Barcodes
The common barcode label has long been the foundation of the IoT network, serving as an inexpensive repository of product information like price, weight, and date of manufacture. Now that system is about to get a major upgrade as the industry transitions from the familiar zebra-striped, one-dimensional (1D) barcodes to two-dimensional (2D) versions like quick-response (QR) codes. Compared to 1D barcodes, 2D versions can encode far more data, providing managers with a more detailed view of their operations.
RFID tags
Megaretailers like Walmart are increasingly requiring suppliers to affix item-level radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to products shipped to their DCs, which allows those items to be tracked as they’re received, distributed, and ultimately sold in stores. Retailers can use the data they collect to improve inventory accuracy, the shopper experience, and their own omnichannel capabilities.
Handheld and wearable computers
Scanning guns used to be heavy and awkward, but the modern versions are lighter and more powerful. They can be worn on a finger like a ring, strapped to the user’s forearm, or attached to the back of a hand with a glove. Today’s wearables boast longer read ranges than their predecessors and can read a dozen barcodes at once. Some models even support texting, talking, and voice picking.
Conveyors
The workhorse of the modern warehouse is the basic conveyor, which sorts and ferries thousands of packages to the right destination each day. In many operations, those conveyors are outfitted with sensors that measure their speed, vibration, or temperature—data that can be used to proactively identify maintenance needs before a breakdown occurs or save energy by shutting down the belts when not in use.
Scan tunnels
Scan tunnels are essentially frames built around conveyors or doorways that are outfitted with an array of readers that scan every item passing through—typically at superfast speeds. The data collected can be sent instantly to the cloud (see entry at right) for processing.
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)
The AMRs that cruise down warehouse aisles these days are increasingly equipped with sensors that weigh, count, and identify everything they carry. On top of that, those AMRs may be outfitted with sensors, cameras, and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to detect obstacles and enable them to navigate safely through the facility.
Drones
The lifeblood of a warehouse is the constant flow of up-to-the-minute inventory data, but manually updating inventory records is a slow, laborious, and error-prone task. To reduce their reliance on manual labor, many DCs are using self-guided aerial drones to automate the cycle-counting process. Once they’ve completed their rounds, the drones transmit the data they’ve collected to the site’s warehouse management software to update its records.
Real-time location systems (RTLS)
The GPS signals used for fleet and asset tracking in the outside world are often blocked in indoor spaces like warehouses. So many warehouses rely on RTLS networks to track the items inside. These systems use short-range tags, beacons, and receivers to monitor and locate everything from bins and pallets to vehicles, forklifts, and even employees.
5G wireless network antennas
Today’s fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks offer far more bandwidth, handle greater numbers of wireless devices, and use less energy than previous technology—a perfect recipe for supporting the IoT. Whether they run through a commercial data plan or a private network, 5G systems rely on antennas placed throughout the building.
The cloud
Back in the day, the software used to manage warehouse operations—typically warehouse management systems or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems—ran on computer servers located on the premises. But today, you’re more likely to find that software running off site, in a virtual “cloud” of connected computers. Although the actual servers are no longer in the same town, or even the same state, as the DC, as long as the facility is connected to the internet, there should be no effect on its daily operations.
