Introduction

The warehouse industry has traditionally relied on a paper-based system for order processing. However, there is a growing shift towards paperless warehouse systems with technological advancements in Warehouse Management Software (WMS) and the increasing need for cost savings, reducing environmental impact, and improving staff efficiency and productivity.

StoreFeeder helps businesses with the transition to a paperless warehouse.

Paperless picking

StoreFeeder's WMS offers a solution that enhances both the efficiency of your warehouse operations and your environmental sustainability. By eliminating the need for paper-based picking lists or printed order pick sheets, StoreFeeder significantly streamlines your processes and improves your "green" credentials.

With StoreFeeder's paperless picking feature, warehouse staff can access pickwaves directly through our PDA software on handheld devices like smart phones or PDAs. This allows them to navigate the warehouse more efficiently, locate items accurately, validate picks, and update the status of picked items in real time. The seamless, paperless picking process not only reduces the potential for errors but also enhances the overall productivity of staff.

Moreover, this shift to a paperless system helps reduce your Co2 emissions and saves money by eliminating paper use in the picking process.

Our Multi-Channel Software technology makes your warehouse a little bit greener.

So why switch?

Of course, there will always be a reluctance to change from a workforce, but transitioning from a paper-based warehouse management system to a paperless one offers numerous benefits for companies in the long run. While the initial cost of the transition may seem daunting, the advantages outweigh the challenges.

Here are some key benefits of adopting StoreFeeder’s paperless warehouse management system:

Improved efficiency

‍StoreFeeder’s paperless options allow you to streamline warehouse operations by eliminating time-consuming manual tasks such as printing, sorting, and completing paper documents.

With a PDA software system, warehouse personnel can access real-time data, automate processes, and perform tasks more efficiently, increasing productivity.

Enhanced accuracy

‍Paper-based systems are prone to errors, such as misplaced or misread documents. By adopting StoreFeeder’s paperless warehouse management system, companies can leverage technology like barcode scanning for validation of picks, ensure the correct stock is being used when performing warehouse tasks like stock checks or transfers, ensure accurate data capture for reliable data entry on tasks such as booking in or despatch.

These reduce the chances of picking errors, shipping mistakes, and inventory discrepancies.

Real time inventory management

Using StoreFeeder’s paperless system, companies can instantly see their inventory levels, locations, and movements.

Our Warehouse management software enables real-time inventory tracking, making it easier to see accurate stock levels, manage stock locations, fulfil orders promptly, and prevent stockouts or overstock situations.

Cost savings

‍Going paperless eliminates the costs associated with paper, ink, printing equipment, and storage space for physical documents.

Additionally, by improving operational efficiency and accuracy, companies can reduce labour costs, minimise returns and shipping errors, and optimise their supply chain.

Environmental sustainability

Transitioning to a paperless warehouse management system aligns with sustainability goals and reduces the environmental impact of paper usage and the associated printing costs.

By eliminating paper, you reduce the carbon footprint of paper production and disposal and the ink and electricity required to print documents. A paperless solution helps companies reduce their environmental impact and contribute to a greener future.

By making your fulfilment process more accurate, you also reduce your Co2 rating. Having an incorrect item leaves the warehouse can multiply your Co2 rating for that order by as much as 3.

Enhanced customer service‍

In a paper-based environment, if the inventory on the paper and what's physically available in the warehouse don't match, this takes time to establish and rectify, and the results can be chaotic.

With access to a more accurate warehouse management system, StoreFeeder customers can ensure inventory is accurate, process orders faster, ensure the correct goods are sent every time, provide accurate tracking information, and respond promptly to customer inquiries.

All of these factors result in improved customer satisfaction, loyalty, and repeat business, reducing returns and lowering the carbon footprint of each order.

Case studies

Customer A - This business switched from paper-based options to picking via our PDA software in July 2018, and the impact has been remarkable. Since then, they have created 289,000 pickwaves. Considering that each pick wave would have required an average of 10 sheets of A4 paper, a staggering 2,890,000 pieces of paper have been saved.

To put this into perspective, it's worth noting that a mature tree can typically yield around 8,000 to 10,000 sheets of A4 paper. (This estimate considers the average size of a tree and the typical yield rates in the paper production industry.)

So, making the transition to StoreFeeder’s paperless picking potentially saved between 289 and 361 trees from being felled within five years, all by embracing our paperless picking solution in their warehouse.

The environmental benefits are not the only gains; the cost savings are also significant. By eliminating the need for paper, ink, and the electricity required to print pickwaves, the business has saved approximately £28,000. These savings, combined with the reduced carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the reduction in paper usage, highlight the positive impact that paperless picking can have on your expenses and ecological footprint.

Customer B - Another adopter of our PDA software has experienced substantial cost savings due to more accurate picking and despatching. By virtually eliminating mis-picks and the subsequent need for returns and reships, this customer has saved over £40,000 per year. These savings encompass various areas, including labour, customer service, and carrier costs.

It's worth emphasising that the implications of sending incorrect items from the warehouse go beyond financial considerations. Each incorrect shipment can multiply the carbon dioxide emissions associated with that order by a factor of 3, significantly impacting your Co2 rating. The business has achieved significant cost savings by minimising mis-picks, ensuring accurate order fulfilment, and substantially reducing its carbon footprint.

By combining the financial benefits, the reduced environmental impact, and the enhanced "green" credentials, it becomes evident that adopting our PDA software and embracing paperless picking has brought substantial advantages for this business in multiple ways.

Conclusion

While transitioning from a paper-based to a paperless warehouse management system may require initial investment and adaptation, the long-term benefits are significant.

Improved efficiency, enhanced accuracy, real-time inventory management, cost savings, environmental sustainability, and better customer service are among the compelling advantages companies can enjoy by embracing a paperless warehouse management system.

At StoreFeeder, as our technology advances, the shift towards offering more paperless solutions will help our customers gain these advantages for their businesses and help their operations become greener, reduce their Co2 impact and help them thrive in the modern, digitally-driven world.

In the meantime, if you would like to see how our paperless PDA solution could help you, you can book a demo here.

There will be another blog next week.