When Demand Surges: How Today’s Warehouses Can Keep Up

Why Are Peaks a Challenge?

For warehouse operators, peaks don’t just test the system — they expose its weak spots. Could your systems cope if demand for one of your products doubled overnight? The goal is always to meet increased demand without compromising service quality. That means having enough stock on hand to fulfil orders and ensuring that key processes, like picking, packing, and dispatch can keep up. But how can you handle higher throughput without delays, bottlenecks, or drops in quality? Here are my thoughts on some key ways to handle peaks with automation.

The Problem with Traditional Solutions

In manual warehouse environments, the go-to solutions are usually twofold:

1. Storage: Create additional overstock areas, either on-site or off-site, to hold the extra inventory needed for peak periods.

2. Throughput: Bring in more people. Temporary agency workers or short-term hires are often used to boost capacity.

While these approaches can work in the short term, they come with trade-offs. Recruiting and training temporary staff takes time and resources, and quality can suffer if workers aren’t as experienced as the core team. It’s a balancing act, and not always an efficient one.

How Can Automation Help?

Automation offers a smarter, more scalable way to manage peaks. And it’s not just about large, complex systems. Smaller, more compact solutions can make a big difference, especially for growing businesses.

Take, for example, a conveyor-fed Pick by Light or a Radio Frequency (RF) picking system. These technologies guide operators to the right items quickly, reducing walking time and boosting productivity. SSI SCHAEFER implemented such a system for Draper Tools, which has been very successful. During peak periods, systems like these can be flexibly adjusted, reducing the number of flow rack channels each operator picks from, so more people can work simultaneously. Throughput is increased without the chaos, or a high initial investment cost.

Beyond Scalability: Smarter Strategies

Automation also enables strategic flexibility. For businesses operating across multiple channels, automated systems can be used differently throughout the year.

For instance, Black Friday is now largely driven by ecommerce. To prepare, omnichannel operators can pre-pick and stage predictable retail orders in advance. This frees up capacity in the automated system to focus on the ecommerce spike when it hits. Operational focus can also move to replenishment leading up to the event, limiting the need to restock during peaks to keep the focus on picking and packing, this means the right resources remain in the right areas. It’s this kind of forward-thinking strategy that SSI Schaefer builds into every solution we deliver, ensuring our customers stay agile, efficient, and ready for whatever the market throws at them.

Let’s Talk About Your Peak

If you’re exploring the world of intralogistics and aren’t sure where to start, we’re here to help. Whether you're scaling up, streamlining operations, or preparing for your next big peak, get in touch. Together, we’ll find the right solution for your business, one that works not just during the quiet times, but when it matters most.

Jonny Gibson -  Senior Sales Executive at SSI SCHAEFER UK

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