2016 Technology Advice Trends for Warehousing

A trend by definition is a general direction in which something is developing or changing. Most predictions for the new year aren’t anything new, but just areas that are gaining in popularity. As we look at where the experts think business trends will go in 2016, one thing will become apparent.  If your business is looking to optimize your supply chain and warehousing management, these 4 trends for improving your network performance from a recent article in ITToolbox.com are exactly what you will need in 2016:

1. EDI: EDI Communication  (Electronic Data Interchange) is not going anywhere. Many companies are being forced to use EDI in order to do business with retailers and suppliers in efforts to increase efficiency and reduce reliance on paper. The more the years go by, the harder it will be for companies to exist without any formal processes like EDI. It’s not only about staying compliant with your vendors; EDI can do wonders for companies by:
   – improving shipment accuracy
   – accelerating the movement of goods to customers
   – improving partner relationships
   – improving cycle time reductions
   – improving document accuracy (reduction of manual data entry)
   – enhancing flow of communication between a company and their trading partners
2.  Collaboration: Every company nowadays is on the lookout for ways to increase collaboration internally (between departments/employees). One great way to do this is by embracing full integration of all management systems (or simply implement an upgraded ERP management suite). All departments and employees will have access to one database; they’ll be working with the same real-time data and can communicate and collaborate easily.

3. Cloud: Cloud deployment options have allowed smaller and mid sized companies the opportunity to implement management systems due to their affordable costs. However, this isn’t the only reason why the cloud is popular. This option also allows businesses to reduce responsibilities, risks, infrastructure requirements, additional labor, etc.

4. Business Intelligence: No one can get enough of Business Intelligence solutions. These analytics tools allow managers to turn raw business data into useful, strategic information and insight. Companies will be able to improve planning and replenishment, optimize inventory and floor space utilization. It’s about getting the right data in front of the right people to create balanced supply chains.

All of these trends have one common denominator – technology.  No matter the size of your business, if your network performance cannot handle the volume that your technology demands, you are risking profitability, efficiency, and security to name a few.  Today’s businesses are critically dependent on having a predictable network performance. We can offer you technology advice tailored to your industry and business needs.

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