THE SMART WAREHOUSE TREND: ACTUAL LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY AVAILABILITY

Background: Some phrases become common and contemporary without justification. One such term for business activities is the term smart. In the field of logistics, the trend toward "smart" warehousing is increasingly attracting attention. It is necessary to define it and the stage where intelligence can be achieved using available state-of-the-art technology, to follow the trend of the dehumanization of warehouse and in general manufacturing operations in the direction of Industry 4.0.

Methods: The article is based mainly on observational methods, literature review, and document analysis, based on data obtained during the implementation of consulting projects. The subject is limited to warehouses designated to process palletised goods.

Results: The available state-of-the-art solutions, like IoT, automation, robots, and communication standards, are close to smart warehouse implementation. But on the other hand, lack of full cooperation between various parties of supply chain and long-term return on investment stand in opposition to implementation.

Conclusions: Smart warehouse is the matter of the future. Technology is predominantly achievable, but standardization, universalization and trust are necessary to reach the level of real implementation. Smart solutions are within the reach of a single enterprise, but only in isolation from its microenvironment.