Why Warehouse Jobs Are Safe from Robots
Robots are not coming for our jobs — not in the warehouse at least.
The topic of automation and its effect on employment is a touchy one. This is understandable and why any conversation on the potential for robots to replace people’s jobs gets a lot of attention.
But, the idea that companies are on a mission to eliminate people’s jobs with automation is not what it appears to be. A closer look shows the real demand for automation in the warehouse is rooted in something else. While it does seem logical that low-skilled warehouse work would be the first jobs taken over by automation — it didn’t even make this article’s top 5.
In my conversations with all types of fulfillment and warehouse operations, the primary driver for adding automation is to address the basic problem of finding enough workers. It has little to do with a desire to eliminate people from the operations. In fact, the reverse is true. Companies are desperate for good employees.
Most warehouse jobs being performed by automation weren’t taken from anyone — because companies couldn’t find people to do them in the first place.
There are a lot of reasons warehouses are struggling to find employees. An obvious one is that the job market is very good and people can be more selective about the work they do. The reality is many do not want warehouse jobs. It can be hard, boring, low-paying work.
Another trend, reshoring, is creating more competition for low skilled manufacturing and warehouse labor as well. Rising labor costs in other countries is a big reason for the increase in reshoring, as is technology. The economics of offshoring are very different than just a few years ago.
An additional factor is that people’s feelings and expectations about their jobs are changing. In general, employee retention is harder and people change jobs more frequently. As job responsibilities evolve, in a warehouse or anywhere else, companies still want to hold onto good employees. They want to put employees on higher value tasks that cannot be automated.
Other major consumer trends are increasing the value and demand for human workers, not robots. For example, ecommerce and the market demand for more customization can make implementing automation harder. Even Amazon, the bell-weather for all things logistics has increased their people hiring proportionally to the increased use of robots in their fulfillment centers.
All this is not to say that warehouse jobs are not being impacted by technology. The point is also not to say that companies have an obligation to retain unreliable or flat out bad employees. Technology does have a growing role in the warehouse. It can do many things more accurately and faster than people. Robots are also stronger and able to do more dangerous things that people cannot, or should not do. Automation will often lower costs and increase efficiency, too.
But, if Amazon is any example (and I can’t think of a better one), then the benefits of automation come in lock step with needing people as well.
It is true some jobs are being eliminated, and many are changing, by the increased use of robots in the warehouse. But it’s inaccurate to say that the sole intent with automation is to eliminate jobs — it’s not.
Founder of ShipStarter, Kenneth is a 25+ year professional of the supply chain industry. He writes content for many of the world’s largest logistics companies, as well as on his own blog site.
