Automation Key to Solving Warehouse Labor Shortages, According to Leading Automated Storage Solutions Manufacturer Modula

LEWISTON, Maine, Dec. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Modula, a leading automated storage solutions manufacturer, published a whitepaper in collaboration with Modern Material Handling to examine how automation has helped warehouses offset severe labor shortages and increase picking efficiency during the COVID crisis.

With the introduction of social distancing measures in 2020, consumers shifted from in-store to online shopping "almost overnight," said Modula's experts. The eCommerce industry maintained the momentum in 2021, growing at a projected rate of 27.6% in comparison to the year prior and bringing new challenges to warehouses worldwide.

Racing to fulfill orders, warehouses have not only had to navigate supply chain issues such as inventory shortages, but also overcome unprecedented labor shortages, the whitepaper explained. In July 2021 the warehouse and transportation industries struggled to fill out over 490,000 positions with experts warning that the labor gap will only continue to increase.

According to Modula, these COVID-induced challenges have accelerated the industry's adoption of automated solutions. The whitepaper states:

"As a sector that was already using automation pre-pandemic, warehousing took an even bigger interest in technology as a way to augment their human labor forces and meet customer needs while also maintaining profitability."

GF Machining Solutions, one of the leading providers of machines and automation solutions for the tool and mold-making industry, is one of the warehouses that turned to automation to augment their capabilities during the COVID crisis, the whitepaper writes. The company used Modula's automated vertical lift modules (VLMs) to overcome labor challenges, optimize order picking time, and maintain 99.99% equipment uptime.

VLMs have seen an uptick in demand since the beginning of the COVID crisis. These systems pick items automatically and deliver them at an ergonomically proper height, reducing the need for physical labor and diminishing physical stress for the person handling the order.

Using VLMs, warehouses can increase productivity and efficiency by up to 85% as one operator is able to handle the work volume of multiple pickers in traditional warehouse operators, the whitepaper notes.

VLMs transform the warehouse organization and operational efficiency by:

• Optimizing the use of available space
• Reducing picking time from 30 minutes to 5 minutes
• Maintaining 99.99% equipment uptime
• Enhancing employee safety
• Reducing human error

According to Modula's North America Director of Sales Rick Havener, warehouse labor is going to remain difficult to come by in the foreseeable future, especially at the rates businesses have become accustomed to paying.

"The question is: do you shell out more for labor, or do you adopt automation that will come to work every day in exchange for a fixed amount of overhead?" said Havener. "Once you realize that automation is a capital expense with a good ROI, the answer to that question becomes pretty clear."

Businesses can download the full whitepaper for free on Modula's website.

About Modula:

With over 30 years of experience, Modula is a leading manufacturer of automated storage solutions designed to optimize space and improve picking and storage operations for any industrial sector or environment.

For more information: http://www.modula.us

Media Contact

Valentina Cecchi, MODULA Inc., 207-440-3161, [email protected]

SOURCE MODULA Inc.