E-commerce and material handling face quite a few challenges daily, the main ones are the volume of and varying of inbound goods. Dealing with multiple suppliers, manufacturers, and packages coming in a variety of sizes and conditions means needing to be prepared at all times. This includes for accurate and timely data collection when receiving. Missed product scanning, incorrect labels or system entry delays for inventory causes issues in the downstream processes for transportation, sorting, picking, and shipping.

Facility organization is also a huge challenge. Many fulfillment centers do not have a large amount of extra space. This means that dock space and related areas need to be optimized while also remaining clean and efficient so parcels can flow quickly and seamlessly to avoid bottlenecks. Manual labor can also be a struggle point as it is intensive, costly and also in short supply. Relaying on large amounts of manpower will have you running at a slower pace to complete your inbound processes.