These were the key takeaways from the discussion between Vivek Singh, Co-Founder of Hopstack, and Kevin Lawton on The New Warehouse podcast.
Listen to the complete discussion here.
As the retail industry continues to evolve, brands and businesses are becoming increasingly omnichannel, with the complexity of maintaining traditional retail and wholesale models while also dipping into direct-to-consumer (D2C) and e-commerce spaces. This requires a different approach to fulfillment and technology, leading to the emergence of new e-commerce-only brands and marketplaces. However, the gap between legacy software and modern software has become a hindrance for businesses to fully adopt an omnichannel strategy.
Challenges of Legacy Systems in Omnichannel Fulfillment
Today's businesses must be omnichannel, selling through retail stores, online marketplaces, their own web store, and even social channels. This requires a flexible and agile fulfillment environment that is also digitally connected to all players in the ecosystem. However, legacy software built in the late 90s and early 2000s, which was designed for an on-premises environment, lacks the necessary API connectivity and flexibility. As a result, businesses struggle to grow and adapt quickly in today's fast-paced environment.
The legacy systems were also built as systems of record, requiring manual input of information to get reports. In contrast, today's systems need to be more predictive and intelligent, making decisions such as optimizing the picking path in a warehouse, planning labor for holiday seasons, making carrier choices, and routing orders to optimize shipping costs.
With the limitations of legacy software, there is now a need for a new category of smart warehousing software that is cloud-first, open, well-connected to marketplaces, web store platforms, and shipping carriers, and has built-in intelligence. This new category of software will allow businesses to make the most of their data, making informed decisions on inventory tracking, management, placement and more.
Hopstack’s New Age Solutions
Hopstack is addressing the challenges faced by businesses in the new modern fulfillment environment, allowing them to fully adopt an omnichannel strategy and stay ahead of the curve.
Hopstack’s digital operating system platform addresses this challenge by bridging the gap between legacy software and modern software. It allows customers to onboard their B2B or B2C warehouse, or an Amazon prep center, regardless of their business model.
Ease of Implementation and Transition to Hopstack
Making the transition from legacy systems to a modern cloud-based system can be daunting, but Hopstack makes it easier and faster. With a no-code approach to configuring options, implementation times have been reduced to as little as four to six weeks. Companies transitioning from legacy systems have realized benefits of 30-40% in terms of order fulfillment throughput, picking efficiency, order lead times, and the number of orders fulfilled per day.
User-Friendly Warehousing Software
In today's fast-paced world, user-friendliness is key in warehousing software. Hopstack's ease of use allows companies to expand their labor pool, making it easier to hire individuals with varying skill sets. This leads to quicker training times for new employees and an increase in productivity.
The Intersection of Hardware and Software in Warehouses
Advancements in technology, particularly robotics, and automation, are transforming the warehousing industry. To meet consumer demands for faster deliveries, companies must adopt these technologies, but integration can be a challenge. Legacy systems often require custom integrations, while modern warehousing software should have native integration capabilities. Hopstack excels in this area, offering pre-built connectors for some of the largest devices in the market, allowing for quick and easy onboarding of new automation and robotics.
Streamlining Warehouse Operations with Robotics
The future of warehouses will see a mix of robots and automation devices working together. Hopstack's pre-built connectors and continued integration with modern physical automation devices puts it ahead of the game. It offers companies the flexibility to bring in robots in the future without additional integration work, making it a leader in the industry.
In conclusion
Hopstack is revolutionizing omnichannel fulfillment in the retail industry. Its cloud-based platform, ease of implementation and transition, user-friendliness, and integration capabilities make it a great option for businesses looking to stay ahead of the curve.
Schedule a demo to learn more about how Hopstack’s platform automates every pillar of the warehouse right from order management to inventory control.
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