Approximately 70 per cent of warehouse decision-makers in India and the Asia Pacific (APAC) region are aiming to streamline workflows through automation by 2024, focusing more on customer-centric tasks, as indicated in a new report released on Thursday. Zebra Technologies reports that almost 58 per cent of warehouse decision-makers are planning to implement radio frequency identification (RFID) technology by 2028. This move is expected to bolster inventory visibility and decrease instances of out-of-stock products.

Furthermore, 84 per cent of warehouse leaders in India and APAC are highlighting the importance of technology adoption, such as robotics, to retain employees amidst labour shortages.

Rajnish Gupta, VP of India and Subcontinent at Zebra Technologies, said, “Warehouse operators must embrace best-in-class technological solutions to enhance operational efficiency, agility, and real-time decision-making during such high-demand times. This involves modernising operations to manage returns effectively, improve inventory visibility, and enhance demand forecasting.”

Globally, 73 per cent of warehouse decision-makers have either expedited or are planning to hasten the implementation of modernisation projects. In APAC, a similar alignment is observed, with 69 per cent of decision-makers aiming for accelerated modernisation.

The report suggests that this approach should assist in managing returns, which emerged as the primary operational challenge, cited by nearly half of the surveyed warehouse decision-makers (47 per cent globally, 40 per cent in APAC).

Almost half of these decision-makers believe that automation enhances worker efficiency and productivity by reducing manual picking, order errors, and cycle time.

Moreover, approximately eight in ten warehouse associates globally (81 per cent) and in APAC (78 per cent) are of the opinion that embracing more technology and automation aids them in meeting or surpassing productivity targets.