Mhlnews 4847 Warehouse
Mhlnews 4847 Warehouse
Mhlnews 4847 Warehouse
Mhlnews 4847 Warehouse
Mhlnews 4847 Warehouse

Mobile Solutions Help Warehouses Keep Up with Customer Demands

Dec. 14, 2016
With a majority of customers demanding orders faster, companies are taking the leap to invest in the latest mobile technology.

Striving for the “trifecta" of productivity metrics which includes, order accuracy, labor optimization and faster shipping, many businesses are looking to invest in the latest mobile technology.

A study by Wavelink, which polled 107 industry respondents in both NA (41%) and Europe (59%), found that companies view their next mobile platform to be a big leap forward from the generation they're currently using.

While a majority of the respondents plan to stick with Microsoft, near 40% surveyed are either "on the fence" or have plans to migrate away from the legacy Windows devices in order to run alternative operating systems. However, the criteria for mobile OS selection places a high priority on the following: a modern UI, customization options, and solutions that ensure business continuity -- not to mention security.

Highlights of the study include:

Leading Pressure Driving Investment in Mobile Solutions

  • Customers demanding orders faster                                           55.7%
  • Systems incapable of keeping up with orders                              42.1%
  • High cost of labor                                                                       37.5%
  • Supporting item level fulfillment                                                 36.4%
  • Reducing the cost of fulfillment errors                                        35.2%
  • Low availability of skilled labor                                                   31.8%
  • Running out of space                                                                  30.7%
  • Regulatory compliance requirements                                           29.6%

Primary Warehouse Improvement Initiative for 2106

  • Getting order shipped faster                                                        21.6%
  • Improve labor optimization                                                          20.5%
  • Improve perfect order rate                                                           14.8%
  • Reducing cost of errors                                                                10.2%
  • Improve dock logistics                                                                   8   %
  • Improving storage utilization                                                         8   %
  • Reducing labor costs                                                                     8    %
  • Meet compliance mandate                                                             5.6%
  • WMS upgrade                                                                                3.4%

Primary Factor Driving Decision to Upgrade Mobile Devices

  • Mobile OS on existing devices nearing EOL                                   34.8%
  • Upgrade applications to more modern/visual interface                 24.7%
  • Age of installed base of mobile devices                                          2.14%
  • Migrating from proprietary single purpose mobile solutions          11.2%
  • Expanding warehouse apps to include capabilities such as voice     5.6%
  • Replacing consumer grade/non-rugged mobile devices                  2.3%

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