Limits of Manual Shelving Before Warehouse Automation
A central problem in manual warehousing, before warehouse automation comes into play, is long walking distances. Employees often spend more time searching for items than actually picking them. This lowers productivity and lengthens throughput times. Shelving systems also require particularly large amounts of space. Aisles between racks have to be wide enough for employees or vehicles to pass through, which wastes valuable floor space while a large share of the building's height goes unused. As a result, the available storage volume is never used efficiently. On top of that comes the susceptibility to errors, which doubles the workload. Finally, dependence on having enough staff makes manual warehousing unstable. If staff are missing or not adequately trained, efficiency drops noticeably.
Typical Signs: When Warehouse Automation Becomes Necessary
- Orders are taking increasingly longer, and downstream processes suffer as a result (delivery times, customer satisfaction, etc.)
- Warehouse space is completely used up
- Additional shelving or external space is needed
- Shortage of sufficient staff
- High error rates (wrong items, inventory discrepancies, returns)
- You can no longer keep up with rising customer demands
- The lack of warehouse automation leads to declining efficiency and competitiveness
Benefits of an Automated Small Parts Warehouse (AS/RS) in Warehouse Automation
- Significant space savings
- Faster processes
- Fewer errors
- Better planning reliability
- Transparency
- Attractive for your employees
When Does It Pay Off to Switch From Manual Shelving to an Automation Solution?
The switch makes sense when:
- Growth is expected or already a reality.
- Space is becoming scarce and expensive.
- Staff are hard to find or retain.
- Processes need to be digitized to keep up with your competitors.
- Requirements for speed and reliability are increasing.
Conclusion
Once your manual warehouse regularly leads to bottlenecks and hampers efficiency, it's time to act. Warehouse automation is then the next logical step. Switching to an automated small parts warehouse means reducing warehouse workload and costs, and, as a result, securing your competitiveness.
