Creepy and Impersonal
Right after I hit a specific birthday milestone, to my dismay, a mysterious amount of advertisement was mailed to my home. It had my name spelled perfectly and mentioned now may the time to start looking at shape-wear. Mark my words even if I was over one hundred years old, I would not purchase shape-wear. How absolutely creepy was that? My assumption was I was on some automated list.
That same week I contacted support for my cable TV Provider. I was directed through an automatic phone system with a myriad of instructions yet zero chance to reach a human being. The automated system was basically trying to help channel me to the correct code for trouble resolution. Let’s just put it this way, I switched providers. Sometimes you need a human being to help resolve an issue. This is good for business and worth the costs!
The same thing goes for Social Media! It is fine to automate tweets and updates. However, having a real live person jumping into your Twitter feed from time to time will help you build long lasting relationships and stay on the pulse of potential business.
True Automation
Now let’s discuss Warehouse Automation. This is kind of a loose term and admittedly it’s even part of our product’s name. True automation involves the use of machines or robotic equipment that is controlled by interfaces and programmed to handle very specific repetitive tasks. This can involve picking, packing, shipping, put-away etc.
The costs of this include machinery, maintenance, software, software integration or programming and hardware. Again this is ideal for certain monotonous tasks. The costs must be justified completely in comparison to alternatives. An example of this is our integration with a packaging machine which we wrote about recently. This automation when done correctly is not creepy.
Wireless Data Collection – The Step Before
The step before Warehouse Automation that is very realistic for growing distributors and manufacturers is actually Wireless Data-Collection. By immediately scanning inventory during the receiving, counting, moving, production, transfer, picking, packing and shipping processes – you increase your accuracy and eliminate room for error.
Each time you manually key data into a software system, there is the potential for mistakes. There is a high amount of risk associated with recording transactions on paper and then inputting the data into your system at a later point – letting time elapse.
Bar-coding and Radio Frequency can eliminate these errors. Additionally, through the use of Wi-Fi and RF Technology, you can implement warehouse control as your employees move around the warehouse because the data collection devices are mobile. This type of technology when used correctly is also good for business and worth the costs! Many companies doing things manually feel uncomfortable about this. Rest assured this is not creepy. This technology allows productive people to be more productive.
