Warehouse Strategy · Automation
Warehouse Automation & Robotics Consulting
Automate the right work, with the right technology, at a return you can defend. SIS helps operators decide where automation pays, pick the vendor, and integrate robots with the WMS in time for peak.
- Vendor-neutral feasibility and ROI
- AMR and WMS integration
- Delivered on peak deadlines
Automation should solve a measured problem, not chase a trend.
Labor cost per unit, productivity targets, and e-commerce order profiles have pushed autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), goods-to-person systems, sortation, and automated storage onto almost every warehouse roadmap. The equipment works. The failures come from automating an unstable process, choosing a technology that does not match the order profile, or discovering late that the WMS cannot orchestrate the new workflow.
SIS starts with your data: order lines, SKU velocity, seasonality, labor rates, and building constraints. From there we model which processes are worth automating, what the realistic return is, and which technologies fit. When you are ready to buy, we run a vendor-neutral selection and stay through integration, testing, and deployment.
The approach is deliberately targeted. Our award-recognized automation strategy for a 13-site Manhattan program focused on specific business needs with measurable ROI, rather than trying to automate everything at once.
Good reasons to evaluate automation now.
Labor cost per unit keeps rising
Wages, overtime, and peak temp labor are growing faster than volume, and productivity has plateaued.
E-commerce order profiles
Small, multi-line orders have multiplied travel time in picking and replenishment.
Vendor pitches all sound alike
Every provider shows a compelling demo and a fast payback, and you need an independent comparison.
Integration is the unknown
Nobody can explain how the robots, the WMS, and your ERP will exchange work and inventory in real time.
A hard deadline is coming
The system has to be live and stable before holiday peak or a new client launch.
Previous automation underdelivered
Equipment you already own is running below its designed rate because process or software never caught up.
From business case to robots on the floor.
Automation feasibility study
Which processes to automate, which to leave manual, and why, grounded in your order and labor data.
ROI and total cost model
Capital or robotics-as-a-service costs, labor savings, throughput gains, and payback under realistic volumes.
Technology and vendor selection
AMRs, goods-to-person, sortation, and storage options compared against your requirements, with scripted demos and reference checks.
Lean, standards-based design
Designs that minimize custom extensions so upgrades and future expansion stay affordable.
WMS and system integration
Work release, inventory, and exception messaging between automation, the WMS, and upstream systems, tested end to end.
Deployment and ramp-up
Vendor coordination, testing, training, and on-site support until the system hits its designed rate.
How an automation engagement runs.
- 01
Profile
Analyze orders, SKUs, labor, and building constraints to find where automation pays.
- 02
Model
Build the business case and shortlist technologies that match the profile.
- 03
Select
Run a vendor-neutral evaluation and confirm design with minimal custom extensions.
- 04
Deploy
Integrate, test, train, and ramp up, acting as the bridge between operations and vendors.
Locus AMR rollout, 120+ robots live for peak e-commerce fulfillment
$6B fashion retail · Ascena / Knitwell Group. Partnering across vendor selection, design, and deployment so a multi-brand fulfillment center was ready for 2024 holiday peak.
SIS helped confirm Locus as the right AMR partner, kept the design lean, and integrated more than 110 picking robots and 10 replenishment bots with Manhattan WMS, all live for 2024 holiday shipping.
Read the case study- Locus AMRs deployed
- 120+Locus AMRs deployed
- Replenishment bots
- 10+Replenishment bots
- Holiday peak ready
- 2024Holiday peak ready
Automation advice without a product to sell.
Independent
We do not resell equipment. Our recommendation follows your order profile and ROI, not a commission.
WMS fluency
Most automation risk sits in software integration. Our WMS practice owns that part of the plan.
Deadline-tested
We have deployed robotics at scale against a fixed holiday peak and know how to protect the date.
Headquartered in the Columbus, Ohio metro and working on-site with clients across the United States. Where we work
Warehouse automation questions
What does a warehouse automation consultant do?
An automation consultant analyzes your operation to determine which processes are worth automating, models the return, compares technologies and vendors independently, and supports design, integration, and deployment so the system performs as promised.
Are autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) right for our warehouse?
AMRs tend to fit operations with high-mix, multi-line orders and long pick travel, and they can scale gradually. Whether they beat other options depends on your order profile, SKU count, building layout, and labor costs, which is exactly what a feasibility study answers.
How do you calculate warehouse automation ROI?
We compare total cost (equipment or subscription, integration, facility changes, support) against labor savings, throughput, accuracy, and capacity gains under realistic volume scenarios, including peak and off-peak.
Can automation integrate with our existing WMS?
Usually, yes, but the integration design matters. We have integrated Locus AMRs with Manhattan WMS and work across Infor WMS and other platforms. We assess what your WMS can orchestrate before you commit to equipment.
Do you work with a specific robotics vendor?
No. SIS is vendor-neutral on automation. We help you evaluate providers and then act as the liaison between your operations team and the vendor you choose.
Find out where automation actually pays.
Share your volumes, constraints, and timeline. A senior SIS consultant will tell you where automation fits, what it should return, and what to avoid.