# Warehouse productivity and labor planning **Key question:** How many people do we really need each day and on each shift? Labor is a warehouse's biggest cost. It's planned on the shift supervisor's experience and corrected with overtime or temp staff when the peak hits. Your WMS and time clock already hold what you need to plan better. ## What we analyze - Actual productivity by worker, task, shift and order type (lines per hour, units per hour). - How inbound and outbound volume relates to hours worked. - Seasonality and peaks by day of the week and by customer. - Travel paths and slotting: which SKUs move most and where they sit. ## Decisions it supports - Staff each shift to forecast volume. - Cut overtime and last-minute temp hiring. - Re-slot fast-moving SKUs. - Agree more realistic order cut-off times with customers. ## Common findings These are patterns we see often, not guaranteed results. What we find in your operation may be different. - Productivity varies widely between shifts handling the same volume. - A few customers or order types consume a disproportionate share of hours. - Peaks can be anticipated days in advance using historical data. - **Typical data:** WMS, time and attendance, ERP orders and shift schedules - **KPIs:** Lines per hour, cost per order, overtime hours, dock utilization, on-time shipping - **Related service:** Forecasting and applied AI