February 19 2016
Beverage storage systems continue to be driven by automation
By: Amanda Del Buono, Associate Editor, Beverage Industry
In an article published by Beverage Industry, Amanda Del Buono, associate editor, explains how the beverage industry is driven by automation. According to a recent statistic from Chicago-based Mintel’s Global New Products Database, there were 5,226 new beverages launched in North America between January 2015 and January 2016.
With consumers demanding more product diversity, companies are constantly launching new items. This is causing strain on warehouses not only because of the plethora of new SKUs, but customers’ orders are also no longer full pallets of the same SKU. Rather, orders are now being tracked at the case level. These new complexities are driving manufacturers and distributors to explore the benefits of automation.
Automating a warehouse with an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) will combat the struggle of growing SKUs with vertical storage. Throughout this article, Aaron Corcoran, account executive at Westfalia Technologies, Inc., emphasizes automation by discussing how an AS/RS impacts the beverage industry and allows for the difficulty of multiple SKUs.
Corcoran also mentions that combining an AS/RS with a warehouse execution system (WES) can change how a company does daily business. This two-in-one software has the functionality of both a WMS and a WCS. Beverage companies do not want to lose their competitive edge and by investing in an AS/RS, they are able to handle SKU growth while creating a more efficient warehouse.
To read the full article published by Beverage Industry, click here