Over 300 respondents help identify what type of systems are being planned, provide insight into what type of partners companies are turning to for help and the capabilities they want most from these partners. viastore systems, a leading material handling automation systems and software company, has released a survey study on how companies make their material handling system choices and installation partner decisions. This research was conducted by viastore, with the data collected and a report developed by Peerless Research Group on behalf of Modern Material Handling magazine. Over 300 material handling decision makers completed the survey, with the purpose of the survey to identify what type of systems are being planned, provide insight into what type of partners companies are turning to for help and the capabilities they want most from these partners. For example, the survey found that while delivering material handling projects on budget is the leading evaluation criteria (88%), a close third was the effectiveness of after sales support (83%),which examined the priorities, operational objectives, and partnering approaches involved in selecting and deploying material handling automation systems. The idea of a material handling system can range from static, structural systems such as rack, to highly automated, software-driven solutions such as automated storage & retrieval systems (AS/RS) and robotics. While North American warehouses are perceived as being less automated than those in places such as Northern Europe or Japan with high labor costs, some level of automation is not uncommon, as seen by the fact that one fifth of companies surveyed employ some form of automated system for order selection/order fulfillment, and 44% use conveyors and automated sortation. A whitepaper report on the findings of the survey (which can be downloaded here) concluded that the “engineering savvy” of a material handling system vendor is expanding beyond […]
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