From Manual to Automated: A Logistics Planning Roadmap for Brownfield Warehouse Modernization

The first step in upgrading a distribution facility should always be an audit of current capabilities, throughput rate, and costly bottlenecks. What are your current material handling issues? Where are you losing the most time or experiencing the most product damage? What easily automated task does it take employees the longest to do? Our team will assess any existing warehouse automation and evaluate how well it’s been maintained, whether or not it’s hitting target rates, and if it makes sense to improve performance with a software upgrade or replace the equipment altogether. This includes an evaluation of your existing software infrastructure, such as your warehouse management system and warehouse execution system, to determine if they’re still meeting operational demands. This will help you identify the areas that need attention first, as well as the systems or equipment that are still working for you.

Once you’ve established your objectives and audited the current state of the site, the next step is to consider design options and test them using digital simulation tools. Using tools like emulation or digital twins, you can visualize potential automation layouts and see how they would address your facility’s unique challenges. This step makes the process of automating a brownfield site more manageable by allowing you to simulate real-world conditions before any changes go live. Perhaps a prudent first phase would be to introduce a conveyor system to improve material flow. Goods-to-person (GTP) solutions, including ergonomically designed picker stations and robotic shuttles, can be phased in to save employee time and decrease the opportunities for product mishandling and damage.

Implementing solutions on a step-by-step basis allows facilities to stay up and running while improvements are taking place. In some cases, installation can even be scheduled during night shifts to avoid interfering with daytime operations. Choosing the right equipment is important, but software integration is the bridge that will seamlessly fuse old infrastructure with new automation. A warehouse management system (WMS) will track vital inventory and labor data, while your warehouse execution system (WES) optimizes workflows and keeps everything on track. The assessment step will determine whether your facility needs a software upgrade or full implementation of new software.

Any automation solution requires testing, training, and maintenance; however, these factors are especially important in the process of modernizing legacy warehouses. Comprehensive testing optimizes new flows and identifies potential problems before they arise. Taking a people-first approach to change management means that the human element of the transition will be a key part of the strategy from the very beginning.

Hands-on training educates workers fully on new equipment, flow patterns, and job skills, which increases employee comfort and buy-in. Addressing these concerns up front and employing a structured ramping up phase leads to a smoother transition and a shallow learning curve.