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The rise in supply chain challenges that have emerged as a result of unforeseen circumstances has created a domino effect in the warehousing industry, especially within the cold chain. Once a niche market, increased demand on the cold chain was accelerated due to the pandemic. According to Forbes, approximately 90% of third-party logistics respondents report that their cOmpanies计划扩大其冷链能力和服务产品。Many respondents also noted that cold chain services are important to the future growth and development of their businesses.
随着冷链行业的不断增长，许多现有的冷藏设施的状态正在恶化。根据全球仓库开发商JLL供应链和物流解决方案国际供应链和物流解决方案总监Richard Thompson的说法，7当今美国8％的凉爽和冷藏建筑已有20多年的历史，许多人是由厚实的限制尺寸和灵活性建造的。随着全球气候的上升，对更多冷藏空间的需求随之增加。这已经启动了比以往更多的制造商探索冷链解决方案。除了冷藏结构的衰老外，还无法扩展当前的设施以实现增长。由于许多因素，包括人口增长和消费者需求增加，因此对制造设施的扩展能力的需求对于企业成功至关重要。
随着对冷链的需求不断增加，公司正在寻找冷藏解决方案，许多障碍可以阻碍业务增长。在全球劳动力短缺鉴于冷藏设施内部的极端工作条件，招募和保留人才的挑战是显着的。愿意在这些严峻的温度条件下工作的员工人数有限，并且已经雇用的员工正在获得高级工资，并提供了充足的福利和津贴。在冷藏环境中工作的员工的健康风险和担忧也增加，导致工人赔偿索赔和公司保险费用的潜在增加。根据英国冷冻食品联合会cold exposure, particularly for long periods of time, can be a trigger for certain underlying diseases or preexisting medical conditions such as asthma or cardiovascular conditions; thus, further limiting the number of employees that are able to work in cold storage facilities. Employee retention is also a concern. The manufacturing capabilities of traditional production facilities rely solely on the human workforce, making employee retention a priority. Not only is the current labor shortage and the “Great Resignation” a Human Resource nightmare, the shortage will also have long-lasting economic impacts on the manufacturing industry and has already initiated a domino effect on all other related industries.
由于这些原因，制造商正在转向仓库自动化。自动存储/检索系统（AS/RS）在供应链中断及其对制造业的影响之间创建缓冲区。尽管对AS/RS的最初投资似乎是一个艰难的决定，但自动化的好处远远超过了该行业目前面临的挑战，并且通常仅在短短几年内就可以实现回报。自动化的一个好处是消除人为错误并提高订单准确性，尤其是在存储时间敏感和易腐产品的环境中。万博客户端手机版其他好处包括提高生产率和存储能力。Westfalia的自动存储解决方案允许设施最大化存储空间，同时通过利用AS/RS的唯一属性（例如高度达到150英尺）来最大程度地减少建筑物的占地面积，从而大大降低了建筑物足迹。
切换到自动化可能对冷藏设施特别有益。在极端工作条件下，寻找员工以高效和aS/RS的准确性是不可能的。AS/RS设计为在低至-35°F的温度下无限制或停机时间进行操作。与在同一环境中的人工劳动相比，休息时间和变化的停机时间要多得多，导致工作效率较低。同样重要的是要注意AS/RS不受劳动力短缺挑战的影响。与冷藏设施的温度挑战类似，劳动力短缺和员工保留问题对仓库生产率的影响远远低于生产，因为生产不仅依赖于人工劳动力。由于AS/RS能够与传统仓库运营相比，员工的运营能力明显少得多，因此招募和雇用员工以确保仓库将继续有效运行的压力较小。
Those are just a few of the benefits of warehouse automation, specifically AS/RS, can provide to the cold chain and manufacturers today. However, the challenges these companies face aren’t always as black and white as they seem. Given the uncertainty in the manufacturing and supply chain industry today, it is more important than ever to evaluate the switch to automation alongside a trusted partner. Westfalia’s team of automation and data analysis experts are able to design a custom solution to address current warehousing challenges and your unique business needs. The time to turn to automation is now and taking the plunge into automation will help your company ensure supply chain resilience and prepare for future business growth.