Industry 4.0 and digitalisation shaping online retail

Industry 4.0 is a topic high on the news agenda tracking the changes that technology is bringing, primarily to engineering and manufacturing. But it very much applies to retail too, which is becoming more sophisticated both in its profiling of customers and dispatching processes.

Working with an online retailer specialising in sports shirts for world renowned clubs, Automated Packaging Systems has seen how existing bagging technology from the aerospace sector such as bag feeding and loading as well as labelling is proving a close match to the modern needs of e-commerce.

New baggers in the market, such as the Autobag 850S, provide enhanced packaging productivity for mail order fulfilment applications. Not only does it feature bag opening technology, but also next-bag-out printing.

This is achieved with an advanced thermal transfer imprinter positioned directly over the next bag to be loaded. The technology takes the code from the label and sends it to the production area to let them know that the order is being packed. This ensures accuracy and efficiency in fulfilment applications, and prevents product queuing.

Coding

Barcodes and QR code technology integrates with warehouse management systems (WMS), allowing customers to print labels that correspond with and can be read by WMS systems further down the supply chain. It’s important to select a company who has barcoding capabilities on its product lines so you can use this service to increase efficiency.

However, it’s not simply the tracking elements that are evolving with Industry 4.0.

Touch screen is a commonplace technology for consumer products, as is the android operating system, however touch screen control units have featured on Automated Packaging Systems’s product lines for nearly 15 years – early adopters of the technology. For organisations that use a number of temporary workers during peak times, the control units are user friendly and easy to use, meaning clients have minimal training time for operators and they can keep their output high.

Automated Packaging Systems has futureproofed its product lines, available for when customers move forward with the implementation of new technology.

Rapid developments in Industry 4.0 is bringing change to the packaging industry, with coding and labelling enabling businesses to differentiate and fast track their operational logistics to deliver both high quality products and a positive customer experience.

Priding itself as being at the forefront of technology in the industry, Automated Packaging Systems has futureproofed its solutions and it’s only now that these other elements are catching up with the existing capabilities, integrating with these elements and propelling into the retail mainstream.