Drone inventory management is trending in warehouse and logistics. These small tech devices play a key role in managing stock and various warehousing operations and logistical activities. Today, we’ll discuss drones in inventory management; their role in logistics and warehousing; how to implement them; benefits and challenges.
It doesn’t drone inventory management to replace radio frequency scanners and WMS immediately in the warehouses and storage facilities. But drone technology would bring revolutionary changes by making storekeepers and operators scan all the items. In fact, it frees workers from doing the tedious and repetitive job of visiting the same warehouse over and over again.
Logistics & Warehouse Drones in Inventory Management
The role of drones in inventory management has a vast application and usage. The remote control allows the user to operate the drone from a distance. With the development of automation technology and computer-controlled systems, the drone would have to follow the pre-decided route autonomously.
Tech giant companies like Amazon and Google are employing drone technology in logistics for the delivery of goods and products to customers along with drone inventory management.
Inventory is a place where the company stores the stock items and goods. In order to do it rightly, it is important to be aware of all the stored goods and items and they should match your list. The WMS tools and equipment offer you a real-time view of the inventory; human error could cause imbalance.
The drone inventory management allows you to stop all the manual processes of the warehouse and get rid of inconsistencies due to human error. The drone hovering around the warehouse would scan all the RFID tags and barcodes and let the WMS know about the items and units involved in the SKU. It allows you to be aware of the changes in the inventory without allocating staff to check all the stock manually.
How to Launch Drones in Inventory Management
The indoor geolocation system and sensor technology would guide the drone to move inside the warehouse and storage facility by pre-setting the flight route. You can manage and control the warehouse drone in two ways and they’re;
- Remote control
- GPS by setting Flight Path Automatically
Scanning & Reading Tags
The drone would take a picture of the stock in real-time; the scanner would then read the RFID tags and bar codes. The RFID system offers you more comprehensive features; it guides the drone to recognize product items from the sides of the aisle. It does so 25 feet away without coming in direct contact with the tags. However, the features and functions are reliant on the following;
- Type of drone
- Position of tags
- Unit load
- Facility
Integration Drone with WMS
The reading and tacking of labels of the stored items won’t work if there is no data transmission to the WMS. The integration of WMS with warehousing drones is the same as the automation, RFID system, or radiofrequency communication.
For effective drone inventory management; it is significant that you should integrate it with WMS. The synchronization helps logistics and warehousing managers analyze labels and recognize the imbalance of stock and goods.
With the assistance drone collected data, WMS offers you a key insight into the stock. It means product traceability, warehouse slotting, and WMS operations.
Benefits of Drones in IM
Some of the main benefits of drones in inventory management are as follows;
Low Cost
The drone technology allows you to manage your warehouse and inventory at a very low cost. You don’t have to invest a lot of resources on the payroll of employees and other relevant expenses like wear and tear, managing equipment, work time monitoring, and scheduling of employees.
Safety & Security
It is difficult to perform the repetitive and tedious tasks of security and managing the warehousing stock. The drone technology offers you a real-time view of the stock and makes your warehouse safe and secure.
Stock control
Manual work always carries the risk of human error because of the tedious repetitive tasks. Drone inventory management helps you to manage and control your stock efficiently and effectively.
High productivity
Barcode and RFID tags scanning through drones would help you amplify the growth and productivity of your organization. It is because you would be aware of the stock that needs reordering and that doesn’t.
Challenges of Drones in IM
Some of the main challenges of drones in inventory management are as follows;
High Initial Investment
Implementing efficient drones would require a lot of capital investment. It is not suitable for small businesses, because they can’t afford the drone inventory management.
Disruption
There is no doubt that drone technology offers a lot of benefits, but it always carries the risk of accidents. Therefore, it is better that you should perform one task at a time to avoid disruptions.
Always-visible
In order to take advantage of drone inventory management, it is significant that the stock should have the right labeling and right placement.
Conclusion: Drones in Inventory Management
After an in-depth study of drones in inventory management; we have realized that drone technology is highly beneficial to warehouse and logistics management. If you are learning about drone inventory management; then you should keep in mind the abovementioned elements, advantages, and disadvantages.
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