A view of the present and future of warehouse management

Three of Körber’s leading warehouse automation experts share their perspectives herein on market developments: Steve Markham, EVP and Head of North American Supply Chain Consulting at Körber Business Area Supply Chain; Sean Enslin, Senior Sales Representative at Körber Business Area Supply Chain; and Ananta Islam, Chief Executive Officer and Region President Americas at Körber Business Area Supply Chain. 

The following key trends will shape the future of warehouse management. 

Speed and accuracy are critical for any warehouse, giving Körber’s existing supply chain software and solutions a distinct advantage. 

Yet AI, machine learning, and advanced analysis are unlocking exciting new possibilities, enabling warehouse management systems to act even more autonomously. As Markham explains, “While we’re not there yet, we’ll eventually reach a point where systems encounter changes and immediately take countermeasures.” This evolution could significantly boost warehouse accuracy and drive strong demand for these technologies.  

However, Markham emphasizes that humans will always play a vital oversight role. And no matter how advanced your system is, it needs to be easy to use and easy to train on. “This helps from an accuracy point of view so that people are not bypassing the system you put in place.”  

Equally important is ensuring that these human operators are being optimally deployed on the warehouse floor. As Islam clarifies, “One of the number-one areas where customers ask for our expertise is in assessing individual areas of their [warehouse] floors and determining whether they need the four or five operators currently working there - and if that number can be halved.” Mastery of tools like resource and labor management features, which are integrated into Warehouse Management Solutions, makes this analysis straightforward. 

Real estate pressures, particularly in Europe, are driving warehouses to expand storage vertically. But this isn’t just about stacking shelves higher - it’s sparking innovative solutions across the industry.  

Markham notes that improved accuracy also means reducing inventory levels. Predictive technology such as Körber’s enables warehouse operators to stock precisely what’s needed, saving precious space. 

Emerging technologies are also helping reimagine warehouse space needs. Enslin highlights autonomous drones as a promising use case for inventory management. Looking ahead, he envisions scenarios where companies like Körber could offer customers 3D printing for spare parts. “Instead of dedicating an aisle just to spare parts, you could instead have a library of parts to print as needed.” 

As supply chains become more efficient, it’s critical that warehouses integrate seamlessly and avoid becoming bottlenecks. Experts at Körber see lots of demand for warehouse and parcel hub automation services that seamlessly connect logistic systems to enable faster, more flexible, and more efficient operations. 

One big pain point sitting at the front end of warehouse operations is unloading. Islam remarks, “This is a problem that everyone in the supply chain industry is trying to solve: How do you automate unloading?” While companies across the board are investing large amounts of time, money, and resources into the challenge, Körber is finding early success by thinking holistically. Islam points to the combination of intelligent route planning to warehouses, smart distribution of irregularly shaped parcels, and innovative products like a conveyer belt that can be installed on the floor of a trailer or container. 

However, in highly regulated and complex supply chains, even deeper integration is required. Markham identifies Körber’s visionary Drug Supply Chain Security Act serialization efforts as a model. 

With track-and-trace software, every unit of a prescription drug can be traced across OEMs/importers, warehouses, and distributors. This fully automated solution manages everything from ensuring that fragile medications are placed in the right packaging to efficiently tracking the location and status of an order—pointing to a great degree of efficiency and real-time insights a system like Körber’s can provide. 

And we’re currently working with food and beverage, medical device, and electronics companies to help them meet their own track-and-trace compliance requirements. With greater adoption of these types of precision supply chain solutions, we can expect this degree of visibility and integration to become a new industry standard. 

Find more information about our end-to-end solutions along the supply chain.