Equipment and Technology

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 Verification 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

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 workstation.

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 order 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:

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

Packing Station Types Compared

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.

Material Flow in an In-House Warehouse

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

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

Printers and Peripherals

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

1. Thermal printer for shipping labels – fast, no ink, carrier-compatible
2. 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

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

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

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:

1. Daily visual inspection of pallet trucks and roll containers
2. Annual inspection of electric conveyors by a qualified technician
3. Training of all staff in safe use of equipment
4. Keeping escape and rescue routes clear
5. 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:

1. Two ergonomic packing stations with integrated storage
2. Thermal printer and shipping software with carrier integration
3. Barcode labels for all SKUs and storage locations
4. Four mobile scanners and WLAN upgrade
5. 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.

Pick-Pack-Ship with Technology

Related Topics

• Racking Systems and Warehouse Layout
• Planning Warehouse Space
• Defining Workflows
• WMS – Warehouse Management System
• Pick-Pack-Ship in Order Fulfillment

Last updated: July 6, 2026