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In a fast-paced warehouse environment, every second matters. Small details in the workflow can make the difference between an efficient, profitable logistics chain and unnecessary costs that grow over time. Many companies focus on major investments in warehouse automation and systems, but often it is the smaller improvements in daily handling that deliver the greatest impact on productivity.

To optimize operations, it is important to understand the biggest time thieves and how the right equipment can eliminate them. When employees can work faster, smarter and more ergonomically, businesses achieve not only higher efficiency but also a better working environment and reduced physical strain on staff.

The biggest time wasters in warehouse operations

Productivity loses in warehouses rarely come from one major problem. More often, they result from many small interruptions and inefficient processes that together cost companies significant amounts every year.

Interruptions during work

Research shows that it can take up to 20–25 minutes to fully regain focus after an interruption. In warehouse operations, this often involves searching for the right equipment, correcting picking errors or waiting for another process to be completed.

When this happens several times a day, both speed and quality suffer. Inefficient workflows also often lead to stress and unnecessary strain on employees.

Technical issues and incorrect equipment

Equipment that is not adapted to the task creates unnecessary downtime. Trolleys with incorrect dimensions, poor ergonomics, or limited capacity force employees to work more slowly and make more rounds than necessary.

It is easy to underestimate how much time is lost when equipment does not fully support the workflow. Over time, however, the impact becomes significant, especially in high-volume operations.

Misunderstandings and poor communication

Insufficient systems and unclear workflows often lead to picking errors, re-picking, and returns. This not only creates additional work but also affects delivery precision and customer satisfaction.

By creating clear and structured picking processes, the risk of mistakes decreases while employees can work more efficiently.

Time is money – but people are the most important resource

An average person works between 90,000 and 100,000 hours during their lifetime. At the same time, we spend approximately one year of our lives on sick leave on average. For employers, this means that investments in ergonomic and efficient solutions affect not only productivity but also employee health and long-term sustainability.

Heavy lifting, long walking distances, and repetitive tasks increase physical strain. With the right solutions, the workload can be reduced while workflows improve. This makes it easier to retain experienced staff and create a safer working environment.

Save time by choosing the right solution

By moving from manual to more systematic solutions, warehouse operations can optimize three critical factors:

• Volume
• Speed
• Distance

When all three areas improve simultaneously, major time savings are achieved throughout the workday.

1. More orders per round

One of the greatest efficiency opportunities in warehouse operations is maximizing the number of orders handled during each picking round.

Many businesses use standard trolleys that work well for simpler tasks but quickly become a limitation when order volumes increase.

Example of inefficient handling

A standard trolley often handles around five orders at a time. To pick 20 orders, four separate rounds through the warehouse are therefore required.

This results in:

• More walking distances
• Longer picking times
• More warehouse traffic
• Higher strain on employees

The solution: batch order picking trolley

A dedicated batch order picking trolley is designed to handle significantly more orders simultaneously. Instead of four rounds, the same work can be completed in a single round.

This means:

• picking and sorting occur simultaneously
• post-handling is minimized
• the process becomes more structured
• productivity increases immediately

When each round becomes more efficient, time is freed up for additional orders or other value-creating tasks.

2. Four times higher speed

As warehouse areas grow, walking distances quickly become one of the largest time wasters. In many warehouses, employees spend large parts of their day simply moving between different zones.

Continuing to work entirely manually in large warehouses therefore often becomes a direct loss of efficiency.

Manual handling

The average walking speed with a trolley is approximately 2.5 km/h. This may work in smaller warehouses but becomes inefficient when picking rounds grow longer.

Mechanical assistance

By connecting the trolley to an order picking truck, the speed can instead increase to around 10 km/h.

This allows employees to move up to four times faster through the warehouse.

The result

The benefits are quickly noticeable:

• Shorter lead times
• More orders per shift
• Reduced physical strain
• More efficient use of warehouse space

Especially in larger warehouses, the difference becomes enormous over time. A few saved minutes per round can equal hundreds of working hours annually.

3. Small distances that create big savings

In warehouse logistics, details matter. A few centimeters between trolleys may seem insignificant, but when equipment is used every day throughout the year, the effect becomes clear.

Helge Nyberg’s Pick-Train coupling is designed to minimize the distance between trolleys in a train system. With the Pick-Train coupling, the distance between trolleys is only 185 mm.

More compact truck with trolley trains

When the trolleys are kept close together:

• The total space required by the trolley train is reduced
• The trolley train becomes easier to maneuver
• Accessibility in narrow aisles improves

This allows warehouse space to be used more efficiently while workflows become smoother.

Smart docking solution

Combined with a smart docking solution between truck and trolley, employee movement around the equipment is also reduced.

This means operators:

• Avoid unnecessary steps
• Work more ergonomically
• Save time at every stop

Up to 35% shorter walking distance

Over the course of a full work shift, the total walking distance around the equipment can be reduced by up to 35%.

This results not only in time savings but also:

• Reduced fatigue
• Improved ergonomics
• Higher safety
• Smoother workflows

Efficiency is about the whole picture

It is easy to assume that large investments are always required to create a more efficient warehouse. In reality, improvements often come from optimizing small details in everyday operations.

The right trolley, smarter couplings and improved workflows can together create major time savings every day. When productivity is combined with ergonomics and smart logistics, warehouses become both faster and more sustainable over time.

Ultimately, it is not just about saving seconds – it is about creating workflows where people, equipment and processes work together in the best possible way.

Keep the staff healthy and the costs low

There are many factors that affect the costs of material handling. The equipment obviously plays an important role. So does the staff's health.

3 tips to streamline the daily picking

Order picking should be quick and easy, no matter if your business handles 10 or 10,000 orders a day. If you can reduce the time from 20 seconds to 15 per pick, it makes a big difference in the end.