efficiency.
Benefits of Material Handling Equipment
- With the help of equipment, firms are able to achieve more ROI than before
- Any product/inventory stacked in any part of the shelving system can be accessed within a short time.
- Supports in enhancing the utilization of warehouse space
- It minimizes the time involved in inventory management
- As it comes both manual and automated, it delivers great performance and improved productivity.
