More companies are switching to robots to carry out manual warehousing tasks, but according to one expert, Midland Pallet Trucks, manual handling equipment will continue to be a mainstay of warehouses long into the future.
Companies like Amazon have revolutionised the warehouse by first introducing robots over a decade ago. The ‘everything store’ now uses over 350,000 robots across their warehouses worldwide. Since they were first introduced, these robots have continued to advance technologically to perform many tasks autonomously. But many equipment providers remain confident that there will always be a space for manual handling equipment in global warehouses.
Despite growing excitement that robots are the answer to solving huge warehouse demand in response to the rise in e-commerce, Midland Pallet Trucks suggest that a combined approach may be the most appropriate for the future. This best approach will be one that makes use of the skills of robots together with a physical workforce.
In the UK alone, warehousing and logistics contributes billions to the economy and accounts for 7% of the workforce. It’s also a booming sector that provides skills and training opportunities in many low-income areas. The switch to robots could not only mean inefficiencies in the workplace but could leave a huge gap in the country’s labour market.
Midland Pallet Trucks, which is located in the Midlands, provides high quality manual handling equipment like pallet trucks, manual stacker trucks and lift tables to warehouses across the country and still believes their equipment will be part of warehouses of the future.
Phil Chesworth, Managing Director of Midland Pallet Trucks says, “It’s exciting to see all of the advancements that are coming to the logistics industry. With robots taking on new tasks every day it can be easy to forget just how efficient and cost-effective a physical workforce can be.
At Midland Pallet Trucks, we sell tried and tested equipment that can make working in a warehouse so much easier. From transporting goods around, loading items onto lorries, and optimising the organisation of the space, there’s a lot that can be done with manual handling equipment, so I’d encourage warehouse managers to not jump straight into robot workers just yet.”
To find out more about the wide range of lift equipment available from Midland Pallet Trucks, visit https://www.midlandpallettrucks.com/
