NEWLY established automation solutions provider WoodTrees Sdn Bhd is aiming for a seven-fold growth over the next five years, riding on growing demand for warehouse automation systems.

       The company is on a mission to drive the automation wave in Malaysia’s warehousing sector through its Warehouse Management System (WMS). The platform allows businesses to manage inventory volumes seamlessly and transparently, and simplify workflow within their warehouses via a single user-friendly dashboard.

       Meanwhile, the platform’s Warehouse Control System (WCS) allows employees to control warehouse elements, ensuring optimal storage conditions throughout the year.

       This will enable warehouses to automate manual processes, capture data and analytics, and conduct inventory control.

       “Warehouse automation is a key element to improving business performance and productivity. The market is growing at a rapid pace and technology is becoming a defining factor that separates innovators from stagnant businesses.

       “In a traditional warehouse, you can find items of various sizes scattered across the floor. Picking, sorting and storing these items manually may take hours. But, with our easily implementable solutions, warehouse operations can become more efficient, and less time and cost-consuming.

       “Ultimately, this results in faster fulfilment and overall improvements in supply chain management,” says WoodTrees founder and managing director Gan Soon Kiat.

       He notes that while the global warehouse automation market is expected to expand to over US$69bil (RM292.56bil) by 2025, the industry in Malaysia is still experiencing a lag.

       Although demand for automation has been on the rise, stumbling blocks such as a lack of know-how and cost are still barriers to a more widespread adoption.

       But with Malaysia in the midst of transforming the local manufacturing sector to focus on high-value added and knowledge-intensive products, he opines that the warehouse industry, under IR4.0, will increasingly use technology to enhance key processes involved in operations.

       “At WoodTrees, we foresee a future where technology like the WMS will be the nerve centre of a warehouse, collecting data and sending out instructions to an army of autonomous, semi-autonomous and mobile platforms.

       “In the wake of Covid-19, it is crucial for warehouses across the nation to embrace technology that is highly adaptable for not only improved business performance but also continued business survival,” adds Gan.