AI and Digital Twins Revolutionize 2024 Warehouse Operations

While Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital twins have made headlines in recent months, the actual applications of these technologies might leave supply chain professionals scratching their heads about whether they have what they need to employ the technologies and even how to apply them in real-life.  The good news is that most facilities already have the required data they need — it’s just buried in their warehouse management system (WMS). And integrating AI and digital twins is actually quite useful and simple. Here are five ways these technologies can revolutionize warehouse operations in 2024.

1. Optimizing Warehouse Layout and Design

Advanced technologies like digital twins and AI make it much easier to optimize warehouse layout and design. It’s next to impossible for anyone to attempt such tasks by trying to visualize a warehouse layout in their head. Calculations based on regression or optimization models are also difficult for warehouse managers to use to optimize operations.

But put the visualization of a 3D digital twin at their disposal, and warehouse managers can easily understand the implications of moving racks around and changing slotting. Showing users warehouse hotspots — areas where picking activity is heightened — makes decisions about changing facility configurations and the deployment of labor to optimize warehouse operations quicker and easier. Users only have to look at a dashboard to see the results.

In the past, these functions were performed by warehouse consultants and engineers. With the advancement of technologies such as digital twins, AI, advanced analytics and natural language processing, decision-making tools are put in the hands of warehouse managers.

Visualizations allow managers to experiment with diverse warehouse layouts and different numbers of workers in different zones to understand how changes impact productivity. Natural language generation adds narrative information, to provide greater understanding to users by highlighting issues that aren't obvious from the picture. 

Tecsys Provides an Out-of-the-Box Digital Twin Solution

Tecsys, a supply-chain technology company, provides an out-of-the-box digital twin solution that helps users track and monitor supply-chain trends in real time and over time. 

The benefits of the solution do not end at the warehouse door, according to Joe Vernon, a principal at EPAM Systems, who consults with Tecsys. “Virtual simulations connect across supply chains,” he explains. “After implementing the solution in the warehouse, you can bring it upstream to transportation and to supply and demand planning. When these virtual environments connect and talk to one another, they can really transform the supply chain.”

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By leveraging the power of emerging technologies and working with a trusted IT partner like EPAM, businesses can reach the next horizon of operational effectiveness with a faster, more flexible, granular, accurate and efficient supply chain: https://www.epam.com/services/engineering/supply-chain/supply-chain-advisory