Geschreven door Bjorn Hutgens, Manager sales
Geschatte leestijd: 5 minuten
A warehouse can contain fast conveyors, automated storage, efficient picking stations and advanced packing equipment and still fail to reach the expected output. The reason is often not the performance of the individual machines. It is what happens between them.
Warehouse automation only performs as a system when storage, picking, conveying, sorting, packing and software work together. If one part runs faster than the next can handle, buffers fill up. If systems exchange information too slowly or inconsistently, products wait. And if operators lack visibility across the complete flow, small disruptions can quickly affect throughput.
A fast machine does not guarantee a fast warehouse
Looking at individual machine capacities can give a misleading picture. A conveyor system may be capable of transporting thousands of items per hour, but that capacity has little value if the packing area downstream cannot process the same volume.
The same applies throughout an automated warehouse system. Every transfer creates a dependency. The performance of the complete operation depends on how well these steps are coordinated.
Typical integration issues include:
- Machines working at different speeds or capacities
- Buffers filling because downstream processes cannot keep up
- Inconsistent communication between WMS, WCS software and PLC controls
- Products waiting unnecessarily between process steps
- Limited visibility when a machine or zone underperforms
- Manual interventions disrupting an otherwise automated process
Solving these issues requires more than selecting the right equipment. It requires system integration from the start.
The warehouse control system connects the flow
Software plays a central role in coordinating warehouse automation. A warehouse control system sits between higher-level warehouse software and the machines on the floor.
ARCO’s WCS Synthesize translates orders into machine actions, manages routing and monitors what happens throughout the automated flow. It connects with WMS platforms and underlying PLC controls, while recording machine states and operational data. This allows different technologies to work as one coordinated system.
That coordination becomes especially important when several automated technologies are combined. A picking system, sorter and conveyor system should not make isolated decisions. The software layer needs to understand where products need to go, what capacity is available and whether the next process step is ready.
Integration starts before installation
Good system integration is determined long before equipment arrives on site. ARCO starts by analyzing products, volumes, building constraints and the required flow. KPIs are defined and different scenarios can be simulated before the system is engineered. Interfaces between WMS, WCS and PLCs are also defined as part of the design.
This matters because integration problems are much harder to solve once a warehouse is already running. Designing the mechanical setup, controls and data flows together reduces that risk and makes it possible to validate how the total system should perform before go-live.
Measure the system, not just the machines
Integration also creates better insight after go-live. When data from the complete flow is available, operators can see where throughput drops, where buffers build up and which part of the process causes a delay. ARCO combines Synthesize with KANSI to provide live performance insight and identify bottlenecks across the logistics flow. Instead of assessing machines individually, teams can use operational data to understand how the complete system performs and where adjustments can improve output.
One flow determines the final performance
The best warehouse automation setup is therefore not necessarily the one with the fastest individual machines. It is the one in which every component is designed around the required flow. ARCO Solutions designs and implements complete intralogistics systems in which hardware, controls, software and data are developed as one connected operation. The focus is not on what each machine can achieve separately, but on what the complete warehouse can deliver.
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“With our 60% annual growth, our old facility soon reached its limits. Thanks to ARCO’s automated logistics process, we now handle 16,000 orders a day and have room to keep expanding.”
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“ARCO delivered an automated solution that integrates seamlessly with our pick line. Their dedicated approach and smooth execution made it a partnership worth repeating.”
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“ARCO responded quickly and showed great creativity in the design and test setups. Our close cooperation made the successful implementation of the new packaging line possible.”
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