Warehouse Execution System
How can I reduce the time my forklift operators spend searching?
And how do you stop it for good?
Are there ways to locate goods more quickly in the warehouse?
There are several approaches — from simple organisational measures to technical systems. Which one is right depends on how deep the problem runs.
If you occasionally can’t find a pallet straight away, you may have an organisation problem. If you’re losing hours every day to searching, you have a structural problem: the system doesn’t know where the goods actually are. And that can’t be solved by tidying up.
Search times almost always stem from the same causes: goods are relocated without being booked, the WMS shows outdated positions, operators work from memory rather than reliable data. The result is a warehouse where every driver maintains their own mental model — and where new or substitute staff are lost from the start.
What solutions exist for search times in the warehouse?
Not every situation calls for the same solution. Here is an overview of common approaches, with an assessment of when each makes sense.
Summary: The first option helps with minor problems. The second and third help with moderate complexity. The fourth is the only one that structurally eliminates search times — not just reduces them.
What do search times in the warehouse really cost?
Search times feel like a minor annoyance in everyday operations. In total, they are a significant cost factor.
How does real-time tracking in the warehouse work — and why does it eliminate search times?
A classic WMS knows where a pallet is theoretically supposed to be. A real-time system knows where it actually is — at this moment, to the centimetre.
The difference sounds small. It is fundamental.
identpro equips existing forklift trucks with LiDAR sensor technology. The vehicles continuously capture their own position as well as the position of the goods they are transporting — with an accuracy of ±10 cm, in real time, without the operator having to do anything. From this data, the software creates a digital twin of the warehouse: a complete, live-updated image of all vehicles, storage positions, and goods locations.
The AI-based order optimiser works on this data foundation. It does not assign drive orders according to a fixed scheme, but based on the actual situation: which vehicle is where, which order is most urgent, and so on. The result is shorter routes, fewer empty runs — and, above all, no more search times, because the system always knows where every pallet is.
Implementation requires no structural changes to the warehouse. Existing vehicles are retrofitted, the system runs via Wi-Fi or LTE, and can be connected to SAP EWM, SAP WM, and other ERP systems via standard interfaces.
What your system doesn’t know, your operators will search for.
That can be changed — without rebuilding, without a new WMS.
How have other companies eliminated search times with identpro?
ELA Container — Mobile Space and Building Solutions
ELA Container vmanages around 60,000 containers across 18 locations worldwide. Container management ran manually and without system support — with direct consequences: long search times, truck waiting times of up to 2 hours at loading, and high administrative effort.
After implementing the identpro WES, ELA operates search-free. Orders can be started without queries, detours are eliminated, and processing times dropped significantly.
“Our specialist staff can now focus on what really matters and no longer waste time searching.” — Michael Gerdes, ELA Container
JACO Grinding USA — Stone Processing
JACO Grinding, a US-based stone processing company with two production sites in North Tonawanda, NY, faced a classic search time problem in its most extreme form: over 2,000 containers were moved internally almost entirely by hand. Three to four employees were occupied every single day solely with locating containers — no other task, just searching.
When a new production line was planned, the company faced a clear calculation: without a systemic solution, 10 additional employees would have been needed.
After implementing the identpro Warehouse Execution System, the new production line ran with 2 employees instead of 10. The digital container cycle runs with full transparency — fill level, article number, production order, and cleaning history of every container are retrievable at any time, without manual effort.
“The system completely transformed our company.” — Al Bluemle, CEO of JACO
Frequently asked questions about search times and the WES
What decision-makers typically want to know before starting the conversation.
You know the problem. We know the solution.
Search times arise because the system doesn’t know where goods really are — and they can be eliminated as soon as it does. Companies that implement real-time tracking don’t report fewer search times. They report none.
Speak directly
