How can you ensure that warehouse security is watertight?


On 11 September 2001, a series of terrorist attacks in the USA shocked the world. Since then, security standards have been tightened across the globe, especially in international supply chains. However, 20 years on from the attacks, the situation is still far from clear for many organizations in the logistics sector. Two security experts  explain...

Smart warehousing: why the box should not be an afterthought


  Automating the order picking process means making choices. One such choice is whether to ship the products in boxes or plastic crates. That decision is often influenced by various practical considerations and is sometimes even made based on what’s already available in the warehouse. Many companies underestimate the impact of this choice on their...

Smart warehousing: cobots are experts at multitasking


Many companies are curious about the potential of collaborative robots (cobots) in logistics, but there have only been a limited number of real-life implementations so far. In this fifth part in a series of articles about smart warehousing, Dirk Becks, Senior Consultant at Groenewout, discusses the differences between conventional robots and cobots. The article also explores...

Securing logistics premises: make risks manageable


Many logistics businesses believe that the remedy to theft and loss is a large and complex access control system, supported by security cameras and visitor/intruder detection systems. But is this really the case, or are they too focused on managing incidents? Groenewout regularly sees companies implementing solutions in response to incidents. According to Groenewout,...

Conveyors under threat from autonomous mobile robots 


Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are on the verge of a breakthrough, as they are increasingly regarded as an effective alternative for traditional conveyor and sorting systems. In this fourth installment in a series of articles about smart warehousing, Dirk Becks, Senior Consultant at Groenewout, explains which factors are driving the breakthrough and what to look out for...

‘Smart’ storage systems call for smart thinking – including from a building perspective


Automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) for small items of stock are rapidly gaining ground. They have a relatively small footprint and combine quality and productivity with flexibility and scalability. In the second part (click here) of the series on smart warehousing, Dirk Becks explained what makes shuttle systems, autonomous mobile robot (AMR) systems and cubic storage systems...

Smart storage systems call for smart thinking


New technologies are opening up new opportunities for smart warehousing – resulting in not only lower costs, but also faster and more flexible processes. But how can you start making your warehouses ‘smarter’? In the second in a series of six articles, Dirk Becks explains what makes shuttle systems, autonomous mobile robot (AMR) systems and cubic...

Step by step to smart warehousing


New technologies offer numerous opportunities to make warehouses ‘smarter’. Besides reducing costs, that also results in faster and more flexible processes. But how can you implement smart warehousing in practice? Dirk Becks answers this question in a series of six articles. In the first article, he examines the factors that influence which solution to choose. This article...

Importance of a sound omnichannel strategy


How can you combine e-commerce with brick-and-mortar stores? Groenewout outlines the importance of a sound omnichannel strategy; Although e-commerce is becoming increasingly difficult for retailers to ignore, brick-and-mortar stores are unlikely to completely disappear from the retail landscape. There is growing evidence that omnichannel retail strategies – and the associated supply chains – are the...