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Warehouse Automation When Facing Staff Shortages: Where to Start?
Nearly one in two warehousing companies in Germany reports that a shortage of skilled workers is hindering business operations. The response is usually the same—more temporary workers, higher shift premiums, and overtime. This works for a while. Then it doesn’t anymore.
At the same time, customer demands are rising: faster delivery times, greater precision, longer availability. Anyone who considers both factors cannot avoid asking: How much longer can this go on?
This blog shows you how to tell if your business needs structural changes—and which approaches have proven effective in practice.
What happens if you do nothing?
Moving identical boxes for eight hours, in sub-freezing temperatures in winter, in stuffy warehouses in summer. Under these conditions, motivation and quality decline—turnover and sick leave become the norm. Higher shift pay won’t change anything, because the problem isn’t the pay. It’s the work itself.
The longer this situation persists, the narrower the room for maneuver becomes. Those who can still choose how to automate today may only have the choice tomorrow of whether they can afford it.
Five symptoms indicating a need for action
How can you tell when the tipping point has been reached? In practice, recurring patterns emerge. Five of them stand out.
Regularly unfilled shifts.
What can be compensated for with overtime today will no longer be sustainable tomorrow.
Rising error rate during peak times.
When a drop in concentration leads to measurable picking errors, it is rarely due to a lack of will. It is due to fatigue caused by monotonous tasks.
Heavy physical strain ties up staff.
Lifting small load carriers weighing up to 27 kilograms in multi-shift operations is neither healthy nor economically viable in the long run.
Long internal transport routes cost time.
When staff are tied up by walking distances in the warehouse, this capacity is lacking elsewhere.
Uncertainty in planning.
If you can no longer reliably determine whether upcoming peak periods can be covered, planning predictability is lost.
What AutoStore means in practice
What does automation in the warehouse mean in practice? An example: automated small-parts warehouses based on the AutoStore principle. These systems store small parts in space-saving plastic containers and automatically transport them to picking stations—without requiring staff to walk through the warehouse.
The operating principle is straightforward: robots move along a grid above stacked containers, retrieve the required items, and deliver them directly to workstations. This reduces the space requirement by up to 75 percent. At the same time, the systems operate fatigue-free and with precision. They pick items without lapses in concentration and without physical strain.
What makes the system particularly relevant: It has a modular design. The number of robots and workstations determines the throughput. This means: You can start small and expand as needed. It doesn’t have to be a large-scale project that completely overhauls the entire operation all at once.
The key point: The technology takes over precisely those monotonous, physically demanding tasks that are difficult to staff today. Employees can focus on value-adding activities—inspection, exception handling, and process optimization.
No downtime during the transition
A common objection—rarely a problem in practice. Modern systems start up in a designated area while the rest of the warehouse continues to operate. Typical timeframe from approval to go-live: 12 to 16 weeks.
An example: At the Lutz Group, the AutoStore system can be expanded during operation with additional bins—without construction work and without interruption.
Would you like to understand whether such systems could fit your warehouse structure? The complete guide highlights typical use cases, integration approaches, and initial questions to help assess cost-effectiveness. Download the guide now
Where the greatest leverage lies
Many companies face the same question: We know there is a need for action—but where do we start? In practice, a structured framework has proven effective. Not as a rigid roadmap, but as a conceptual framework.
The first step is transparency. Which processes are causing the biggest bottlenecks today? Where do errors occur? Which areas are particularly difficult to staff? Clarifying these questions reveals where the greatest leverage lies. Often, one or two areas emerge that tie up a disproportionate amount of capacity.
The second step examines feasibility. Not every task can be automated immediately. The key question is: Does the process follow fixed procedures? Does it repeat regularly? Can it be mapped technologically? In many cases, it turns out that: Over 70 percent of the product range could be processed technically.
The third step is exchange. Not with sales, but with general contractors who are familiar with various industries. Often, the most valuable insights arise in conversation with someone who has already solved similar challenges multiple times.
Another point: Involve employees early on. Not just at the start of operations, but right from the planning stage. Those who understand that technology alleviates the workload rather than replacing it accept change more quickly.
What needs to be clarified now
The shortage of skilled workers in logistics will not disappear; demands on delivery capability and service levels continue to rise. At the same time, automation is no longer just a corporate-level issue: there are modular approaches, manageable entry points, and proven methods. Timing is crucial – those who clarify matters early retain room to maneuver.
The complete guide shows which warehouse areas are generally suitable, which questions you should ask internally, and where typical pitfalls lie. Learn more here.
Learn more here
Download the guide: The Human-Machine Dream Team
Labor Shortage in Warehouses: Automation is the solution
Topics & Tools:
- How to run your warehouse smoothly with Human-Centric Automation
despite the labor shortage - Skilled Labor Shortage in the Warehouse: Automation Is the Solution
- 5 Key Takeaways
- Relieving the burden where it counts: Typical pain points in warehouse operations
- The pragmatic approach: Automate what really pays off
- From bottleneck to implementation: Now automation becomes a reality
- Practical example 1 – From everyday warehouse operations to automated order picking
- Case Study 2 – Automated KLT picking at Siemens in Rastatt
- Outlook: The course for the future is being set today