Warehouses are the backbone of the supply chain industry. They are a critical link that ensures products are stored safely, tracked accurately, and dispatched timely to meet customer demands. The global warehousing and storage market grew to $714 billion in 2023. Today’s fast-paced logistics industry has increased the complexity of modern warehousing. From maintaining precise inventory to handling diverse products and ensuring seamless collaboration among multiple stakeholders, the stakes are high. Any inefficiencies or errors could lead to delays, increased costs, and dissatisfied customers. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there’s been a strong focus on de-risking supply chains and spreading manufacturing facilities and warehouses. “It’s clear that there’s a strong effort to reshore back to the U.S.,” Tom Ryden, executive director of MassRobotics, tells me. “I think the only way you can do that effectively is with some form of automation.” Enter artificial intelligence. With the advent of autonomous drones, robotic arms, and intelligent human-machine collaboration, warehousing is undergoing a revolutionary transformation. Let’s understand these innovations, where they fit into warehousing, and how they can deliver value. Maintaining accurate inventory has been a daunting task for warehouse operators. Traditional manual checks are time-consuming and prone to human error. This challenge is more pronounced in large warehouses that handle thousands of SKUs, where even minor errors could lead to big financial losses and erosion of customer trust. In a survey by Stitchlabs, 67% of companies shared that going out of stock after an order is placed is a top inventory mistake that frustrates customers.

Full report : Next-Gen Smart Warehouses: How AI Is Shaping The Modern Supply Chain.