Facilitating Indian warehouses with automation and technology

The warehouses continue to grow in size and height to accommodate large-scale operations. Godrej Storage Solutions is sustaining its position as an industry leader in the warehousing sector with over 30 percent market share and a CAGR of over 15 percent in the last five years.

Consumerism is rapidly changing, leading to a need for innovative supply chain strategies and practices. Automation technology is the key to achieving ambitious goals in this regard. Godrej Storage Solutions, a division of Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, is a dominant player in the storage systems market. Half of its revenue comes from industries driven by consumer demand, such as Retail, E-commerce, FMCG, Food and beverage, and consumer durables.

Recognising this need for adaptation, the company proactively aligns itself with these expectations. It is developing cutting-edge solutions for warehouse operations, from receiving goods to dispatch. Godrej Storage Solutions has made substantial investments in building a skilled workforce for devising and implementing solutions, adopting relevant technologies, and integrating various systems through a network of supply chain partners. The ultimate goal is to give their customers higher returns by improving operational efficiency and productivity while maintaining superior standards.

Vikas Choudaha, Senior Vice President & Business Head of Godrej Storage Solutions, stated, “The potential and possibilities of automation in intralogistics are enormous. Its adoption could vary from simple conveyor systems to cobots to AI/ML-driven technologies. Intralogistics space will see more companies adopting and investing in these systems/ technologies as they realise the advantages, including increased efficiencies, productivity, accuracy, and cost savings in the long run. This will help reduce our country’s logistics cost from the current 13-14 percent of GDP. Godrej Storage Solutions is committed to enabling our customers to endeavour for efficient warehouse operations at optimal cost.”

As warehouses grow in size and height to accommodate large-scale operations, seamless operations integration becomes imperative. Repetitive tasks such as point-to-point transfers and the loading/unloading of standardised packages make the deployment of automation essential. This involves the use of ‘automated battery-operated pallet trucks’ , autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), robotic palletisers, and packing machines, all of which play critical roles in warehouse operations. Barcode scanners and readers are integrated for material identification to eliminate human intervention. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and ERP systems ensure complete visibility and traceability of every Stock Keeping Unit (SKU). The Internet of Things and cloud computing facilitates real-time data collection, analysis, and decision-making. Such automation and digitisation enhance job accuracy and speed, boosting throughput and productivity.

While using technology to automate intralogistics offers numerous advantages, the challenge lies in seamlessly integrating these technologies with existing warehouse setups and workflows. Godrej Storage Solutions addresses this challenge through a meticulous process that involves understanding their customers’ current and future warehousing needs and designing adaptable solutions accordingly. This is made possible by their deep knowledge of warehouse operations across various sectors, expertise in the underlying technologies, and ability to synthesise these elements effectively.