Warehouses are almost unrecognisable nowadays compared to just 50 years ago. They’re extremely high-tech environments, in which a range of advanced technologies can seamlessly store, sort and pack items in ways that would have seemed impossible just a few decades ago. 

However, integrating these different technologies into a single, cohesive and easily operable system can be surprisingly difficult. Here, we explore some of the main areas you’ll need to look into, so that you can understand your tech integration requirements for your warehouse.

Documenting your existing infrastructure

Before you can even think about integrating new tech, you need to get to grips with your existing infrastructure. This will include a wide range of aspects, including the various networks – both cloud and on-premise – that you have access to and the tools and systems you’re currently using. 

This initial survey, and later attempts to understand your warehouse needs, should also include speaking with the people who actually use these systems day in and day out. They will be able to provide a range of insights that you could easily miss out on otherwise.

You should attempt to develop a report that details how each of these is linked together, compatibility issues that you may have experienced, along with any other pertinent information. Based on that, you can start to think about which other bits of tech might be useful, whether that’s to integrate existing tools or to fill some other kind of gap.

Understanding your needs

To understand what your warehouse tech integration requirements are, you need to develop a thorough understanding of your needs. There are thousands of different tools and systems out there nowadays, and many of them are incredibly capable of their specific function. 

To figure out which of these are worth integrating into your warehouse, you need to be clear on which areas of warehouse management and operation you need help with. Whether that’s order management software or an automated truck loading system from Joloda Hydraroll, you need to work backwards from your specific needs. 

Choosing the right warehouse management system

In most cases, you’ll want a single piece of software with an easy-to-interpret interface to keep on top of everything warehouse management-related. These tools – called Warehouse Management Systems (or WMS) – will be central to your tech integration efforts.

Picking the right WMS for your needs is something that you’ll need to put some time and effort into. Ideally, you’ll want to choose one early on, so that you don’t have to then set everything up again at a later date. You’ll need to think about both your current needs, and how you expect your requirements to grow, so that your WMS can scale as your operations get bigger and bigger.

This isn’t an issue that you’ll sort out quickly once and for all. You’ll need to keep on coming back to the question of tech integration in your warehouse, making sure that your strategy remains relevant and applicable to the issues that you’re actually facing.