One of the biggest problems facing the warehousing industry today is the shortage in warehouse workers. Prior to the pandemic it was estimated that the warehousing industry needed to fill roughly 450,000 jobs. Since then, the shortage has dramatically increased.
As the world moves past the pandemic it is only natural for more workers to be hired, but the solution to the original problem was never resolved. The solution to a warehouse worker shortage lies in WMS and automation to attract a new generation of Workers.
Generational Differences
The Department of Labor Statistics released a study that shows the average tenure of individuals between the ages of 18-19 is 0.8 years, 20-24 is 1.3 years, and 25-34 is 2.3 years. This data shows Millennials and Generation Z are not inclined to work in warehouses. Within the next few years kids who were born the same year as the first iPhone was released will enter the workforce. People who have only ever known touch screen cell phones will be applying for jobs in your warehouse.
To attract a generation of individuals who have lived with technology their entire lives you must offer them a place to work that does not leave them mentally exhausted, eases their labor with the assistance of safe technology and gives them a place to be proud to work.
Cameron Coffee Warehouse Efficiency
Cameron’s Coffee is a coffee roasting, packaging, and distribution company that receives their coffee beans from South America, stores them in Minnesota and ships them to hundreds of stores across the country. They originally had a paper only warehouse where individuals had to manually check and encode items.
They decided to update their warehouse and use a combination of the SOLOCHAIN WMS and MES that directly tied in their ERP. With the addition of the software coupled with iPads and handheld devices the efficiency of the warehouse skyrocketed leading to the growth of sales by 50%, ecommerce growth by 200% and 25% expansion of the warehouse.
With the new software and iPads, the workers efficiency and happiness also increased, due to a reduction in the time required to complete their jobs, the new technology and increased independence.
Updating Your Warehouse is Good for Employees
Choosing a WMS to update your warehouse, will not only lead to efficiency gains but will lead to an overall boost in employee morale. The more you reduce the mental and physical strain on your employees the happier they will be. Utilizing technologies that younger staff is comfortable with such as iPads and touch screen devices will make them more comfortable at work. Implementing voice commands into your warehouse will relieve the workers of the mental strain and lead to an increase in productivity.
Creating a smart warehouse and considering what the employee wants will decrease the rate of people leaving your warehouse and decrease the amount of time spent training new hires. It is important that you begin to consider employee happiness and retention when deciding to upgrade your warehouse.
Generix Group North America provides a series of solutions within our Supply Chain Hub product suite to create efficiencies across an entire supply chain. From Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Transportation Management Systems (TMS) to Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and more, software platforms can deliver a wide range of benefits that ultimately flow to the warehouse operator’s bottom line. Our solutions are in use around the world and our experience is second-to-none. We invite you to contact us to learn more.
