In today’s increasingly eco-conscious landscape, it’s become a bit of a given that businesses need to pay more attention to the environmental impact of their operations, and that includes their warehousing choices.
A properly configured Warehouse Management System (WMS) offers you not just the opportunity to take a more ethical approach, but it also brings with it an abundance of benefits aimed at reducing your carbon footprint. Here are five significant ways that your WMS can contribute to this goal:
Use what you’ve got.
With the emergence of systems like User Service Portal (USP), it’s now an option to redeploy the equipment you’ve already bought and already commissioned. Because all you actually need to access USP is tech that can access a browser. Which means that mobile works too. And with the ability to use mobile technology comes…
This is one of the basics, but it’s something that’s so obvious it’s often ignored.
Effective inventory management has always been central to reducing waste, and a well-configured WMS will help with precisely this. But by taking functionality that’s historically been stuck in an office far away from the warehouse floor, or on a forklift truck that doesn’t fit, INTO the location where the action’s taking place (thank you mobile technology), you can reduce errors caused by transcribing data – because you’re entering information at the point of creation rather than writing it down and then having to enter it into the system by hand when you get back to your terminal.
And by optimizing inventory levels, your system is also going to minimize the need for you to hold excess stock and to over-produce inventory, both of which contribute to energy use and emissions.
Meaning that fewer goods to store and less weight to transport will typically translate to a lower carbon output. And if your inventory rotation works properly (which it will, if you configure your system properly), you’ll find that you lose less stock to wastage as well.
Logistics is another area where sustainable choices can make a meaningful impact. Traditional transport planning might not choose the most efficient routes, which can lead to unnecessary (and expensive) fuel consumption and knock-on emissions. A sustainably focussed WMS will include functionality that allows for route optimisation, meaning that the miles driven are reduced and the carbon footprint of your logistics operation is minimised.
Transitioning to renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power is an excellent step toward sustainability. Your WMS could seamlessly integrate with these energy systems, further reducing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering the carbon footprint of your overall warehousing operations.
And finally, packaging waste contributes significantly to environmental degeneration. A properly deployed WMS can work hand in hand with your use of recyclable or reusable packaging materials.
It can keep an eye on your packaging inventory in the same way that it looks after the rest of your products. Which means you can reduce the need for new packaging. And each time you do that, you not only cut down on waste but also on the energy-intensive processes needed to produce those materials in the first place and recycle them at their end of life.
Is it time for you to look at a system that’ll help you reduce your carbon footprint, streamline logistics, manage inventory efficiently, and integrate renewable energy, all while promoting sustainable packaging practices?
In an age where environmental responsibility is paramount, we’d say that sustainability (and properly configured Warehouse Management Systems) in the supply chain isn’t just a wise choice; it’s a necessary one.
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