TRADITIONAL

and AUTOMATIC
WAREHOUSE

DIFFERENCES


Co-working open space

In recent years, the logistics sector has undergone a strong evolution pushing for the integration of new technologies (mainly traditional systems, digital machines and software). The warehouse becomes more automated every day, with a strong smart vocation and is designed to achieve maximum productivity and flexibility.


Logistics warehouse automation is a step that many companies have yet to take, despite the fact that the market is actively moving in this direction. Companies that opt for automation cut unnecessary costs, increase operational efficiency and enhance the overall safety of the warehouse (of workers and goods).


Automated warehouses will be increasingly indispensable, especially considering the characteristics of modern logistics: demanding and digitised. In this article we propose a classification of warehouses according to the level of automation in order to understand on the one hand what the differences are between an automated, semi-automated and conventional warehouse, and on the other hand to find out what advantages these systems offer.


Save time

Underlying the difference between a traditional warehouse and an automated warehouse is an understanding of the principle behind the warehouse; the traditional racking warehouse involves the complete involvement of operators in the handling of goods. This includes physical material search and recognition, and transport (which may be to a production area, test area, distribution area or other). The principle that governs the conventional racking warehouse is the Man - Goods principle. It is the operator who has to think of the quickest route to find the materials he needs, and picking operations may involve lifting equipment such as pallet trucks or forklifts.

The man-to-goods system has certain structural characteristics that should be taken into account: Space and time, Security, Material location.

The traditional warehouse, by its very nature, does not make full use of space. This means greater use of floor space, which is a considerable disadvantage if the warehouse experiences an increase in materials due to increased activity. A large warehouse also means more travelling time for collecting and picking, which is detrimental to productivity.

Safe

Most warehouse accidents involve lifting equipment and this is a fact. Another fact is that lifting equipment is often necessary. The right solution is to reduce their use as much as possible to reduce the risk of compromising safety.

Material placement With conventional rack storage, especially in larger warehouses, the allocation is scattered and one often has to rely on the operators' memory to locate materials.


Quick

The logistics solution of the automated vertical automatic warehouse fits perfectly into the transition 4.0 because it makes use of the latest technologies developed in the field of automated storage.

Automated vertical automatic warehouses respond to the principle of goods to man. Goods to man means, in concrete terms, that it is the warehouse that brings the required materials to the picking point, ready to be picked and used.

The advantages of the goods-to-man principle are considerable. 

First and foremost, there is the reduction in time spent on picking and above all the errors that occur during this operation. Another important advantage is the increase in operator safety: the goods-to-man system reduces the likelihood of accidents and ergonomic problems due to the movements involved in moving loads.

A fundamental difference between automated and conventional warehouses lies in the distribution of goods and efficient picking. Vertical warehouses allow the available space in height to be utilised with the highest degree of efficiency. An example of this is the Lean-Lift vertical high-bay warehouse, which stores 60 per cent more items than conventional methods and saves up to 90 per cent of the floor space by calculating the optimal positioning of goods for maximum storage density. 

Thanks to automated vertical warehouses, goods are also always protected from dust or other factors, and stored safely. The updating of data and the recording of movements, thanks to which it is possible to obtain an up-to-date inventory in real time and greater control over stock is also an aspect that should not be underestimated.


Interested in our services? We’re here to help!

We want to know your needs exactly so that we can provide the perfect solution. Let us know what you want and we’ll do our best to help.