A US-based report, compiled by Zebra, found that warehousing automation tech is to continue to be adopted as just in time delivery demand grows.
Surveying over 1,400 IT and Operational decision makers, the study found that in order to keep up with e-commerce demands, 80% believed new technology would be needed in the next five years in order for businesses to remain competitive.
A huge 77% agreed that they needed to modernise and had been slow to implement new devices and technology.
89% said they would use modernised Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) for labour planning and management by 2024.
Ryan Martin, Principal Analyst at tech market advisory firm, ABI Research, said: "The Zebra 2024 Warehousing Vision Study validates the explosive growth in warehousing automation technology. Warehousing and logistics are driven by the promise of just-in-time service delivery and the desire for first-time right results. To achieve these goals, IT and operations decision makers are making big bets on tech-led initiatives to transform their business, and they are taking their customers and partners with them. These bets include everything from wearable bar code scanners and smart glasses to robotics, analytics, and AI.
"The net effect of increased investment in connected, workforce-enabling technologies is a higher degree of automation across the organization. This is particularly notable as ABI Research forecasts there will be almost 60,000 new warehouses globally by 2025."
