Assessment of Warehouse Automation in an International Organization in Africa: Input to an Enhanced Strategic Management Implementation Plan

Warehouses are turning to automation technologies to manage these complexities, providing a competitive edge in the market by lowering costs, reducing human error, and improving productivity across the organization's operations. Warehouse automation is a software tool or platform designed to enhance and streamline warehouse operations. It provides organizations with the capabilities required to properly handle and monitor inventory, manage warehouse duties, and improve overall supply chain procedures. With this, this comprehensive study assessed warehouse automation in the international organization in Mali, focusing on the implementation of warehouse automation and identifying the primary critical aspects that contribute to its effective adoption. Using a quantitative approach, primary data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire from a sample of 98 warehouse employees involved in managing the central warehouse operations. The study was conducted in seven geographical locations in Mali, West Africa. This area is in the capital city of Bamako and in the six regional offices, namely, Kidal, Toumbouctou, Gao, Menaka, Mopti, and Tessalet, wherein the central warehouse has already applied automation. This study tested the influence of service, system, and information quality using SEM-Structural Equation Modeling. The study's findings indicate that system quality was the most significant indicator of warehouse automation implementation. This study adds to the existing literature on effective warehouse automation adoption in the setting of international organizations, specifically in Africa.