You already have scanners, printers and warehouse systems in place. So why are your employees still correcting records, searching for stock or calling a supervisor just to complete a transaction? Why are your facilities not operating as efficiently as they should?
The simple answer is that your AIDC is automating individual steps, but not the full workflow. When devices, systems and workflows aren’t fully connected or supported, employees have to step in and fill the gaps.
These workarounds lead to efficiency gaps and can quickly spiral out of control.
AIDC should reduce manual work by capturing information at the same time the work happens. When it’s properly integrated and supported, scanning an item doesn’t create another task. The scan completes the task.
In high-volume distribution, it can be difficult to see where the problems are, and that's the first step in correcting them. Follow inventory through 10 common distribution center touchpoints and see which column looks most like your operation.
| Mostly Manual | Unsupported AIDC | Supported AIDC | |
| 1. Receiving | Check packing slips, count cartons and key receipts at a workstation. | Scan inbound product, then look up the PO or enter quantities separately. | One scan matches the shipment to the PO/ASN and records receipt. |
| 2. Labeling & Identification | Type SKU, lot or destination data into the label system. | Product data exists, but employees still select templates, re-key fields or fix unreadable labels. | The transaction pulls the correct data and automatically triggers the right label. |
| 3. Putaway | Follow a printed location list and document the final bin after the move. | The handheld gives a destination, but location codes still need entered or confirmed separately. | Scan the product and bin to confirm the move and update location. |
| 4. Replenishment | Walk pick faces, spot low stock and create replenishment moves from a list. | Tasks are generated, but bad location or quantity data sends employees searching for stock | The device identifies the source, destination and quantity, and records the move. |
| 5. Picking | Work from a pick list and mark each item complete by hand. | The device directs the pick, but employees still key quantities or backtrack from incorrect locations. | Scan the location and item to verify and complete the pick. |
| 6. Packing & Order Verification | Match items to an order, then enter shipment details and create labels separately. | Scanning validates the item, but weight, package data or shipping labels still require another system. | Order verification automatically feeds the shipping transaction and label. |
| 7. Staging & Loading | Use paperwork or dock markings to determine where freight belongs and which trailer gets it. | Freight is scanned, but employees still hunt for pallets or cross-check trailer assignments. | Scans verify both the staging location and correct trailer before loading. |
| 8. Inventory Counts | Record counts on a sheet and key them into the system after the aisle is finished. | Counts are captured electronically, but variances trigger recounts or adjustments. | Counts post at the location, with variances routed directly for review or adjustment. |
| 9. Returns | Write down the return reason and condition, then decide where the item goes. | The item scans, but reason codes, disposition and routing happen in separate screens or with supervisor help. | The return scan launches the correct disposition and routing workflow. |
| 10. Exceptions & Damaged Inventory | Set the item aside, attach a note and find someone who knows what to do with it. | The normal scan workflow stops, sending employees to email or support tickets. | The device captures the exception, changes inventory status and directs the next action. |
If most of your operations fall in the first column, the opportunities to automate manual processes are easy to see. But the middle column is where many distribution centers get stuck.
You have AIDC. Your employees use it every day. But they’re still filling in the gaps around it. That manual work is a sign that your AIDC environment isn’t doing everything it should.
If your warehouse looks familiar in that middle column, it’s not your people or your equipment; it’s your process.
You need to look at how your devices, software, integrations and workflows function together, then find the places where employees are still doing work the AIDC environment should handle for them.
GO2 Partners can assess your current AIDC environment, identify those gaps, and help you get more from the technology already deployed across your operation.
The goal is simple: do the work once, capture the data once and keep the transaction moving.