Although nearly 75 per cent of UK manufacturers have computerised their stock control systems, more than half have still not automated their storage, according to the first national materials handling and storage survey. Of the 500 manufacturers questioned, around 62 per cent are still storing items on conventional racking and shelving. By automating the storage and retrieval of stock, companies can start to strip out the costs associated with past and outmoded working methods and make considerable savings, helping to drive UK manufacturing to greater levels of productivity. Inventory transactions can be invariably integrated into the IT system and fully tracked to manage and control activities and costs better. The implementation of inventory software and the automation of physical retrieval reduces the risk of picking errors and speeds up the retrieval cycle time by up to four times.
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