Assessment of Warehouse Automation in an International Organization in Africa: A Vital Component for an Enhanced Strategic Management Plan

Warehouse operations in Africa are still mainly rely on manual processes, resulting into the challenges in system integration for the compatibility with legacy backend systems that often rely on outdated technology. Warehouse automation is increasingly important in modern technology of supply chain operations, and it is essential to choose the right solution to meet business requirements. This responsibility falls on the shoulders of all warehouse industry professionals including warehouse employees to provide them with the necessary tools and insights. The study aims to assess the implementation of warehouse automation and identify the primary critical aspects that contribute to its effective adoption. The nature of this study is mainly quantitative. Using an online survey platform, the questionnaire was distributed among the 98 warehouse employees of an international organization in the seven geographical locations of Mali, West Africa. The collected data have been analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). By examining the relationship between service, system, information quality and warehouse automation implementation, Results highlight a strong association of service quality and information quality adoption inclination, indicating widespread satisfaction and data accuracy of warehouse automation. These insights are crucial for warehouse industry policymakers and stakeholders aiming to implement warehouse automation in Mali. Furthermore, this study is limited to warehouse employee of an international organizations in Mali but has the potential to serve as a benchmark for successful warehouse automation implementation in other warehouse industries.