How Warehouse Drones Improve your Operations

Managing an inventory is not a simple task.

Especially if you don't fully understand what's happening with your products or can't move as fast as your customers need 

So what's a business owner to do?

Turn their attention to something that can revolutionize your inventory and warehouse practices.

Drones

Is that even possible?

Yes

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And after you read this blog, you'll see that it's becoming more common than what you might think.

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How Drones Work in Warehouses?

Yes, we are all familiar with how drones work. 

They are flying devices designed to carry out some pretty impressive tasks.

But did you know you can also use drones for the benefit of your inventory? 

In this specific setting, drones are capable of keeping track of everything in your warehouse. Instead of only relying on your staff to manually climb ladders or walk miles searching for the right barcode,  you can use a drone to do the job faster and safer. 

Picture this scenario: You run a busy warehouse and with the busy season coming around the corner, you need to improve your processes, so you buy a drone. 

They can fit up to your shelves, scan the barcode on a pallet and automatically send the data to your warehouse system. 

As simple as that

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Key Terms You Should Know 

Autonomous navigation 

When they first appeared, they were kind of magical, but the truth is there’s a technology behind. 

Drones don’t just fly around randomly, they're programmed to follow specific flight paths using GPS, sensors, and even machine learning. 

They know where they are, where they’re going, and what to scan, all on their own. 

And using all of this technology in your warehouse? 

You can bet it can do wonders 

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RFID

RFID tags are like smart barcodes that drones can scan wirelessly. No need for line-of-sight like regular barcodes, drones can just fly by and pick up the data in a flash.  

These guys are quickly becoming a favorite among businesses than want to speed up things in their warehouses. 

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Computer vision

Using cameras and advanced image recognition software, drones can spot barcodes, detect damaged packaging, or even recognize when a shelf is empty

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WMS integration

Warehouse management systems are the digital systems that keep your warehouse running, so it makes absolutely sense to learn that drones have the ability to connect with these platforms. 

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Advantages of Using Drones in Warehouses 

Inventory accuracy 

This is a big one

Manually counting your inventory stock can be an absolute pain for your staff and your business. 

Think about it

Making a mistake could cost you money, and in the worst case scenario, you could also lose your customers' trust.

Drones are another story 

They come with tools like integrated cameras, RFID readers and scanners so you can be sure that every data collected is indeed accurate. 

So if you are done with miscounts, inventory mismatches and wasting time double checking the most minimum detail, drones are a wonderful solution.

Time-efficient

We don't need to tell you how time is one of your most precious assets. 

And if your team is spending hours or days doing activities that could be done in minutes, then that's a red flag for productivity levels.

Drones can take care of your stock in less time than a regular human crew would do it.  Improving your delivery times and saving you some time that you can allocate for more strategic tasks. 

Saves money

And with more time at your disposal, there's less need to spend extra resources. 

Drones might seem like an additional investment when you begin to work with them, but bear in mind that whenever you plan an inventory revision, you need to hire people, increase payments for extra hours and even buy new equipment. 

Things that aren't necessary if you are using drones to do all the heavy work. 

So yes, at the end of the day, it's definitely worth it. 

Improved safety 

Some people might believe that robots, or in this case drones are here to replace humans.

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The truth is technology can make our lives easier and safer.

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Traditional inventory checks aren't exactly free from dangers. There are high shelves to reach, narrow aisles…and a lot of things that could go wrong.

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Drones are specifically built to safely fly around those hard to reach places while your team stays safe on the ground. 

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Real-time data 

Lack of visibility is a serious portion of the problem with inventory management 

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If you don't know what's wrong, you can't fix it. That's how it works.

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But…drones are also useful for that. They not only fly around your warehouse, they collect important information, that's later sent directly to your warehouse management system. 

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This means you can see what's in stock right when you need it. 

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Challenges of Implementing Drones in Your Warehouse

It costs money 

We get it, you've a budget to follow.

And drones don't have a reputation for being exactly cheap, while there are options in the market that can make it more affordable you need to bear in mind that you'll need to invest in many things like the drones themselves, the charging stations, software, and potential upgrades to your WMS.

On the other hand?

You'll reap the benefits quicker than expected in more than a way.

Needs some technical knowledge 

Even if it's just the basics 

Your team might need some time and maybe a few YouTube tutorials to get comfortable flying and maintaining drones.

 And while the tech is getting better every year, glitches can happen, like missed scans or unexpected landings. So it's important to rely on a strong customer service system to fix it.

Is Your Warehouse Ready for Drones?

Drones are great, and yes you might feel excited to see them flying around your warehouse, but…

There are some critical aspects to consider before jumping into a decision.

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• Space and layout: If your space is super cluttered or has lots of tight corners, you might need to do a little rethinking around layout, or at least plan out designated drone zones.  Drones must be able to move freely to really work. Otherwise you are just building the scenario for a disaster.
• Connectivity: Drones are pretty amazing…only if they're connected to the internet. Drones rely on good Wi-Fi, GPS, and integrations with your existing warehouse systems.
• Power stations: Most drones run on rechargeable batteries, which tend to run off very quickly, think 20 or 30 minutes, so you’ll need charging stations and maybe some backups to keep them in the air.

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