Operational Excellence for Freight Forwarders

Tag: Warehousing

  • TechWeek Singapore 2026

    At TechWeekSingapore2026, I have been looking at technologies from the perspective of freight forwarding and logistics: What operational problem does this actually solve?

    My first stop was WATA AI / WATON (https://www.wata-ai.com/en/waton).

    The core value proposition appears to sit alongside the WMS rather than replacing traditional WMS functionality.

    There are two distinct applications.

    1. Physical handling accuracy

    WATA addresses the physical execution layer of warehouse operations:

    • Putaway accuracy: verifying that the correct pallet is placed in the correct pallet location.
    • Inventory accuracy: checking what pallet is physically located at each pallet position.
    • Outbound accuracy: verifying that the correct pallet is retrieved and despatched.

    Pallets do not necessarily require a barcode, although identification would improve the process.

    The current application therefore appears best suited to homogeneous products with known and defined pallet configurations.

    This distinction is important: a WMS knows where a pallet should be. WATA is trying to establish whether the physical pallet is actually there.

    2. Digital twin and warehouse optimisation

    The warehouse can be modelled digitally to analyse:

    • current productivity and material flows;
    • as-is versus to-be scenarios;
    • alternative warehouse and racking configurations, including adjustable pallet racking systems;
    • the productivity impact of layout changes before physically implementing them.

    This takes the application beyond accuracy and control into warehouse engineering and continuous improvement.

    Current limitations

    Based on the solution demonstrated to me, there are some limitations to consider:

    • The current solution appears better suited to single-user warehouse environments. Multi-user operations with different customers, SKUs and handling requirements introduce considerably more complexity.
    • Inventory, putaway, picking and outbound verification currently operate at full-pallet level.
    • FIFO, LIFO, batch and expiry-date control become problematic where two pallets containing the same SKU and having the same pallet configuration are physically interchanged. The system cannot independently determine inbound date, batch number or expiry date from the pallet configuration alone.

    Overall, it was interesting to see technology addressing the physical accuracy gap between what the WMS records and what is actually happening on the warehouse floor.

    It’s good to see solutions being developed specifically around logistics operations, and I hope we see more technology providers addressing the particular challenges of freight forwarding and logistics over time.

  • TechWeek Singapore 2026

    At TechWeekSingapore2026, I have been looking at technologies from the perspective of freight forwarding and logistics: What operational problem does this actually solve?

    One of the solutions worth looking at is SOTI (soti.net). We spend a lot of time talking about WMS, TMS, automation and AI.

    But there is another layer we often overlook: the device the warehouse operator or driver actually holds in their hand.

    SOTI manages and secures these mobile and rugged devices across platforms including Android and Windows, and supports manufacturers commonly used in logistics such as Zebra, Honeywell, Datalogic and Panasonic.

    Where does this become operationally interesting?

    A warehouse handheld can be locked down so the operator only has access to the applications and functions required for the job.

    Different configurations can be applied to warehouse staff, drivers and supervisors.

    Geofencing takes this further. Device policies can change depending on whether the device is inside an approved warehouse, depot or other location.

    Then there is downtime. When a scanner stops working, the problem is not simply an IT problem. It becomes an operational problem. SOTI allows support teams to remotely diagnose devices, collect logs and examine device, application and battery behaviour without necessarily having the device physically in front of them.

    Another practical logistics application is controlled photo capture. Images of damaged cargo, loading conditions or proof of delivery can be captured, automatically transferred to a central repository and removed from the device afterwards.

    My takeaway

    The easiest way to understand where SOTI fits into logistics is perhaps this:

    The WMS manages the inventory.

    The TMS manages the transport. The handheld connects the employee to those systems. SOTI manages and protects that connection.

    As logistics operations become increasingly digital, the devices used on the warehouse floor and in the field are no longer just hardware. They are part of the operational infrastructure.