Study: 6 in 10 operations decision makers plan warehouse automation to augment labor by 2024
Both automation and worker augmentation solutions will be a key focus for decision makers’ plans during the next five years.
Zebra Technologies Corp., Lincolnshire, Ill., announced the results of its “2024 Warehousing Vision Study,” which analyzes IT and operations decision makers’ current and planned strategies for modernizing their warehouses, distribution centers and fulfillment centers.
The study reports on the forward-thinking fulfillment strategies companies are focusing on to keep up with the growth of the on-demand economy. Both automation and worker augmentation solutions will be a key focus for decision makers’ plans during the next five years. More than three-quarters (77%) of respondents agree that augmenting workers with technology is the best way to introduce automation in the warehouse, but only 35% have a clear understanding of where to start automating. Nearly 87% of decision makers are currently in the process of or planning to expand the size of their warehouses by 2024, with 82% anticipating an increase in the number of warehouses during this timeframe.