r/Warehousing

In warehouse environments, inventory usually starts accurate but slowly drifts over time.

I’m trying to understand what causes that drift most often - missed scans, bin movement delays, returns not being tied properly, or something else entirely?

What’s the most common breakdown point you’ve seen?

Bro, there is no bigger lie in a warehouse.
The screen swears there’s stock. You check the bin bone dry. You check the top racks nothing. Now you’re playing detective looking for a phantom pallet that probably got mislabeled two years ago, while management is stressing about cycle counts.
Honestly, if ghost inventory could talk, it’d tell you it’s hiding behind the broken forklift .
Who else is fighting for their life against the system today? Is it a lazy CSV. upload, a skipped barcode scan, or just straight up black magic?
Let me know your worst ghost stock stories below, because right now, I'm ready to fight the computer screen.

I keep seeing the same issue in spare parts inventory one site rush-orders a part while the exact same item is just sitting unused at another branch. For teams managing multiple warehouses, plants, or service locations, what actually helps prevent this?

Do you rely on shared visibility across sites, internal transfers before purchasing, barcode scanning, standardized OEM/part naming, or min/max levels per location? Curious about real workflows that work in practice.

From storage conditions to handling and security. what factors actually make the biggest difference in keeping inventory safe and damage-free?

Hey guys,

I own a 20,000 sqft warehouse that was being used by at@t as a server/ data center (l’m not tech savvy) located in Chicago southwest suburbs, it has high value infrastructure such as massive AC units, sprinkler systems and electric supply 2000 Amps.

I don’t want to just tear everything down and turn it into a normal warehouse, it feels like such a waste.

How would I go about meeting people who are interested in renting/purchasing such property to use for data center or something similar?

Also, if anyone is interested in such property, feel free to reach out and I’ll send you more details.

forklifts keep bumping into our storage racks in the warehouse causing dents and safety risks so i needed something sturdy to create barriers without blocking access too much. i got some bollards installed around key areas and theyve held up well against the daily traffic.

what exact height or type of bollards worked best for your warehouse to stop equipment damage and did you add any reflective tape or signage with them? thanks ladies and gentlemans for any tips.

I recently went into the business of selling wired mesh decks for pallet racking.

I am new to this and have many confusions, could someone kindly enlight me about this?

So we sell wired mesh decks for large quantities, but how much supply is needed in this industry?

In my understanding this things don't die very fast, could last a decades, could be reused.

Keep selling them requires equal expansion of warehouses or projects, am I right?

Selling a lot of them requires large and consistent expansion rate of this industry.

So how much supply is really needed? Can we still expact consistency in new demands?

Thanks

We finally decided on a full ESL (electronic shelf label) rollout for our picking bins about 14 months ago. The sales rep swore up and down that we’d get 5 to 10 years of battery life because the e-ink only draws power during updates.

Well, I just had my team run a floor audit, and about 15% of the labels are already sitting at 30% battery or lower. We only update prices/inventory tags maybe 4 or 5 times a day, and the warehouse is climate-controlled, so it’s not like they’re sitting in a freezer.

It’s a massive pain in the ass to have to start a battery replacement cycle after only a year. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is it just a "bad batch" of hardware, or is the 10-year battery claim just a total marketing myth?

Warehouse manager here. We use Manhattan as our WMS and corporate is trying to get us to pilot some AMRs in the facility. (only semi bought it on this .. but trying to be cooperative here)

The problem is I cannot for the life of me get the data the integrator is asking for to pilot these things.

They are asking for order history, pick paths, SKU velocity, labor by shift, wave data, inventory movement, etc. When we try to get it from Manhattan, everything takes forever or turns into some expensive custom mod (e.g I got quoted $20k on 1 mod - most are around $5k). IT is getting the same answer too.

We have had this same problem with other projects also, not this AMR thing. Mainly this shows up in labor planning and reporting, anything where we need data out of the WMS becomes a whole thing. We are not a huge 3PL, it's not like we are software engineers here (but we do have IT).

We have been on the same WMS for like 20 years, so converting sounds like a huge pain. I can't be the only person to experiance this... For people using Manhattan, how are you handling this?

Has anyone else changed providers - seems like there are a million new companies. Do you have middleware? A consultant? Someone internal pulling reports?

Would love any input from others who have stuggled with WMS (specically manhatten)

Most warehouse workers get promoted by being a hard worker but receive no training! Thoughts?

(Vendor flair, but not selling anything today. Trying to learn before we build the wrong thing.)

We're an early-stage robotics company focused on the work most automation skips: high-mix jobs where SKUs rotate, items vary, and the ROI math on a traditional cell doesn't pencil.

Looking to talk to operators in the NYC metro (NJ, Long Island, Westchester, CT welcome) about where a flexible arm could actually earn its keep.

Tasks we think we can handle that most robots can't:

• Kitting and pack-out with frequent SKU changes
• Machine tending with varied parts (dunnage, print-and-apply, box erectors)
• Inspection and sortation where each item looks a little different
• Reverse logistics: pick, scan, inspect, route, including the off-spec branch
• Anything you've quoted out and got back "6 figures plus 6 months of integration"

What's different:

• Handles exceptions (failed picks, bad scans, packaging variance) by retrying and recovering instead of stopping
• Deploys in weeks, not quarters without using integrators.
• Works on cobots you may already own. No rip-and-replace.

Ask:

• Which task would you automate first if cost and integration weren't blockers?
• Rough batch size, throughput, SKU variance
• What's stopped you from automating it already?

Strong fit could turn into a free pilot, but the conversation is the ask today.

I recently launched a small rubber manufacturing operation and are realizing how much labor time gets wasted just moving materials, molds, and finished products around the facility. I am installing a conveyor belt to streamline a cooling process and thought I should also be purchasing order pickers, and pallet stackers or possibly scissor lifts. I have a running compact warehouse and need to amp up day to day efficiency so we can get products out on time and that means moving materials and chemicals used in product in an efficient and safe manner. I was interested in just purchasing equipment that would save labor hours for me and possibly laying off a few individuals if I can do it.

I am looking for equipment right now and saw a few brands selling equipment like atomoving, toyota material handling, crown equipment, and raymond. I just want to make sure I purchase something that will make the biggest difference when it comes to labor hours. If anyone has recommendations on brands for this kind of equipment or kinds of equipment that I should be purchasing in order to achieve production efficiency, please free to mention it here, I would really appreciate that. Thanks! Ope

Is it pointless for an inventory clerk with no management experience to take the CLTD?

We are a construction company operating multiple job sites simultaneously, along with a central warehouse.

We are looking for a solution that allows field employees to place material orders directly from the job sites to the warehouse. The system should include:

- A warehouse management system (WMS) with bin/location tracking
- Product photos for easy item identification
- Picking slips and order sheets
- Inventory tracking for warehouse stock
- The ability to distinguish between:
- items supplied from our warehouse inventory
- items purchased externally from third-party suppliers

This distinction is important because some products are stocked internally while others are purchased specifically for a project. We need this clearly identified on picking slips, order summaries, and reporting for accounting purposes.

Ideally, the system should also provide:
- A clear breakdown per order of:
- materials taken from warehouse inventory
- materials purchased externally
- Mobile-friendly ordering for field crews
- Multi-site/job tracking
- Simple workflow and setup process

We previously explored Odoo, but it seemed overly complex and required significant setup investment. We also experimented with Shopify by listing products at $0 so employees could place internal orders and i also have quickscan linked to it.

We are looking for recommendations for a simpler, more practical system that better fits construction and warehouse operations.

I worked as a vendor hire in the TSMC warehouse, and my overall experience highlighted several challenges within the role and work environment.
As a vendor, benefits such as vacation time, sick time, and health coverage are not available until approximately 600 hours are worked (roughly the first four months). During that initial period, I maintained perfect attendance and punctuality, demonstrating a strong commitment to the role.
Early on, I observed a workplace culture among some vendor staff that included frequent negative conversations about coworkers. While I chose not to participate, it contributed to an overall uncomfortable team dynamic.
Approximately two months into my employment, a new manager, Alondra, joined the team. She demonstrated strong analytical skills and proficiency with data; however, her management approach reflected limited people skills, particularly in communication, employee support, and team engagement. By the time she assumed the role, staffing levels had dropped significantly, leaving a small team responsible for critical warehouse operations.
Our responsibilities included:
Delivering materials to the clean room
Picking and auditing orders
Managing dock deliveries
Supporting overall material flow in a high-demand semiconductor environment
Due to staffing shortages and workload demands, we were often unable to take scheduled breaks beyond lunch, despite being told they were available.
When new vendors were eventually hired, I was informed that my performance in the clean room was not meeting expectations. However, I was not provided with specific feedback, coaching, or retraining opportunities. Additionally, I was instructed not to assist with training new hires, despite being someone they frequently approached for guidance.
A particularly concerning issue was a breach of confidentiality. During a private conversation, I shared personal information with my manager, which was later disclosed to other team members. This did not align with professional standards of leadership and trust.
There also appeared to be inconsistencies in accountability. For example, one team member frequently arrived late, called out often, and at times appeared to come to work smelling of alcohol. This behavior was known within the team and ongoing throughout my time there, yet the individual appeared to be treated favorably as a vendor. Situations like this contributed to a perception of unequal standards and inconsistent enforcement of workplace expectations.
Another important consideration for prospective applicants is the belief that vendor roles commonly convert to full-time TSMC positions. In practice, these opportunities are limited and often unavailable unless internal movement occurs. Many vendor employees, including myself, worked overtime with the hope of advancement that did not materialize.
Overall, while the role itself supports critical operations in a fast-paced environment, the experience was impacted by inconsistent management practices, limited communication, and a lack of employee support. Strengthening leadership development and workplace culture would significantly improve the experience for vendor staff.

Hi everyone! I am a graduate student at Cornell University studying safety assurance and automation. As part of the NSF I-Corps course, I am conducting short interviews to understand what problems/frustrations people face in warehouses, particularly around safety.

Please comment/DM if you are open to chatting for 15-20min over the phone/zoom. I highly appreciate it! Thank you!

PS: if you don’t feel comfortable talking over the phone but have a burning pain point you’d like to get off your chest, please also feel free to comment that down below too!

Curious how other warehouse ops teams are handling labor planning and overtime forecasting today.
At most places I’ve worked it was basically:
spreadsheets
historical averages
supervisors guessing staffing needs
reacting after OT already happened
I started building my own internal tool around:
staffing calculations
labor cost forecasting
productivity planning
workload balancing
Mainly because I got tired of explaining overtime after the fact.
What are you guys using today?
Spreadsheets? WMS reporting? LMS software? Pure experience?