Benefits of Implementing Interleaving Tasking for Your Warehouse and Distribution Centers

This is the final post in our task-interleaving series. After defining the method and mapping where to start, the remaining question is what a working interleaving framework actually returns on the floor.

Empty Fork Syndrome, Defined

Empty Fork Syndrome (often called empty fork miles or deadheading) is the operational inefficiency of forklifts, reach trucks, or automated guided vehicles (AGVs) traveling through the facility with unladen forks. It represents wasted labor, fuel, and equipment capacity, and it is a key metric for evaluating warehouse flow and productivity.

What Interleaving Returns in Infor WMS

Implementing a dynamic interleaving framework in Infor WMS yields immediate, measurable improvements across the operation. The highest-value benefits show up in four places:

• Drastic reduction in deadheading: Eliminating empty forklift trips can improve overall equipment utilization by up to 30%.
• Real-time warehouse synchronization: Because tier-1 WMS systems update inventory metrics instantly via RF scanning, the system never sends an operator to an empty bin or a locked slot.
• Lower equipment wear and fuel costs: Fewer empty miles mean reduced battery-swap frequency, less fuel consumption, and extended tire and brake life across the forklift fleet.
• Labor optimization and safety: Workers accomplish more tasks per hour without accelerating travel speeds, while the Labor Management (LMS) engine tracks standard versus actual task execution times.

How SIS Can Help

This closes our series on task interleaving. We can help you configure your current WMS to support this functionality, or help you select a WMS partner that provides the services and results you are looking for. Read this LinkedIn post about complimentary assessments and meet-and-greets.