Design of IoT Architecture for order picking in a typical warehouse

Internet of things is a new revolution in the capabilities of the endpoints that are connected to the internet, and is been driven by the advancements in capabilities of sensor networks, mobile devices, wireless communications, networking and cloud technologies. The demand for high-individualized products and services is continually increasing. Global presence and diverse product portfolio further adds to complexity. Visibility is a key challenge in warehouse management as there is need for accurate and timely information on shipments. Due to its increasing complexity, it is difficult to handle with ordinary planning and control practices. In order to overcome the competitive business environment one has to take actions with the implementation of IoT in warehouses. This research work proposes an IoT architecture for order picking process in a warehouse. The major outcome of this work is the design of an IoT architecture for order picking process in a warehouse. The other outcomes are real time tracking and visibility into inventory, reduction of cost of warehouse operations and improved safety and reduced theft & pilferages. The future scope of IoT in warehouse is that while full automation is still relatively rare, even traditional man-to-goods warehouse operations have been impacted by new technologies, though people may still shoulder the greatest part of the workload.