Distribution centers and warehouses of all sizes have experienced significant changes in throughput, volume and order type due to demands for smaller order sizes, SKU proliferation and the growth of e-commerce across both B2C and B2B channels.
The extent of these changes depends on a variety of factors, including the type of product being handled, the number of orders, and the total number of SKUs.
In general, distribution centers performing pallet handling have been the least affected as they have the simplest picking processes.
Orders are often picked one at a time and contain a limited number of SKUs. The key issue in these warehouses is typically storage density, which can be optimized through pallet shuttle systems.