SECTOR REPORT
SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY
BY GIGI WOOD, STAFF WRITER
WEARABLES HELP SOLVE ACCURACY, EFFICIENCY CHALLENGES IN FOOD LOGISTICS
I
t only takes a moment to realize the merits of advanced technology in the warehouse. Watch a picker use barcode scanners, voice command devices, headsets, smart gloves and other wearable devices, and it’s instantly clear how much more efficient workers can be when equipped. In coming years, the rate of adoption of these devices is only expected to increase and the technology itself will advance. “As wearables continue to grow in adoption, logistics automation will also evolve to improve omnichannel efficiencies,” says Thierry Mole, logistics practice director at Symphony RetailAI. Wearable devices and the software they use provide real-time visibility into inventory and replenishment needs, which can be especially important in fresh food warehousing and logistics. “New IoT technologies that are compatible with wearable solutions
will continue to improve and simplify the process for the picker,” Mole says. “These innovations include the wearables themselves, such as connected glasses and corresponding devices, such as digital tags and technologies that support automatic positioning, such as gravity, WiFi and beacons.”
Warehousing in a new age The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic presented countless challenges to the warehousing and food logistics industries. “During COVID-19, supply chain disruption hit an extreme,
intensifying issues around inventory, fresh item management and forecasting,” Mole says. “With more shoppers ordering products online, click-and-collect services put a greater strain on warehouse operations, as well as increased the use of dark stores to manage fulfillment. Many retailers continue to operate in siloed systems that cause inefficiencies and unclear communication. By breaking down these siloes, retailers can leverage internal knowledge along with
“Food logistics certainly requires stricter hygiene standards than many other industries and wearable scanners can address this concern better than conventional scanners. Not only are they easier to sanitize, but they also eliminate germ-spreading vectors like a shared scanner gun,” says Ilhan Kolko, chief product officer of ProGlove.
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FOOD LOGISTICS | MAY 2021
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