It’s no secret: stocktakes and inventory controls are time-consuming and cost-intensive. In our article, we present the biggest challenges of manual inventories and reveal how you can already solve these problems today with an automated stocktake. Enjoy reading!
Manual inventories as a major cost factor
Every warehouse manager knows how much effort and resources are required for a stocktake. If you want to carry out a thorough inventory control, you therefore face many challenges: Above all, planning the stocktake is time-consuming; often you even have to close the warehouse for a few days to involve employees in the counting process of a full stocktake.
Perhaps the biggest problem?
Even with a sophisticated process, responsible staff and reliable software, manual inventory is prone to errors: goods often disappear and costly inventory discrepancies occur. It doesn’t matter whether you use a paper-based approach or mobile handhelds. Both approaches require manual labor and are prone to errors because employees have to check storage locations manually even with the handheld variety.
Mastering challenges – with state-of-the-art technology
A manual inventory therefore poses three main challenges for warehouses: 1) a large time investment, 2) a high susceptibility to errors, and 3) loss of sales due to a temporary closure of the warehouse. These three challenges can all be traced back to one root cause: Manual labor. If you want to speed up your inventories, that’s where you should start. The most advanced solution? A so-called inventory drone. What sounds like science fiction is being used in more and more warehouses these days: With drones, you can completely automate warehouse counts and overcome many challenges of manual inventories in no time. The result? More efficiency and a sustainable competitive advantage.
How automated stocktaking works
- You can either operate inventory drones by remote control or have them fly automatically through the warehouse aisles. With doks.inventairy, we are offering completely autonomous drones: You set the route and our drones fly it without any human intervention. Autonomous warehouse drones offer the greatest advantage because minimal equipment and no human involvement for your inventories is needed.
- The autonomous drone moves through your warehouse with the help of sensors, captures the barcode labels and takes pictures of the individual storage spaces during flight. You decide which data is relevant for you and should be collected.
- Even when using drones, a warehouse management system (WMS) is necessary. This is the only way you can convert all the data into information and detect discrepancies in the inventory as soon as you read it.
Tip: Drones are therefore also suitable for high-bay warehouses. Employees no longer need to reach the upper levels or laboriously bring the warehouse stock to the floor. The drone can even reach goods stored high up quickly and safely!
Closing words
Drones make inventory and stocktaking faster, easier, cheaper and safer. By the way, if you’re interested in drone inventory, you’ve come to the right place. Indoor or outdoor; inbound or outbound: contact us and make your next inventory as easy as possible!
