A 4.0 Automated Warehouse Storage and Picking System for Order Fulfillment

Despite the number of scientific contributions on the topic, there are still several challenges to be faced before the principles of Industry 4.0 become widely applicable. This study aims precisely to overcome some of the limitations of existing technologies and applications for material handling and picking. The current market solutions often require high investment costs being unsustainable by small and medium-sized enterprises and suitable exclusively for managing large volumes and a mix of highly diversified products. In this study, the authors aimed to conceptualize and design an automatic order fulfillment system applicable to small and medium-sized companies performing frequent shipments characterized by low volumes, variable product mix, reduced overall dimensions for products and products typically sold in bulk, such as those operating in the beauty and cosmetics sector. The proposed solution consists of a series of smart drawers, controlled by a communication architecture designed in 4.0 Logic, equipped with hardware and software interfaces that can be easily integrated with any existing management or departmental system. By the Cloud and WEB Portal, the warehouse thus conceived can be monitored and controlled in real-time from any part of the Globe. The solution is completely modular and easily adaptable to future changes in quantities and mixes in stock. The proposed system, as demonstrated by the cost vs. benefit analysis conducted on a real case, allows getting a significant saving in terms of manpower and space, as well as a strong increase in terms of precision, efficiency in order fulfillment and safety.