Given the global nature of today’s supply networks, multi-tier visibility, planning and execution has become very complex. To manage today’s complexities, current systems are forcing functional groups to resolve problems with outdated processes and approaches.

The pandemic economy permanently raised the bar for global supply chains, demanding unprecedented speed, scale and flexibility. Automation and robotics— notably, autonomous mobile robots—will be an essential competitive advantage.

Microlistics, a global provider of warehouse management systems (WMS), points to five common warehousing strategies that organizations need to master if they wish to be successful in a multi-channel world.

Today’s supply chains are challenged by siloed decision-making, poor visibility and inconsistent response times.

Until recently, flexible depalletizing has been particularly challenging for warehouse robots to handle. While humans can easily deal with unstructured and ever-changing tasks like unloading a random assortment of items, robotic programming has taken a while to catch up.

Robotic automation can provide tremendous value for distribution and fulfillment operations, but how do you know where to start, what to expect along the journey, and whether your organization is ready?