{"id":13085,"date":"2026-05-18T08:00:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T07:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/identpro.de\/suchzeiten-lager-reduzieren\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T14:27:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T13:27:21","slug":"reducing-search-times-in-the-warehouse","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/identpro.de\/en\/practical-questions\/reducing-search-times-in-the-warehouse\/","title":{"rendered":"Suchzeiten Lager"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Warehouse Execution System<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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How can I reduce the time my forklift operators spend searching?<\/h1>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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And how do you stop it for good?<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Are there ways to locate goods more quickly in the warehouse?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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There are several approaches \u2014 from simple organisational measures to technical systems. Which one is right depends on how deep the problem runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Search times almost always stem from the same causes: goods are relocated without being booked, the WMS shows outdated positions, operators work from memory rather than reliable data.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 \u2014 and where new or substitute staff are lost from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\nSpeak to an expert<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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What solutions exist for search times in the warehouse?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not every situation calls for the same solution. Here is an overview of common approaches, with an assessment of when each makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Fixed storage locations and ABC analysis<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
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The simplest and fastest lever. Fast-moving items go to the front, every article has a defined location, aisles and storage positions are clearly labelled. Cost: low. Effect: immediately noticeable, but limited.<\/strong> As soon as the warehouse grows or processes become irregular, fixed location assignments alone are no longer sufficient.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Warehouse Management System (WMS)<\/strong>   <\/h3><\/div>
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A WMS records storage locations and shows operators via scanner where a pallet belongs. It brings structure and significantly reduces search times \u2014 as long as the bookings are correct.<\/strong> The fundamental problem remains: every booking is a manual step, and every manual step is a potential source of error. A WMS based on faulty scans still shows the wrong reality.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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Classic forklift guidance system<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/h3><\/div>
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Guides operators via display to their destination. Well suited to structured, predictable processes. Less suitable for dynamic warehouses with frequent relocations or chaotic storage<\/strong>, because order assignment often does not respond in real time to the actual vehicle position.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Real-time tracking with a digital twin<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
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The system knows at every moment where every forklift truck and every pallet is \u2014 without the operator having to scan or enter anything. Goods movements are captured automatically<\/strong>, and orders are distributed in real time based on actual positions. Search times disappear not because operators search better, but because the system always knows where everything is.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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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 \u2014 not just reduces them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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What do search times in the warehouse really cost?<\/p>\n\n\n

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Search times feel like a minor annoyance in everyday operations. In total, they are a significant cost factor.<\/p>\n\n\n