How smart warehouse automation has improved efficiency and safety in Netherlands and Hungary

The value of an efficient system of producing and supplying goods can never be overstated.

In today’s globalised world, as businesses embrace the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0 – the next phase in the digitalisation of the manufacturing sector, driven by the rise of data, interconnectivity, analytics and automation – raw materials and components are often travelling across continents and oceans before a finished product reaches customers.

So it makes sense for businesses to have an efficient supply chain and inventory management, so they can quickly process orders, and rapidly transport and deliver goods.

Smart factories and warehouses, with digitalised manufacturing features that use interconnected devices, machinery and production systems to continuously collect and share data, are rapidly emerging as the mainstay of the future of supply-chain management.

These facilities use high-speed 5G mobile technology and artificial intelligence (AI) – computer systems that can copy human behaviour – which offer many business solutions, including self-driving vehicles, proactive quality control measures, and remote maintenance using augmented reality, where the real-world environment is enhanced with computer-generated visual elements, sounds and other stimuli.

“Digitalisation and automation are two industry megatrends and a key to our future,” Vicky Zhang, vice-president of corporate communications at the Chinese telecommunications company, Huawei Technologies, said at its smart 5G European Supply Centre (ESC) in Waalwijk, in the Netherlands, during last December’s demonstration of how digital tools can boost the competitiveness of global businesses and shape sustainable development.