How can we ensure that 2,000 pallets a day aren't managed by phone calls?

With a smaller warehouse, many things can be handled through experience. The warehouse worker knows where a specific item is usually stored. The manager knows the priorities. If someone doesn’t know where a pallet is, they’ll ask a coworker or pick up the phone.

But what if 2,000 pallets pass through the warehouse every day?

Then questions like “Where do I put this?”, “Where is this pallet?”, or “Which one should we pick first?” are no longer minor delays.

At this volume, they become a problem for the entire process. And at this point, the warehouse no longer needs more phone calls. It needs a system that knows the answer.

With 2,000 pallets, it’s not enough to know that the goods are “somewhere”

This is exactly the situation we addressed in a project for GEFCO Slovakia.

One of the requirements was to handle a turnover of 2,000 pallets per day while making the most efficient use of warehouse space. Each storage location could hold approximately 10 to 20 pallets of the same goods.

The system also had to ensure:

• FIFO-based putaway and picking,

• traceability of each pallet,

• support for quality control,

• and an online overview of inventory levels.

This is no longer just inventory management.

It involves a multitude of decisions that must be made correctly and at the right time.

WMS sa však môže rozhodovať podľa dát.

V riešení pre GEFCO systém odporúča pracovníkovi pozíciu podľa reálneho objemu materiálu na jednotlivých skladových pozíciách a následne ho naviguje pri zaskladňovaní aj vychystávaní.

Skladník tak nemusí zakaždým hľadať odpoveď na otázku:

Kam mám ísť teraz? Dostane ju od systému. A keď sa podobné rozhodnutie opakuje stovky či tisíce ráz, rozdiel začína byť výrazný.pri robote.

Vzniká už pri návrhu celej automatizácie.

 However, the WMS can make decisions based on data.

In the solution for GEFCO, the system recommends a location to the worker based on the actual volume of material at individual storage locations and then guides the worker during both putaway and picking.

This means the warehouse worker no longer has to ask themselves every time:

“Where should I go now?” The system provides the answer. And when a decision like this is repeated hundreds or thousands of times, the difference becomes significant in terms of work efficiency.

This advantage is evident right from the design phase of the entire automation system.

FIFO doesn’t have to stay in the warehouse worker’s head

The same applies to the FIFO rule. The first pallet received should be the first one issued.

This is simple when there are only a few pallets. But with thousands of movements per day, you don’t want compliance with the rule to depend solely on whether a worker picks the right pallet.

That’s why FIFO was one of the requirements for GEFCO’s WMS, along with the traceability of every pallet. Material movements are recorded using barcode scanners, and the system provides real-time information on inventory levels.

The difference is simple:

“We think we have it.”

versus

“We know exactly where it is.”

Fewer decisions can also mean fewer kilometers

Warehouse optimization doesn’t necessarily mean that people will start working faster.

Often, it’s enough if they don’t have to do unnecessary work.

If a worker walks a few extra meters during a single operation, nothing significant happens. But if this is repeated hundreds of times a day, those meters add up to kilometers.

Among the results of the GEFCO project, therefore, was a reduction in FTEs due to shorter distances. The case study also highlights savings in warehouse space, on-time line replenishment, minimal error rates, more efficient use of human resources, and rapid staff training.

The entire solution was delivered within six weeks of receiving the requirements.

When does a warehouse need a WMS?

The answer doesn’t have to be a specific number of pallets. A better indicator is the number of questions that people have to answer manually during a typical shift:

Where should we store this? Where is it located? Which pallet should we pick? Is this bin available? How much material do we have?

If you’re still looking for the answers to these questions in spreadsheets, phone calls, or the heads of experienced workers, the problem may not be a lack of manpower. You can read more about this in our blog post, “Who Is the Most Expensive Employee in the Warehouse?” It’s the one who’s held up by searching for goods in the warehouse.

Perhaps your warehouse has simply outgrown the way you’re managing it.

The GEFCO project shows that even with a throughput of 2,000 pallets per day, putaway, picking, FIFO, traceability, and inventory can be managed systematically. And perhaps that’s exactly why the question shouldn’t be:

How many more pallets can our warehouse handle?

But rather:

How many decisions are still being made unnecessarily by people instead of the system?