Because of all the changes going on in the perishable goods and food supply chain recently, refrigerated warehousing operators and public cold storage companies need to move goods differently than in the past.  Challenges with inventory control, inventory management, traceability and food safety can be met by using technology.  Using voice technology can help speed up operations and increase accuracy. 

First, let’s review why food supply chain and logistics are changing so rapidly.  Typically, food and perishable goods tend to be lower margin, particularly in the grocery space so supply chain businesses are continually challenged to find new ways to reduce costs.  Service providers to the food industry, particularly refrigerated warehousing companies and 3PL public cold storage companies are experienced professionals, skilled at maximizing efficiencies.

Another issue that is affecting warehousing of perishable food products is food safety and new regulations. 

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has impacted the way that cold storage and refrigerated warehouses handle inventory control, inventory management and traceability.  Crucial to consumers, warehouses are using technology to improve track and trace of perishable food goods and help with regulatory issues across the supply chain.

Market trends indicate that consumers:

• Are more health conscious and prefer locally sourced food as well as artisan and ethnically diverse food products
• Prefer freshly prepared foods over that of food products that are highly processed
• Have special dietary concerns (gluten-free, lactose intolerance, vegan, etc.)
• Are concerned about animal welfare, environmental impact and sustainability issues
• Want multiple delivery options and expect fast, low cost delivery

Perishable foods have shorter shelf lives and spoil much more quickly, leading to concerns about food safety.  Being able to handle and store perishable food goods and to also meet the needs of direct-to-consumer (D2C) order fulfillment is crucial.  Some public cold storage companies and refrigerated warehousing businesses have begun to implement new technologies to speed up the handling of goods and make orders for perishable foods faster to process, key for individual orders to consumers.

Modern cold storage warehouses face new challenges, making the important transition from basic pallet-in/pallet-out to dealing with case and each handling. 

Add to that continued labor shortages, need for cost savings, a wider array of value added services and changing demands from a variety of different clients with reduced contractual commitments, and the challenges can seem insurmountable.  Dealing with a customer base that is not loyal poses problems when it comes to investing in technology.  Warehouse operators that invest in technology often do not receive any guarantee that the customer will remain with them long enough for the investments to bear fruit, however not investing in technology is often deal breaker for potential new clients.

Although most cold storage warehouse companies use a warehouse management system, not all systems can meet the challenge of multi-level product handling.  Today, refrigerated warehouses need to be able to receive goods by the pallet, break them down, pick by each then pack it up and get it to the store.  Having a WMS that can interface directly with the client can help develop a stronger relationship and provide greater leverage.

Here is a Look at Some of the Technologies Being Used in Refrigerated & Cold Storage Warehouses:

Voice Technology

Cold storage warehouse operations are some of the toughest in the supply chain logistics industry.  Managing labor costs with the required staffing as efficiently and productively as possible in tough working conditions is often a daily battle.

Utilizing voice technology enables cold storage warehouse workers to remain productive in harsh environments while limiting the time they are exposed to extreme cold.  Wearing gloves in the freezer environment means that warehouse workers have to pull back the heavy insulated portion in order to write or use a barcode scanner.  By relying on voice technology, warehouse workers can pick products more quickly and efficiently.  Labor is not wasted having to double check orders or adjust for missed picks. Fully automated voice picking systems enable warehouse workers to work hands free, making the most of their time in the freezer.

Mobile devices are equipped with an exclusive identification chip and initial voice conditioning takes 20 to 30 minutes.  As the voice technology system is used on an ongoing basis, it refines and continually updates each worker’s voice profile.

Fully automated voice picking systems enable warehouse workers to work hands free, making the most of their time in the freezer.

Mobile devices are equipped with an exclusive identification chip and initial voice conditioning takes 20 to 30 minutes.  As the voice technology system is used on an ongoing basis, it refines and continually updates each worker’s voice profile.

Voice technology typically supports a wide variety of languages, speech pattern solutions and dialects.  The warehouse workforce can usually be trained in less than one day by shadowing another worker.

Case Study:  Vocollect and Burris Logistics

The seventh largest cold storage third party logistics distribution company in the U.S., Burris Logistics is a fifth-generation supply chain business.

In servicing many “household name” clients, Burris Logistics is expected to bring added value, provide outstanding service and handle accurate, on-time deliveries as efficiently as possible.  Burris Logistics credits Vocollect for being instrumental in its success in providing continually high levels of service.  Vocollect captures actual results that can then be compared to the work-job standard rate to provide insight into worker performance.  This insight has proven useful by providing an accurate picture of workforce performance, key to the company’s incentive program.

The Result:  Vocollect Voice was instrumental in improving Burris Logistics’ operational efficiencies, improved inventory and order accuracy as well as customer service and worker safety.  Additional improvements include inventory tracking, strong measurement capacity Vocollect Voice delivers, time and cost savings.  An added benefit is the improvement in the quality of work life for non-native English-speaking Burris Logistics warehouse workers.  By enabling warehouse workers to respond to the voice control system in their native language, workers are more comfortable and productive.

Conclusion

3PL cold storage and refrigerated warehouse operators are relying on technology to help meet the needs of consumers, keep costs down, help meet regulatory requirements for food safety and other issues.