Top Priorities for 3PL Warehouse IT in 2021
Q: When looking ahead to 2021, what’s the number-one priority companies should make to stay competitive?
A: Since labor is the most expensive component of the business, we say start there. Smartly planning your resources to best suit the needs of the company and the company’s digital transformation and customer experience goals is paramount.
Barcoding and Honeywell agree outsourcing the management of mobile devices is one of the most effective ways to free IT resources for value-added projects. Barcoding’s team of service experts can handle everything from streamlined device roll-outs to MDM management, spare pool, and help desk.
Q: What risk factors exist today for IT leaders supporting 3PL warehouses, which are facing high demand?
A: After a disruptive, and in the realm of e-commerce, record-setting year, we see three key areas of potential risk and reward for senior IT leaders in 2021.
First is in labor—there is, and continues to be, a shortage of technical labor available to IT teams. With a push for digital transformation and an increasingly larger number of channels to manage, IT and operations leaders must think about resource allocation. Barcoding’s managed services can help relieve the burden around mobile IT management so that internal resources can be freed up to continue to innovate.
Second is security. With all kinds of mobile devices hitting the network, IT leaders must be prepared to keep company and customer data secure. Working with Barcoding and Honeywell, we can review device data and ensure the right patching and security updates are handled appropriately.
Finally, we see a critical need to change how companies procure technology. At Barcoding, we offer an "as-a-service" option for devices and support services so IT can manage a monthly expense vs. a capex one, and so that the company can be better prepared for refresh cycles and new technology needs.
Q: Why should CIOs prioritize the upgrade to new Android-based mobile scanning devices in the warehouse?
A: Android as an operating system introduces a host of benefits. Counter to many beliefs, Android is more secure than legacy Windows Mobile (which is now end-of-life).
Android also allows for the proliferation of enterprise applications to be served up on one device so your traditional RF scanner can now be a multipurpose tool to drive productivity including voice capabilities like those from Honeywell. Also, Honeywell’s Mobility Edge Platform ensures security updates will be available for your Honeywell device up to Android R and Beyond.
With more than 20 years of experience in portfolio, service, and supplier management, Keri Corbin is a valued member of the Barcoding leadership team. In her role, Corbin leads the client solutions group whose primary focus is on designing and delivering solutions that increase customer efficiency and accuracy, as well as creating lasting connections for Barcoding’s customers, clients, employees, and trading partners.