Design the Operation Before You Choose the Automation

Automation suppliers have developed exceptional solutions – ASRS, shuttles, AMRs, AGVs, goods-to-person systems. The technology works.

The question is: Are we designing the operation first?

In many projects, the systems discussion begins before fully understanding the order profile, picking logic, and receiving flows.

The operational design sequence should be:

1.      Order profile analysis (orders per day, lines per order, units per line)

2.      ABC analysis (fast, medium, slow-moving SKUs)

3.      Picking methodology (order, product, batch, zone)

4.      Receiving and replenishment logic

5.      Storage strategy

6.      System selection

For example, a warehouse with high SKU count but low lines per order may not require goods-to-person automation. Conversely, a high lines per order profile may justify it, but only after validating receiving and replenishment flow.

Systems amplify good design. They also magnify poor design.

Before choosing a system, design the operation.

When operational design precedes system selection, suppliers can respond to a clear brief, proposals become more accurate, and capital investment risk reduces significantly.

As an independent consultancy, LSI focuses on operational clarity first, to ensure automation investments are aligned, scalable, and de-risked from the outset of the investment.