Introduction

Warehouse automation became widely recognized over the last few years. And while some
think of automation as of applying autonomous vehicles and robots, others choose to start
with software. As always, the truth is somewhere in between.

Full warehouse automation covers many aspects and operations, from automatic data entry to
goods storage and delivery. In this guide, we're explaining its main layers - automation
basics, hardware and software solutions, their advantages, and featuring some real-life cases
to check.

Warehouse automation is all about uncovering repetitive tasks and finding ways to automate
them. Modern warehouses are full of cases – from manual data entry to picking, storing and
shipping of goods done by hand.

Manual operations go hand in hand with human errors resulting in delays, improper time and
resource management, low productivity and margin. All this ultimately leads to unsatisfied
business partners and customers.

A large part of retail companies’ success lies in their ability to create effective supply chains,
cut costs and thus expenses. In turn, this can be achieved with the help of an automated
warehouse system covering the most important warehouse operations. They often include
inventory and back-office management, picking and delivery, barcodes scanning, handling
charges, etc.

So far, we can define four layers of warehouse automation:

 Basic automation (use of specific scanners, applications, printed papers);

 System automation (use of WMS, mobile radio frequency, voice-directed technologies);
 Mechanized automation (conveyors, AS/RS);
 Advanced automation (automatic sorters, palletizer, robotic picking, AGVs, and AGV
software).

Throughput optimization
Nothing makes a client happier than receiving their product sooner than expected. The best way to
acrew customer loyalty is by giving them what they want and getting it to them quicker than they
expected. This is all streamlined and made by the high throughput capacity achieved by automation.
3. Lower injury risk
While we try to minimize danger in the workplace as much as humanly possible in environments like
warehouses, which depend heavily on manual labor it’s virtually unavoidable. Having an employee
get injured on the job is one of the worst feelings, so avoiding it is always preferable.

As cities, with higher penetration of the Internet of Things, there will be pressure from the building
code side as well as from the builder and warehouse owner/operator for energy efficiency
(IoT lights, meters, sensors), lower cost via automation (less humans), higher security surveillance
(AI/ computer vision for real-time crime detection & escalation to police) and quantification the
entire value chain for more granular optimization, efficiency and improvements.
In the mid- to long-term, warehouses will become almost entirely automated via various forms of
robots, IoT and cognitive AI. In China, even something as complex as a shipping port is fully
automated, fenced off to humans.

About the Project

These are turbulent times for global logistics services and transportation firms.

The advent of new-age technology and Cloud based solutions has resulted in a hyper-
connected ecosystem. Simultaneously, digital-born entrants and changing customer
expectations are threatening the dominance of established players and traditional cargo
management systems. In order to sustain the mounting pressure and maximize return on
investment (RoI), organizations are embracing IT solutions for transportation and logistics
management, digitizing the entire value chain. This involves innovative thinking to impart
value and a comprehensive overhaul of digital services portfolio.

At HCL, we believe in garnering intelligence to overcome the roadblocks to success. Fueled

by innovation, our solutions are crafted to solve business problems in real-time. The HCL
framework can be deployed across various modes of transport – rail, road, maritime, and
aviation.

It’s essential to improve existing logistics management and transportation solutions as

stagnation might prove detrimental in a global logistics services market that’s continually
evolving. Therefore, we consistently invest in research and development and have established
a center of excellence (CoE).

A smart warehouse is the culmination of warehouse automation (in other words, automating
various components of your warehousing operations). Similar to smart homes, a smart
warehouse is enabled with several automated and interconnected technologies. These
technologies work together to increase the productivity and efficiency of the warehouse,
minimizing the number of human workers while decreasing errors.

As Royce Digital explains, “In manual warehouses, we usually saw workers moving around
with lists, picking products, loading them into carts and then delivering them to the shipping
docks,” but in smart warehousing, “Orders are received automatically, after which the system
confirms if the products are in stock. The pick-up lists are then sent to robot-carts that place
the ordered products into containers and deliver them to workers for the next step.”

Aims and objectives (SMART)

Smart warehouse systems, then, are the result of the various interconnected warehousing
technologies working together. They form a technological ecosystem where goods are
received, identified, sorted, organized and pulled for shipment automatically. The best smart
warehouse solutions automate almost the entire operation, from suppliers to customers, with
minimal errors.

When considering smart warehousing, you should keep an eye out for a few traits that mark a
successful smart warehouse system.
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) helps organize and control inventory. RFID gets rid of
old analog paper tracking methods in favor of tracking packages with digital tags. Radio
waves are then used to transfer data to or between the digital tag and an automated scanning
system, recording the product’s information.

RFID replaces old barcode scanners, where the barcode has to be precisely aligned with the
scanner to identify it. Instead, RFID scanners can simply be pointed in the general direction
of the package in order to identify it.

How does this help with inventory management? For one thing, since scanners don’t have to
be precisely aligned, automated machines can be used to scan packages as they come in,
identifying and counting how many of each type of good is received. In addition, these
scanners can detect goods as they leave the warehouse during order fulfillment, ensuring that
your inventory count is always accurate.

Analysis of types of investment needed

In the modern conditions, business requires constant rationalization of all activities and processes
that occur in the logistics system. One of the preconditions for ensuring the competitiveness in the
market is to manage the own performance. This paper presents research that relates to the project
of centralization of the warehouse in the company of paper production. Currently, any production
facility has its own warehouse that is, through executed decomposition, proved like a poor solution.
Any project requires certain investment funds, which are in this case over half million EUR, because
it is a large and complex logistics company that employs about one thousand workers. The focus of
this paper is an economic analysis of the project of centralization of warehouse. The new centralized
system gives better results in the comparison with the current system of decentralization.
Considering the savings, which are realized by switching to a centralized warehouse system, and
required investment funds, repayment period of the same is slightly less than five years, what is
relatively a short period, business owners, stakeholders and other investors

Project stakeholders
 Customers
 Workers
 Business owners
 Suppliers
 Managers and executives
WBS - Work breakdown structure

Gantt chart
Reflection
In the initial stage of the subject Mr. Gustavo Fernandez told us that we make groups for the
project report in the class, so we make a group with the friends who are to be comfortable in
communication and share everything. In the whole session of applied innovation we do many
activities in group, presenting presentation to rest of class. We made a group of two students
one is me and other is Amanpreet Kaur. We also decide the group name genius minds which
mean creative or ability to do something. We make some ground rules to achieve the
objective of our project. Mr. Gustavo Fernandez is the respectful teacher who always gives
good guidelines to complete our project in successful way.

Group Decision Making Process

In the business line good decision making process is one of the main concepts of every
project. In our group we make a setup a decision making process on the basis of majority. We
make a definite goal. Everyone give new ideas or collect information to implement the
project. We make a framework policies for the decision making process which are to be
regulated by our group. The first task of the applied innovation subject is to give an
innovative proposal to New Zealand Company. Amanpreet kaur and I give two different
proposal ideas to different companies of same sector. We choose the transport sector of New
Zealand country. We give two different proposals and it is very difficult for us to choose one
of them. So we have decided to go with the majority of group and choose the proposal of my
friend Amanpreet kaur which is very innovative idea for the Auckland transport. The main
reason behind to choose this innovative idea is that because this innovative idea is more
innovative as compare to other project. We collect and research more information about the
innovative idea. So we started the project of electric bus which is given to Auckland
transport. We make some ground rules and divide the tasks into group members. This project
report gives me more knowledge and, I feel more pressure to do work in group with many
responsibilities. For example, if any group member is not doing his work on time then the
other members of group have more work to do in a specific time.

Project Design

The main project is the electric bus with having some new features like new GPS system and
other services etc. We make an outline plan or design for the new innovative idea. The first
step is we set a timeline framework for our project. Second task is that we make a
requirement section for our project. The main requirement part of our project is as follows:

 Introduction of Chosen Organization

 Problems of Auckland Transport
 Introduction of Product
 Brochure of Innovative Product
 Project Scope Statement
 SMART Goal Features
 Reasons for Innovative Solution
 Type of Innovation
 Strategic Steps
 SWOT Analysis
 Challenges & Risk Mitigation
  Conclusion
 References

Our group named genius minds give this project to Auckland transport because Auckland
transport facing many problems one of them is the pollution problem of air and noise. We
make a design of the electric bus which is to be presented to Auckland council management
in the form of presentation. We also make some changes in the strategic steps of our project
because Auckland transport is also launching the real project of new transport system. We
change our budgeting portfolio and we make a interlink system with the Auckland transport
project. The project is totally designed to fulfil the business needs of Auckland transport. Our
innovative project tackles two problems which are faced by Auckland transport. On is
environmental pollution and second one is limited number of transport services in the suburbs
regions of the Auckland. Government of New Zealand is also looking for this type of
innovative idea because they want to resolve the problem of pollution (Transport, 2017).

The other side of this project is benefits for the customers like customer get a safe and
affordable transport service with new features like providing facilities of free Wi-Fi. We also
make a big change in our project in the part of inclusions that is safety measurement for the
commuters. We follow the safety rules and regulations of the New Zealand government.

Every group faced some challenges in the coming future. The main challenge is difficult to
start; we fix this challenge by setting the strategy of spending more time on the assessment.
The main big challenge facing by our group is the time management because are living in a
foreign country; we also do job for to fulfil our basic needs like grocery and accommodation
rent. In this challenge we cannot fix the time for meetings to share their tasks and work for
the project. We fix the meeting time on the school days before the class timings to discuss the
tasks of project. The other major challenge is to motivate or inspire the other team members
to do work on time. We also face the challenge of presentation that the other partner is not in
confidence to give presentation in a good manner. The other group member feels nervousness
to presenting the presentation. I suggest to them that do more practice of speaking in front of
mirror at home. The third challenge is to finalise the all tasks in a one report which are
completed by other member of group.

Individual Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths and weakness are to main aspects of every project. I noticed all my strengths and
weakness in this project. The main weakness, I think is to not accepting my proposal for the
final project which is Hydra Bus given to Mana Bus Company. The other strength is that, I
familiar with the transport sector of New Zealand government because I also did job
sometime in a transport sector company. I have a good team work skills as well confident
person. The other strength point, I attend the all classes and follow the guidelines of the
teacher to make some improvements in our project.

Team Strengths and Weaknesses

The main strength of our group is that we cannot face the problem of communication
between each other. The second strength of our project is other group member does their
work with full responsibility and in meantime. We also finalise the main structure or
presentation and do many practices at home. The main weakness point is to collect more
information about the questions which are to be raised by the board of directors in the
section.

of peer evaluation. But after doing a long discussion about the questions we come back on the
right track.

We also follow the guidelines given by the teacher in a good way which is the main strength
of our project. Other side of this project we learn new things like working in a group. For
example Amanpreet Kaur improves their speaking skill which is the main positive aspect of
our reflections.

Conclusion
This group assignment helps me to increasing my presentation skills and writing skills. In a group
activity we learn that how we share ideas with each other and work in a team. In this assessment of
reflexive I explained my experience in the class project. We learn more information while working in
a group. In a group activity we face some problems but with the help of majority decision making
process, we resolve all the problems and achieve goals in the meantime. I follow the policy of
cooperation which means to helping each other. For example Amanpreet Kaur facing the problem of
nervousness, but doing with the more practice the issue is resolved.