Unlocking Smart Warehousing: Why Zero Reception Is No Longer an Option for Retail Businesses

Even if expansion isn’t in their near-future plans, having reliable connectivity will make their current operations antifragile, creating a solid foundation for the introduction of new smart technologies in the future.

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As 2024 closes, the current state of the retail warehouse is fractious. Retailers are struggling with gaps in supply chain visibility, which is impacting day-to-day retail operations as well as long-term planning. A labor shortage persists within the larger logistics workforce, compounded by a parallel, equally persistent labor shortage in the retail industry. And e-commerce demand is surging, affecting everything from labor needs to storage requirements to even the overall purpose of the warehouse, as more retailers are converting their middle-mile waypoints into dynamic distribution and fulfillment centers.

With all these interrelated pressures and challenges, it’s more important than ever for retailers to optimize their warehouse operations. Their primary strategy has been the introduction of advanced technology that streamlines key processes, such as picking and packing, inventory management, worker communications and more.

The emergence of these tech-forward “smart” warehouses is not new, but it is accelerating, as more retailers see the benefits of the investment as a competitive advantage. Today’s warehouse technologies can help retailers accommodate the growing demand for e-commerce, gain more insights into their supply chains, improve overall productivity and even solve labor shortages, with the integration of robotic devices and workflow improvements that lead to a better employee experience.

As exciting as this new technology may be, none of it will work properly without a stable wireless connection to keep it online. If they haven’t already, retail warehouses must employ a complete, four-part wireless strategy – consisting of Wi-Fi, public cellular, private cellular and IoT devices – to secure the full benefits of their investment.

Defining the “Smart” Warehouse

What makes a warehouse “smart?” It’s more than just the deployment of smart IoT devices, although those are a crucial part of the equation. A smart warehouse is one that has fully redefined its processes with intelligent technology, promoting automation and data-driven decision-making while phasing out time-consuming analog processes. By running a smart warehouse, retailers can face today’s unique challenges while building a more efficient foundation for the future.

However, retailers can’t just bolt these technologies on without the proper infrastructure in place. Modern warehouse technology requires a constant, unwavering connection to remain operational. The “smart” connotation may give retailers the impression that these devices and tools will run seamlessly on Wi-Fi, but that isn’t the case. That said, Wi-Fi is still a crucial pillar of a smart warehouse’s wireless strategy, as it’s ideal for back-office functions and general corporate connectivity.

For the large part, a smart warehouse will be best enabled by cellular, which is more reliable than Wi-Fi and better suited to advanced applications and non-stationary workforces. This will likely encompass a combination of public cellular – the same signals used to communicate and send data via our mobile phones – and private cellular, which offers a higher grade of security and can be more custom-tailored to an organization’s specific needs.

A smart warehouse is also a secure one. Today’s retail warehouses employ advanced interior and exterior cameras with live feeds, push-to-talk communications at security kiosks and other technologies to keep workers, visitors and merchandise safe. Like the technologies on the warehouse floor, these require a stable cellular signal to remain operational.

As for the fourth pillar of a smart wireless strategy, IoT devices help retailers to solve a myriad of operational challenges in their warehouses. For example, real-time inventory tracking increases visibility into the overall supply chain while assisting with the management of shipments. Employee wearables can help them to identify hazards, preventing workplace injuries and boosting compliance. Certain IoT devices can also integrate with existing security systems to further augment safety throughout the warehouse.

In short, a smart warehouse is a connected warehouse.

Resurrecting Dead Zones with Advanced Cellular Solutions

Smart warehouses need constant uptime to run all their devices’ delicate processes and communications, and that means eliminating cellular dead zones.

Poor cellular reception often comes with the territory of running a warehouse. It’s inherent to their construction: they have wide open areas (sometimes as big as over 100,000 sq. ft.), are made from highly sturdy building materials, and, in some cases, are built in a remote or rural location given the availability of land. Conversely, they may also be in a congested area for final mile convenience, and could experience capacity issues as well as coverage issues, if not the unique structural challenges of being located within a dense urban area. All of these factors can obstruct signal penetration.

Any zero-reception areas are a risk to warehouse operations, smart or otherwise. Warehouse workforces are highly mobile and can pass through multiple reception zones while completing a single task.

Fortunately, cellular is a flexible resource, and can be amplified throughout an entire warehouse for full coverage using cellular signal boosters. These devices capture outside signals and proliferate them all across the warehouse, ensuring strong connection throughout.

Retail warehouses should ensure that their coverage-boosting infrastructure is suited to their building specifications, breadth of technology, and size of their workforce. A smaller warehouse – think an outfit run by an independent online retailer, or a small local chain – will find adequate coverage amplification through the use of standard cellular signal boosters. Numerous industries rely on these cost-effective, easy-to-install systems to patch over cellular dead zones.

Larger warehouses, on the other hand, should opt for a more expansive solution – ideally, an intelligent active DAS – to amplify cell signals. An intelligent active DAS can improve connectivity in all areas of the warehouse, with many solutions supporting multiple cell carriers for maximum coverage.

With any cellular amplification technology, there is a risk of signal interference, but an intelligent active DAS is able to overcome this by boosting overall signal quality.

Warehouses that rely heavily on IoT devices – as smart warehouses do – will also benefit from the addition of a private cellular network. This provides an added layer of security and support, ensuring these critical devices can keep running even in the event of a macro network failure. Moreover, private cellular networks and IoT sensors also offer a critical source of data for warehouses. The insights gained from these devices can help warehouse owners and retail leaders transform their productivity and accelerate the supply chain.

Seamless connectivity in the retail warehouse is also directly connected to the retailer’s customer experience. Just as retailers seek improved visibility into their supply chains, consumers seek improved visibility into their orders. Smart devices not only store accurate inventory information but convey that information across critical business and customer-facing channels. The more details retailers can provide customers about the status of their items, the better, and improved warehouse connectivity helps to keep them in the know.

Futureproofing with Seamless Connectivity

A strong cellular connectivity strategy will prepare retailers for growth: they’ll know how to scale solutions as their operations expand and they build onto their warehouses, move to a bigger one, and/or adopt multiple warehouse locations.

Even if expansion isn’t in their near-future plans, having reliable connectivity will make their current operations antifragile, creating a solid foundation for the introduction of new smart technologies in the future. 

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