Roald de Groot, Director of Warehouse Solutions at Vanderlande, shares his perspective on how warehouses are navigating the balance between automation and workforce empowerment – highlighting insights from recent research and practical examples across the industry.
With the rise of e-commerce and growing labour shortages, I’ve noticed a strong push across the warehousing sector to find the right balance between people and technology. It’s a tough equation. Many operations across different industries are still heavily reliant on manual labour, even as the pressure to automate builds due to persistent staffing challenges.
I’ve seen different approaches to this. On one end are organisations just starting their automation journey, dipping their toes in with scalable, entry-level technologies. For example, there are now mobile robot systems that can be easily added to existing setups. These robots immediately improve storage and retrieval capabilities—without requiring the kind of major investment needed for high-performance, shuttle-based automated storage and retrieval systems.
At the other end are the highly advanced distribution centres. These sites are refining what are already state-of-the-art operations, adding further capacity while also actively retraining and redeploying their workforce. Employees are being equipped with the skills to supervise, manage, and maintain the automated systems that increasingly run these facilities. It’s not about cutting people out – it’s about levelling them up.
Within Vanderlande we come across both ends of that spectrum, and we aim to support both ends.
Read more: Can AGVs save the future of warehousing?
One area I’ve found fascinating is how workers themselves feel about this evolution. A series of recent research studies I read has explored the mindset of warehouse workers—what they fear, what they hope for, and how they interact with technology on the job.
One major insight stood out to me: warehouse employees generally see automation not as a threat, but as a helping hand—so long as it’s used well. Tasks like long-distance pallet movement, which don’t require human skill and can be physically exhausting, are perfect candidates for Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) automation. AGV’s can run across multiple shifts, even when human staff aren’t present—reducing wasted time and effort.
But it’s not just about automating the simple stuff. Another approach highlighted in the research focuses on giving workers tools to make their jobs easier and more efficient. Workers are spending huge portions of their day walking—and they’re asking for tools that can ease that burden, from voice-directed picking systems to pick-path optimisation tools.
One trend that particularly caught my attention was the use of gamification. A recent report looked at how adding game-like elements to daily warehouse tasks can improve motivation and job satisfaction. Workers said they enjoyed the sense of camaraderie, recognition, and even the chance to win small prizes like company-branded gear.
These findings point to something I’ve seen in practice: that successful warehouses of the future will not just be defined by how automated they are – but by how well they integrate people into that future. Automation and people aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, the right technology can empower workers, lighten their physical load, and make their jobs more meaningful and engaging.