The technological challenges faced by selected Durban warehouses in the era of e-Commerce

Abstract

The use of technology in this current era is constantly evolving. From smartphones to online purchasing, banking transactions to virtual meetings, the digital world has become part of people’s lifestyle and is expanding quite rapidly. This has resulted in a lot of pressure on companies to keep their systems technologically up-to-date. Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is one of the major ways that technology has been used in the world of business. It has become an important factor in today’s world of business for both developed and developing countries, making it a driving force for economic growth. Electronic commerce, an attribute of the internet, has become a convenient way of doing business, communicating with potential customers as well as buying online. As businesses grow and the demand to fulfil customers’ orders increases, the role of the warehouse becomes significant and more visible. In this case, the warehouse needs to ensure that proper storage is available to accommodate large supply of goods. The aim of this study was to investigate the technological challenges facing selected warehouses in the Durban region regarding to e-commerce whilst being guided by the aim of determining the technological challenges affecting warehouses in the era of e-commerce. The researcher used a qualitative approach to investigate these challenges by using an interview instrument. The sample size for the study was 16 participants. However, due to the pandemic, only 8 participants in total were available. The findings were linked to both primary and secondary data. The study found that e-commerce is essential for business. It is a business platform that needs to be utilised successfully, considering the rapid change and development in technology. The future of the warehouse is automation. Therefore, having technology in the warehouse will improve productivity. The study recommends that warehouses need to consider adopting a warehouse executes system (WES) in the future. This system combines both warehouse management system and warehouse control system.