THE SESSION examined how users can modernise their operations by implementing a Dynamic Warehouse Execution System (WES) built to deliver meaningful productivity improvements, accelerate associate onboarding, reduce labour dependency, and significantly decrease paper waste and overall carbon impact.

The Lucas Warehouse Execution System (WES) by default offers better environmental performance, says Andrew, because every task in a Dynamic WES is optimised. Not only for efficiency but also in terms of energy and carbon use. It bridges the gap between operational efficiency and sustainability. For instance, WES can have big impact on a vehicle’s pallet fill and therefore on-road emissions.

 

Andrew explains: “I regularly walk through warehouses and it still amazes me to see so much paperwork flowing through processes. We explore in this webinar how adaptable digital workflows are ideal for eliminating paper-based processes, again contributing to sustainability goals, as well as greatly enhancing efficiency.”

A big impact of Dynamic WES is reducing travel in the warehouse. The AI tools that Lucas deploys as part of its system can bring benefits on a number of levels. First of all, it is more efficient as workers walk less and pick more, secondly, less energy is wasted, and thirdly, employee job satisfaction tends to rise as workers have a more relaxed and less strenuous working day. This helps to both attract and retain talent.

The webinar also explores how cartonisation wins big both in terms of efficiency and sustainability, as you can ‘ship less air’ as Andrew explains. Obviously this means lower fuel costs, ‘a massive factor in this day and age’ as Andrew adds.

Pick paths

A Dynamic WES can help revamp pick paths. An old-fashioned WMS tends to deploy what are called ‘snake paths’, but the Lucas Dynamic WES offers a much more efficient approach. The algorithms know the relationship between the orders, the products, and the layout of the warehouse and work out instantaneously the most optimal travel path for either the worker on the floor, or AMRs or MHE or a combination of both. It also uses smart batching to further optimise picking.

Andrew says: “What is interesting is the Dynamic WES will drive smarter workflows both for staff and for kit simultaneously. If we look at the WES driving forklift movements, it means there are fewer movements, saving energy.”

Slotting

In a true dynamic warehouse, you can interleave slotting with other workflows such as picking, putaway and replen.

Andrew says: “Slotting plays an important role. As I walk through warehouses I can see workers doing their best, but they are often using spreadsheets or manual methods, or gut feel in terms of slotting in the warehouse.

“However, there are tools available from Dynamic WES that makes that slotting job so much easier. These tools can take into account historical information and velocity and also sales forecasts, seasonal patterns. This has huge benefits in terms of the operation and a good effect on the people working on the floor. This will also improve space utilisation in the warehouse.”

Andrew also expands on AI-driven cartonisation. “We work with warehouse operations in reducing the number of carton sizes, maximising the fill of vehicles. For example, you might have small, medium and large carton sizes, and the WES works out automatically what the optimal fill is and guides the picker to make sure the fill of the carton is optimal.”

The benefits are fewer cartons used, optimised trailer fill, lower emissions, also increased packing speed, minimising waste, with less to recycle. This results in immediate and measurable savings in the warehouse.

Dynamic WES also allows you to export data into a business intelligence tool for ESG reports. The Dynamic WES is the brain of the warehouse operation and it continually optimises the broad range of tasks you can give to it.

As workloads change throughout the day, the WES automatically switches emphasis between picking and other processes.

Andrew highlights a number of customer cases studies in the webinar, illustrating how the technology brings benefits in real world applications. One customer wanted to transform its operation from paper-based not a truly dynamic warehouse.

“We quickly implemented Dynamic WES, replacing paper, resulting in 910 trees saved annually, while accuracy improved by 66%. This was supplemented by benefits in terms of reducing returns, and again cutting the carbon cost associated with this process.

“They also doubled volumes through the warehouse while reduced labour costs by half.”

Key takeaways for warehouse professionals

• Evaluate how AI-driven cartonisation reduces material waste and transportation emissions.
• Analyse the sustainability benefits of operational and layout optimisation within a Dynamic WES.
• Assess how AI-powered slotting and route optimisation reduce labour travel and dead mileage.
• Examine how digital workflows enable measurable progress toward sustainability goals.

Watch the full discussion

The insights shared here are developed further in the hour-long deep dive of the webinar. Andrew answered questions on the size of the operation that suits the system; how the system operates alongside WMS or WCS; how the system is scalable in terms of functionality; how the system handles Peak; and much else.

Click here to log in and watch the full Dynamic WES webinar from Lucas Systems.