Warehouse labor efficiency

When Your Warehouse Starts Running Out of Humans

Warehouse labor efficiency becomes a pressing concern the moment your operation starts relying on heroics instead of process. Every brand reaches that dangerous stage where workers hustle harder than the systems supporting them. Orders spike, pick paths stretch, overtime hours multiply, and the warehouse begins to feel like a treadmill somebody set to sprint. You can only run that fast for so long before mistakes creep in, fatigue rises, and throughput wobbles. Labor efficiency is not about working people harder. It is about building an environment where their effort creates consistent results instead of chaos.

Search demand around labor efficiency surged as warehouses everywhere struggled with staffing shortages, rising wages, and unpredictable order volumes. It is no longer enough to hire more people and hope for the best. The modern warehouse must squeeze efficiency from workflows, data, layout, and automation so workers do not become the bottleneck.

Why Labor Efficiency Breaks So Easily

Most labor inefficiency develops slowly. Pick paths get longer. Slotting drifts out of alignment. Training turns into on the job guessing. Workers improvise small shortcuts that become big errors later. These cracks start quietly but expand quickly when volume rises. By the time leadership notices, the warehouse is running a full scale obstacle course disguised as a workflow.

Maureen Milligan, Director of Operations and Projects at G10, sees these patterns constantly. She explains that "most of the customers who come to us from another 3PL, their challenges have always been access to their data, order accuracy and efficiency, and meeting the committed requirements." Labor efficiency lives at the center of all three challenges. When workers lack structure, the entire supply chain feels the tremors.

Walking Distance: The Silent Killer of Productivity

Most warehouse inefficiency hides in footsteps. The average picker can walk miles per shift without realizing how much time disappears between locations. Long pick paths reduce throughput, increase fatigue, and inflate labor costs. Fixing walking distance is the simplest and most powerful way to boost efficiency.

G10 uses slotting logic inside ChannelPoint to position fast movers near pack stations, store complementary SKUs together, and minimize aisle hopping. This transforms the warehouse from a maze into an intentional flow. When workers walk less, they pick more, and accuracy improves naturally.

Why Scanning Protects Labor Efficiency

Manual processes drain productivity because they require memory and create repeated opportunities for mistakes. Scanning turns guesswork into certainty. It eliminates double picks, prevents misroutes, and creates timestamps that fuel performance measurement.

Connor Perkins, Director of Fulfillment at G10, puts it plainly. "You want everything to be scanned in the warehouse, nothing done on paper." Labor efficiency does not come from speed alone. It comes from reliable data that ensures every movement counts.

Training That Reduces Variability

Warehouses with uneven training suffer from erratic throughput. One worker knows the layout instinctively. Another wanders between aisles like a tourist with a paper map. Labor efficiency depends on consistent process knowledge, not tribal memory.

G10 standardizes training using workflow guides built directly into ChannelPoint. Pickers follow dynamic prompts, packers follow preset verification steps, and receivers follow intake rules that remove ambiguity. When every worker follows the same playbook, throughput becomes predictable instead of accidental.

Automation That Amplifies Human Output

Automation does not replace workers. It protects them. Zebra autonomous robots inside G10 facilities carry totes, tools, and materials so workers can focus on picking instead of walking. Robots act like steady assistants, reducing physical strain and maintaining tempo even during peak surges.

Holly Woods, Director of Operations at G10, sees the impact firsthand. "The Zebra robots are allowing efficiency with pick paths. They are lowering fatigue on employees." Lower fatigue is not just a comfort benefit. It is an accuracy multiplier. Workers make fewer mistakes when they are not exhausted.

Labor Allocation That Moves With Demand

Labor efficiency collapses when too many hands crowd one area while another sits idle. Real efficiency requires dynamic labor allocation that shifts workers between picking, packing, receiving, replenishment, and B2B workflows based on real time volume.

ChannelPoint monitors SKU velocity, inbound schedules, order composition, and station load to determine where labor should flow. This ensures workers contribute at the right moment instead of waiting for tasks or fighting over limited workspace.

Why Layout Matters More Than Most Teams Think

A poorly designed warehouse can take a strong labor force and crush its potential. Narrow aisles slow movement. Confusing signage disrupts flow. Pallet stacks block paths. Stations crowd together. These small frictions add up to big inefficiencies.

G10 designs floor plans that separate inbound from outbound, isolate wholesale from DTC, and build clear travel lanes that support uninterrupted flow. The result is a warehouse that works with labor instead of against it.

Measuring Productivity Without Turning Workers Into Stopwatches

Labor efficiency measurement often fails because teams treat workers like racing clocks. True efficiency measurement focuses on workflow health, not individual speed. Scans, timestamps, and routing data reveal where bottlenecks emerge without putting undue pressure on workers.

Connor notes that G10’s visibility tools enable clients to "see their daily orders, they can see KPIs, and they can see historical transactions." This transparency supports smarter adjustments rather than arbitrary speed expectations.

How Returns Undermine Labor Efficiency

Returns require careful handling, sorting, and classification. Without structure, returns become an invisible labor drain that steals hours from outbound operations. Workers spend time guessing whether an item is restockable or damaged, and those decisions often vary between workers.

Joel Malmquist, VP of Customer Experience at G10, outlines the process that protects efficiency. "It looks good, we are going to restock this, or it looks damaged, we are going to either dispose of it or put it in a quarantine area." Clear rules reduce labor waste and keep inventory honest.

Labor Efficiency During Peak Season

Peak season stress tests every mistake. Workers move faster. Orders pile higher. Inventory shifts rapidly. Without efficient workflows, peak becomes a seasonal panic that disrupts the operation for months. Analytics and automation keep cycle times consistent so teams do not drown in December.

G10 uses peak planning models, historical velocity curves, and advanced staffing plans to prepare long before the rush. Holly explains that "we start planning peak times months ahead of time. We run forecast models, staffing models, and we audit inventory." This preparation stabilizes labor efficiency when it matters most.

Transforming Labor Into a Strategic Asset

When labor efficiency becomes reliable, costs stabilize, accuracy rises, and throughput becomes predictable. Workers spend more time fulfilling orders and less time recovering from unnecessary tasks. Carrier pickups align with outbound flow. Inventory moves smoothly between receiving and storage.

Mark Becker, CEO and founder of G10, summarizes the long view. "We are going to grow with them." Labor efficiency is part of that growth. It does not come from pushing workers harder. It comes from designing systems that make every effort count.

The Warehouse That Works With You, Not Against You

If your warehouse feels sluggish, chaotic, or dependent on a few heroic workers to keep orders flowing, improving labor efficiency may be the next step. With the right workflows, automation, and visibility, your labor force becomes a strength instead of a stress point.

When you are ready to create a warehouse where work feels smoother, smarter, and more sustainable, G10 can help you build a labor efficiency program that scales with your growth.