Today’s retail warehouses require seamless, reliable connectivity to accommodate demand at any point in time, but especially during the holidays, when a surge of seasonal e-commerce, on top of traditional retail demand, will stretch their resources to the limit. 

This year, the pressure will be high. The NRF predicts a 3.5% increase in overall holiday spending — smaller growth compared to previous years, but with consumers being highly conscious of their budgets, more may be skipping the mall and looking for deals online, potentially increasing the burden on e-commerce warehouses and distribution centers.

The modern retail warehouse is no longer a simple storage facility, but a critical nexus for order processing and fulfillment, with teams working around the clock to move parcels along to their next destination. Demand for next-day and even same-day delivery is also surging, creating additional pressure to accelerate warehouse operations. 

Increasingly complex logistics require increasingly complex technology. Retail warehouses nowadays are outfitted with advanced equipment, devices and applications to support expanding workloads and evolving operational requirements. These devices need constant connectivity to work properly and not disrupt workflows or slow down operations — increasing employee frustration and customer dissatisfaction. 

To ensure reliable connectivity, warehouses cannot rely solely on Wi-Fi or count on the outdoor cellular signal reaching the entire inside of the facility. Instead, they should consider their wireless strategy and assess their network coverage needs in four areas: Wi-Fi, public cellular, private cellular and IoT integration. With this comprehensive approach, warehouses can keep operations running smoothly and efficiently throughout the holiday rush and beyond. 

Seasonal Spikes in Persistent Challenges 

The logistical challenges of the holiday season are often volume-related; they magnify the everyday problems retail warehouses face by placing added strain on existing workflows. And these surges don’t just happen during the holiday season. Major sales, a spike in demand for a particular product, and even social media trends such as shopping hauls, can all have an impact on warehouses’ processing load. 

Regardless of the challenge at hand, retail warehouses can’t afford downtime. With overall e-commerce demand on the rise, warehouses are tasked with expediting fulfillment while maintaining accuracy and security of inventory. Stable connections ensure a speedier, more accurate fulfillment process by keeping critical equipment online, giving employees reliable access to key information, and powering cross-warehouse communications. 

Reliable connectivity is also a safety priority. Today’s warehouses are often outfitted with special sensors and cameras that can alert employees to potential hazards, like a loose piece of cargo on a high shelf. When online and functioning properly, these technologies can help to preserve workers’ well-being, giving them greater peace of mind while on the job and ultimately driving efficiency.

Adopting a Complete Wireless Strategy 

A complete wireless strategy is the key to seamless connectivity in a retail warehouse. Many warehouses already employ all of their components, but they may not be taking full advantage of their capabilities or using the right technology to support them, leading to increased network downtime. 

Here’s how warehouses can best adopt all four pillars of a complete wireless strategy:

Wi-Fi

While not ideal for running devices on the warehouse floor, Wi-Fi still plays an important role in overall operations. Wi-Fi is best suited for back-office functions such as email (both internal and external), payroll and workforce management applications, which are largely centralized and don’t require much more than a computer to operate.

Public Cellular

Advances in 5G cellular have been transformative for warehouses, greatly expanding the volume of data and number of devices a network can support while increasing communication speeds. However, warehouses are notorious for dead zones, where outside signals cannot reach, resulting in a loss of connectivity. This prevents critical warehouse technology properly, leading to lost productivity and operational slowdowns. 

Cellular signal boosters can ensure stable signal throughout the warehouse, eliminating the presence of dead zones by bringing the power of the macro network indoors. There are intelligent signal boosters or DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems) available for warehouses of every size — up to 1 million sq ft. The right system for the space will ensure full coverage, be expandable and flexible as needed, and ready for the future. Some cellular DAS / sign boosters come with the ability to turn on private networking at any time.

Private Cellular

Private cellular networks are more secure than Wi-Fi networks, keeping information and data safe and out of the wrong hands. These organization-specific networks provide reliable support for security cameras, IoT devices and other smart systems that require a more secure, autonomous connection than the macro network.

Like with public cellular, intelligent active DAS can also deliver private cellular coverage throughout a facility to guarantee an extra-secure connection wherever needed.

IoT Devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a key component of any modern logistics operation. From special sensors to equipment plugins, the speed and efficiency of delivery that e-commerce customers enjoy today would be impossible without these devices. 

IoT devices are all installed throughout warehouses to collect data, delivering crucial insights that facilitate more efficient logistics, inventory management and labor utilization. They also enable in-building tracking and navigation to reduce the potential for errors and keep merchandise more secure.

All of these devices require reliable connectivity, as they need to exchange data across the warehouse and externally. Together with the other three pillars of a complete wireless strategy in play, IoT devices round out a fully connected, modern retail warehouse.

Turning Holiday Readiness into Permanent Efficiency 

As warehouses improve their wireless connectivity ahead of a busy holiday season, they’re laying the groundwork for long-term success. By adopting a complete, four-part wireless strategy, retail warehouses will have the proper infrastructure in place to effectively manage surges in demand at any time of the year, while also improving operations during times of routine demand. They’ll also be more secure, with constant uptime for the devices and systems keeping people, goods and information safe.

Stephen Kowal is CCO of Nextivity.