Optimising Manual Warehouses: Practical Ways to Improve Capacity, Productivity & Visibility

Labour availability, rising volumes, space limitations, and increasing service expectations are putting pressure on many warehouse operations.

Many companies are looking for practical ways to take the first step into automation and improve the performance of existing or new warehouses without major disruption or unnecessary investment.

This eBook focuses on the latest range of optimisation solutions that help improve capacity, productivity, and accuracy, increase visibility and operational control. It outlines how targeted improvements to systems, storage design, and picking processes can deliver meaningful gains –using flexible, scalable technologies and methods that can be implemented progressively and aligned to your specific operation now and as you expand.

Rather than promoting a one‑size‑fits‑all solution, the guide helps you understand what your business can focus on, based on your challenges, constraints, volumes, inventory mix, and labour profile.

What you’ll learn:

• Improving visibility and control: How better insight into warehouse activity can reduce errors, improve accuracy, manage inventory and support day‑to‑day decision‑making.
• Using space more effectively: How the right storage approach can unlock capacity, improve access to stock, and support throughput without expanding your footprint.
• Lifting picking productivity: Ways to reduce unnecessary travel, support operators, and improve pick rates and service levels.
• Applying automation selectively: Where task‑support tools and automation can help relieve labour pressure and improve flow.
• Taking a phased approach: How to prioritise improvements that deliver value now, without over‑engineering the solution and providing you with the flexibility, agility and scalability to expand as your business grows.

See real-world examples:

• Tasty Fresh: +35% productivity; faster, error-light picking with voice
• WesTrac: 30% faster order fulfilment with existing headcount via AutoStore
• AS Colour: 344% throughput per worker, +35% capacity, −30% footprint with Dematic Multishuttle
• Coghlan: Increased storage capacity and improved flow with ColbyRACK + mezzanine
• Lactalis: 24/7 chilled handling with AGVs, improving safety and reliability