Equipment and Technology for In-House Warehousing

The right equipment and technology determine whether an in-house warehouse operates efficiently or hits its limits with every order peak. Many e-commerce companies start with minimal basic equipment and invest late in scanners, packing stations or a warehouse management system. That works with a few orders per day – as soon as volume grows, bottlenecks appear: picking errors, long throughput times, lack of inventory transparency and overload in the packing area.

This guide shows which equipment and technology a high-performing in-house warehouse needs, how to prioritize investments and which systems can be combined sensibly. The goal is a robust setup that keeps pace with your growth – without over-dimensioned automation from day one.

Why Equipment and Technology Must Be Planned Together

Physical equipment and digital technology are inseparably linked in the warehouse. A barcode scanner without a clean SKU structure adds little value. A WMS without defined storage locations creates chaos instead of transparency. Successful in-house warehouses plan both together: workstations, conveyors, scanners, printers, network and software form one system.

Typical mistakes in practice:

Packing stations are professionalized too late, even though the packing area is the bottleneck
Scanners are purchased before barcodes and labels are standardized
Pallet trucks are missing although pallet racking is already in place
WMS is introduced without documenting workflows
WLAN in the warehouse is unstable, scanners constantly lose connection

Warehouse Equipment and Technology at a Glance

Workstations

Packing stations, picking stations

Material Flow

Pallet trucks, roll containers, conveyor belts

Capture Technology

Scanners, printers, scales

Software

WMS, shipping software, shop integration

All four areas are connected via the central node fulfillment process – equipment and technology only work in combination.

Basic Equipment for Getting Started

For a small in-house warehouse with up to 50 orders per day, lean basic equipment is sufficient. What matters is not the quantity of devices, but that every process step has a defined Workplace.

Minimum equipment at a glance:

At least one ergonomic packing station with sufficient work surface
Industrial printer for shipping labels and warehouse labels
Handheld scanner or smartphone with scan app for goods receipt and picking
Pallet truck or pallet jack for pallet movement
Roll containers or pick carts for Picking
Stable WLAN coverage in all warehouse zones
Work clothing and protective equipment in accordance with occupational safety regulations

Packing Stations and Workstations

The packing station is the heart of the shipping area. Here items are checked, packed, labeled and prepared for dispatch. A well-planned packing station significantly reduces errors and speeds up the process.

Important criteria when choosing:

Work surface: At least 120 x 80 cm for standard SKUs, more for bulky goods
Height adjustability: Reduces back strain during shift work
Integrated storage: For cartons, filling material, tape and labels
Cable management: For printer, scale and scanner
Lighting: Even illumination without shadows on labels

Packing Station Types Compared

Variant

Cost

Flexibility

Ergonomics

Scalability

Simple table

Low (from approx. 150 EUR)

High

Low

Limited

Professional packing station with storage

Medium (500–1,500 EUR)

Medium

High

Good

Modular packing station system with casters

Higher (1,500–5,000 EUR)

Very high

Very good

Conveyors and Internal Transport

Without suitable conveyors, walking distances become time wasters. Pallet trucks, roll containers and, where applicable, conveyor belts ensure that goods flow efficiently from goods receipt via storage locations to the packing area.

Conveyor

Application

Investment

When it makes sense

Manual pallet truck (pallet jack)

Pallet movement, goods receipt

200–800 EUR

From first pallet racking

Electric forklift

High-bay warehouse, heavy pallets

5,000–25,000 EUR

From rack height over 3 m or 100+ pallet locations

Roll container

Order picking, batch picking

80–300 EUR per unit

From 30+ orders per day

Pick cart with compartments

Multi-order picking

150–500 EUR

From parallel processing of multiple orders

Roller conveyor

Handover packing area to shipping

500–3,000 EUR

From fixed packing and shipping line

Material Flow in an In-House Warehouse

1

Goods receipt with pallet truck

2

Put-away at storage location

3

Order picking with roll container

4

Handover to packing station

5

Ready for shipping

Scanners, Barcode Equipment and Labeling

Digital inventory management starts with reliable capture. Barcode scanners, label printers and uniform SKU coding are the basis for error-free picking and transparent stocktaking.

Barcode Standards and Device Selection

Before you buy scanners, define your labeling concept:

Each SKU receives a unique barcode (EAN, Code 128 or internal code)
Each storage location is marked with a fixed barcode
Shipping labels follow the carrier standard (DHL, GLS, DPD etc.)

Device Types Compared

Device Type

Advantages

Disadvantages

Ideal for

Handheld scanner (wired)

Affordable, reliable, no battery life issues

Limited range, cable gets in the way

Fixed packing station, goods receipt

Mobile scanner (WLAN/Bluetooth)

Flexible, large range in the warehouse

Dependent on WLAN quality, more expensive

Order picking, stocktaking

Smartphone with scan app

No additional device needed, quick start

Less robust, smaller display

Very small warehouses, trial phase

Ring scanner / hands-free

Both hands free when packing

Higher cost, limited scan distance

High-volume packing area

Important: Without uniform barcodes on SKU and storage location, every scanner investment delivers only limited benefit. Standardize labels first, then hardware.

Technology and Software: WMS, Printers and Network

The technical infrastructure connects physical equipment with digital processes. A warehouse management system (WMS) controls storage locations, inventory and pick lists. Shipping software generates labels and passes tracking data to the shop.

WMS: When Does the Investment Pay Off?

A WMS becomes relevant as soon as Excel or manual lists reach their limits. Typical triggers:

More than 200 active SKUs
Multiple sales channels with shared inventory
Frequent inventory discrepancies during stocktaking
Parallel processing by multiple pickers
Requirements for perpetual inventory or batch tracking

Typical Improvements After WMS Implementation

Pick accuracy

+15–25 %

Inventory discrepancies

−30–50 %

Throughput time

−10–20 %

Printers and Peripherals

For a professional in-house warehouse you need at least two printer types:

Thermal printer for shipping labels – fast, no ink, carrier-compatible
Label printer for warehouse and product labels – flexible in size and format

Additionally useful: a digital packing scale with USB or WLAN connection to shipping software, so weights are automatically transferred for postage.

Network and IT Infrastructure

WLAN in the warehouse is not a luxury but a requirement for mobile scanners. Plan at least:

Complete coverage of all warehouse zones without dead spots
Separate guest WLAN for mobile devices
UPS for server or NAS with WMS data
Regular backups of inventory and order data

Unstable WLAN leads to scan failures, duplicate postings and frustration in the team. Invest in professional access points before deploying mobile scanners at scale.

Investment Planning: Setting Priorities

Not everything has to be perfect on day one. A sensible investment sequence is oriented to order volume and current bottlenecks.

Recommended prioritization in three phases:

Phase 1 – Foundations (0–30 orders/day):

Packing station with basic equipment
Thermal printer for shipping labels
Pallet truck for pallet storage
Manual or simple digital inventory management

Phase 2 – Professionalization (30–150 orders/day):

Barcode scanners and storage location labels
Roll containers for order picking
Shipping software with multi-carrier integration
First WMS functions or lean WMS

Phase 3 – Scaling (150+ orders/day):

Full WMS with pick strategies
Mobile scanners for all warehouse zones
Multiple packing stations or packing line
Optional: conveyor belts, auto-weighing, pick-to-light

Equipment Roadmap

Month 1

Basic equipment: packing station, thermal printer, pallet truck

Month 3–6

Scanners, labels, shipping software, first WMS

Month 6–12

Scaling: mobile scanners, multiple packing stations, automation

Investment Item

Benchmark Start Phase

Benchmark Scaling

Payback

Packing station and workstation

300–1,500 EUR

3,000–15,000 EUR (multiple stations)

3–6 months through time savings

Scanners and printers

500–2,000 EUR

2,000–8,000 EUR

6–12 months through fewer errors

Conveyors

500–2,000 EUR

5,000–30,000 EUR

6–18 months

WMS software

50–200 EUR/month (cloud)

200–1,000 EUR/month

12–24 months

Network and IT

300–1,000 EUR

2,000–5,000 EUR

Ongoing operating costs

Checklist: Planning Equipment and Technology

Use this checklist before every investment decision:

Current order volume and 12-month growth forecast documented
Bottleneck analysis completed (picking, packing or shipping?)
Warehouse layout and racking systems planned to match product range
SKU and barcode concept defined
Number and equipment of packing stations dimensioned
Conveyors planned for all warehouse zones
Scanner type and quantity determined
Printers for labels and warehouse labels procured
WLAN coverage tested throughout the warehouse
WMS requirements documented and vendors compared
Training plan for staff created
Maintenance and spare parts plan for devices in place

Tip: Start with a pilot area: fully equip one picking zone or packing station, test the process for two weeks and only then scale to the entire warehouse.

Safety and Maintenance

Equipment and technology are subject to legal requirements. Electric forklifts require regular safety inspections. Packing stations and racking must be mounted securely. Devices such as scanners and printers require cleaning and planned replacement of wear parts.

Important safety measures:

Daily visual inspection of pallet trucks and roll containers
Annual inspection of electric conveyors by a qualified technician
Training of all staff in safe use of equipment
Keeping escape and rescue routes clear
Documentation of accidents and near misses

Practical Example: Online Retailer Scales from 20 to 200 Orders

A mid-sized online retailer started with a simple table, a laptop and manual pick lists. At 20 orders per day that worked. From 60 orders, picking errors rose to 4 percent and the packing area became the bottleneck.

The investment sequence:

Two ergonomic packing stations with integrated storage
Thermal printer and shipping software with carrier integration
Barcode labels for all SKUs and storage locations
Four mobile scanners and WLAN upgrade
Lean cloud WMS with pick lists and inventory posting

Result after six months: picking errors below 0.5 percent, throughput time per order reduced from 18 to 9 minutes, team scaled to 180 orders per day without additional full-time staff.

Fulfillment Process with Technology

1

Order receipt (shop/OMS)

2

WMS order release

3

Scanner picking

4

Packing station with scale

5

Label printing

6

Handover to shipping

Frequently Asked Questions about Equipment and Technology for In-House Warehouses

Question

Answer

What minimum equipment does a small in-house warehouse need for up to 50 orders per day?

Lean basic equipment is sufficient as long as every process step has a defined workstation. The page lists at least one ergonomic packing station with enough work surface, an industrial printer for shipping and warehouse labels, a handheld scanner or smartphone with a scan app for goods receipt and picking, a pallet truck or pallet jack, roll containers or pick carts, stable WLAN in all warehouse zones, and work clothing plus protective equipment according to occupational safety rules. Quantity of devices matters less than covering each step of the flow.

Which packing station type should I choose and what work surface size is recommended?

A simple table starts from about 150 EUR with high flexibility but low ergonomics and limited scalability. A professional packing station with storage typically costs 500 to 1,500 EUR and offers better ergonomics and good scalability. Modular systems with casters cost roughly 1,500 to 5,000 EUR and score highest on flexibility, ergonomics and scalability. For standard SKUs the work surface should be at least 120 x 80 cm; bulky goods need more space. Height adjustability, integrated storage for cartons and tape, cable management and even lighting without shadows on labels are further selection criteria.

When does an electric forklift or a roller conveyor make sense compared with a manual pallet truck?

A manual pallet truck (200 to 800 EUR) is useful from the first pallet racking for goods receipt and pallet movement. An electric forklift (5,000 to 25,000 EUR) becomes relevant for high-bay storage, heavy pallets, rack heights over 3 m or more than 100 pallet locations. Roll containers (80 to 300 EUR) help from about 30 orders per day for picking and batch picking. Pick carts with compartments (150 to 500 EUR) support multi-order picking. A roller conveyor (500 to 3,000 EUR) fits when packing and shipping form a fixed line and walking distances would otherwise waste time.

Should I buy barcode scanners before standardizing labels and SKU codes?

No. The page stresses that scanners without a clean SKU structure and uniform barcodes add little value. First define the labeling concept: each SKU gets a unique barcode (EAN, Code 128 or internal code), each storage location gets a fixed barcode, and shipping labels follow the carrier standard such as DHL, GLS or DPD. Only after labels are standardized should you choose hardware. Wired handheld scanners suit fixed packing stations and goods receipt; mobile WLAN or Bluetooth scanners suit picking and stocktaking; smartphones with a scan app fit very small warehouses or a trial phase; ring scanners free both hands in high-volume packing areas.

When does a warehouse management system (WMS) pay off and what improvements can I expect?

A WMS becomes relevant when Excel or manual lists reach their limits. Typical triggers include more than 200 active SKUs, multiple sales channels with shared inventory, frequent inventory discrepancies, parallel picking by several people, or requirements for perpetual inventory or batch tracking. After implementation the page cites typical gains of about 15 to 25 percent in pick accuracy, 30 to 50 percent fewer inventory discrepancies and 10 to 20 percent shorter throughput times. Cloud WMS costs are benchmarked at roughly 50 to 200 EUR per month in the start phase and 200 to 1,000 EUR per month when scaling, with payback often in 12 to 24 months.

How should I prioritize equipment investments as order volume grows from foundations to scaling?

Phase 1 (0 to 30 orders per day) focuses on a packing station with basic equipment, a thermal printer for shipping labels, a pallet truck and simple inventory management. Phase 2 (30 to 150 orders per day) adds barcode scanners and storage location labels, roll containers, shipping software with multi-carrier integration and first or lean WMS functions. Phase 3 (150-plus orders per day) moves to a full WMS with pick strategies, mobile scanners for all zones, multiple packing stations or a packing line, and optional conveyor belts, auto-weighing or pick-to-light. A practical roadmap puts basic gear in month 1, scanners, labels, shipping software and first WMS in months 3 to 6, and scaling plus automation in months 6 to 12.

Why is warehouse WLAN critical before rolling out mobile scanners at scale?

Mobile scanners depend on WLAN quality. Unstable coverage causes scan failures, duplicate postings and team frustration. Plan complete coverage of all warehouse zones without dead spots, a separate guest WLAN for mobile devices, UPS protection for the server or NAS holding WMS data, and regular backups of inventory and order data. The guide recommends investing in professional access points before deploying mobile scanners widely. In the practical example, an online retailer upgraded WLAN together with four mobile scanners when scaling from about 20 toward 200 orders per day, helping cut picking errors from 4 percent to below 0.5 percent and halve throughput time from 18 to 9 minutes per order.

Equipment and Technology