The retailing sector has a long record in the adoption and implementation of both technologybased applications and innovative managerial practices. Starting with barcode technology in the early 1980s, moving next to cross-docking and vendor-managed inventory practices in the 1990s and radio frequency identification (RFID) applications in the 2000s, the retailing sector has demonstrated its capacity for continuous performance and efficiency improvements in response to increased competition, increased transportation costs and therefore threatened net profit margins. There is no doubt that the retail industry relies heavily on technology, having being transformed into an extremely information-intensive sector, with hundreds of thousands of orders, deliveries, shipping notices or receipt documentations exchanged on an annual basis. Within this context, it is no surprise that, alongside the transport sector, retail is a leader in Europe in the use of technology-based applications (IDC, 2008). Furthermore, according to same report, the highest percentage of pilot projects and ongoing implementations is currently reported in the manufacturing sector because of increased pressure from retail customers and with the objective of improving production efficiency while safeguarding product safety and authenticity. The objective of this chapter is to present the importance of information and communication technologies (ICT) in retail warehouse operations. The chapter has the following structure: first, an overview of the characteristics of warehousing operations is presented. Then, the order-picking process is analysed, along with the most important methods currently employed, putting emphasis on voice picking. Then a case study of a Greek retailer is provided. The case study emphasises the way a warehouse for fruit and vegetables operates, drawing from a real project, and presenting insights from the implementation of radio frequency (RF) picking and voice-picking technology.
RETAIL WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS
12.2.1 An overview of warehouse operations
Warehouses lie, by definition, in the centre of retail operations, playing a vital role in their daily life and contributing significantly to their final success. Despite their undisputed importance, operating a warehouse often turns into a nightmare for many companies Intelligent Agrifood Chains and Networks, First Edition.