Warehouse Execution System

How can I shorten the onboarding time of new warehouse staff?

And how can warehouse software help with this?

Is there a way to get new employees ready faster? 

Yes, but the right answer depends on what the problem actually is.

If a new employee can work independently after two weeks, you likely have a training problem. But if you keep having to plan for four to eight weeks of onboarding, you have a structural problem: warehouse knowledge lives in the heads of experienced drivers, not in the system. And that can’t be fixed with better manuals or more buddy shifts.

Long onboarding times almost always come from the same root causes: new drivers have to memorize warehouse layout, learn scanning routines, and absorb exception handling purely by observation. At the same time, they tie up experienced colleagues who guide them. That’s expensive — doubly so when staff is already scarce.

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What approaches exist to shorten onboarding time?


Buddy System

The traditional approach: An experienced colleague mentors the new hire, and the onboarding process is divided into phases. Costs: Low at first glance, but they reduce the experienced employee’s effective working time. Impact: Noticeable, but limited. Warehouse knowledge remains in the employee’s head, and the next new driver starts from scratch.


E-Learning

Manuals, videos, interactive checklists. Good for safety training and general process logic. Doesn’t help you get to know a specific warehouse. Every warehouse is different; every facility requires a new mental model.


System-guided processes with a WES

The Warehouse Execution System (WES) handles navigation, task assignment, and error prevention. New employees follow step-by-step instructions on the terminal: where to go, what to pick up, and where to drop it off. There’s no need to memorize the warehouse layout because the system already knows it. Training is limited to what’s truly essential: operating the vehicle safely.

What does long onboarding actually cost?

Day to day, a up to six-week onboarding period feels like an unavoidable cost of doing business. Add it up, and it’s a significant expense, especially with high turnover or tight staffing.

  • Direct costs: A new driver who needs four weeks before working independently is paid during that time without full output and ties up an experienced colleague at the same time.
  • Error costs: Error rates are higher in the first weeks: wrong storage locations, incorrect bookings, scan errors. Fixing them costs time, and in the worst case, causes delivery delays.
  • The amplifier effect with turnover: Warehouses with high staff rotation (temp workers, seasonal peaks, site changes) pay the onboarding cost over and over. Every new driver is a reset.
  • What system-guided processes deliver instead: When the WES handles navigation, task assignment, and error checking, onboarding time drops in practice from weeks to hours.

Real-time digital twin = onboarding in minutes, not weeks

DThe result is a warehouse that new forklift drivers are familiar with from day one.

How have other companies shortened onboarding with identpro?

JACO Grinding USA — Stone processing

At JACO Grinding, 3–4 employees used to spend their entire day locating containers. After implementing the WES, a new production line ran with 2 employees instead of the originally planned 10. New employees could be deployed productively because the system provided the warehouse knowledge.

„The system completely transformed our company.”Al Bluemle, CEO, JACO Grinding

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Warsteiner – Brewery & beverage industry

Warsteiner uses identpro’s WES for scan-free warehouse traffic and empties handling. New drivers receive tasks and navigation directly through the forklift terminal without needing to know the warehouse layout. Onboarding focuses on the vehicle, not the system behind it.

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Frequently asked questions about onboarding with the WES

In practice, companies report onboarding times of a few hours to one day for learning the system. The only prerequisite a driver needs to bring is a forklift license and the ability to operate the vehicle safely.

Yes, this is actually one of the biggest advantages. Because the warehouse knowledge lives in the system, employees with no prior experience at a given site can be productive immediately. The same applies when staff move between locations.

A classic WMS manages storage locations and depends on manual bookings. The WES adds a real-time layer on top of your existing WMS or ERP: automatic position tracking, a live-updated digital twin, and guided task assignment. It doesn’t replace existing software it closes the gap between what the system thinks is happening and what’s actually happening in the warehouse.

The system is especially effective in warehouses with multiple forklifts, shift operations, and dynamic processes. References range from mid-sized production companies to international operations. Cost-effectiveness increases with the number of vehicles and the complexity of processes.

Your drivers know the warehouse. The system should know it too.

Talk to us — we’ll show you how other companies have reduced onboarding time to a minimum with identpro.

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Related Topics

How can I reduce empty runs of my forklift trucks?

How can I reduce the time my forklift operators spend searching?

What causes inventory discrepancies in the warehouse? 

Do you want to digitize your warehouse, gain more transparency and exploit the full potential of your resources?

We at IdentPro support you in this endeavor and would like to shape with you the future of intralogistics. Schedule a personal consultation now!

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