If you’re running out of space in your warehouse or fulfillment center, your instinct might be to expand — or worse, relocate. But the smarter move could be to look up. 

Automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) allow you to better utilize your current footprint by storing inventory as high as 40 feet and streamlining pick and putaway operations. By introducing automation that brings inventory directly to workers — known as goods-to-person (G2P) automation — you can delay or even avoid major capital-heavy expansions while maximizing efficiency, accuracy, and throughput. 

In short: Instead of sweating the cost of expansion, consider automation that helps you sweat your existing assets more effectively. 

The New Demands on Fulfillment Facilities 

Warehouses today are facing a collision of pressures. Consumers expect rapid, error-free delivery. Real estate costs are soaring. SKU counts are growing. Labor is increasingly scarce. 

And while e-commerce has forever changed order profiles, many operators are still running facilities designed for yesterday’s B2B pallet movement — not the fast-paced, small-parcel picking required for direct-to-consumer (DTC) fulfillment. 

“Flexibility is at the forefront of customers’ minds, because of this ever-changing industry,” says Hunter Senn, Vice President of Sales at Hai Robotics. “Brick and mortar stores are becoming a thing of the past, while DTC is increasing, and it’s all becoming faster.” 

With unpredictable shifts in consumer behavior, seasonal spikes, and mixed fulfillment models like omnichannel, adaptability is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a requirement. 

“You’re seeing higher throughputs, and you have to achieve them in a shorter time span,” Senn explains. “If you want to set a fulfillment strategy for the next five to 10 years, you need flexibility without downtime. So the solution has to be flexible and modular, because the market is flexible and modular.” 

Build Up, Not Out 

Expanding your footprint isn’t just expensive — it’s disruptive. 

“Real estate is at an absolute premium today,” Senn says. “Board execs are strained by the conversation around, ‘How do we purchase more, get a bigger footprint?’ Rather than having that conversation, you can change it to analyzing your existing real estate and making sure you’re maxing out the potential of your square footage.” 

ASRS allows operators to make use of untapped vertical space, transforming high ceilings into high-efficiency inventory zones. Some systems reach up to nearly 40 feet high, packing more inventory into the same footprint at over 6x the height of other human-augmented robotic picking solutions. Their ultra-dense design means you can shrink your storage area by as much as 75% — or dramatically increase capacity without adding square footage. 

And for organizations looking to buffer inventory in response to geopolitical uncertainty, ASRS provides the scalability to stockpile without sacrificing operational efficiency. 

The Labor You Have, Working Smarter 

Labor shortages continue to plague warehouses, especially during peak seasons. But the right ASRS solution can alleviate staffing challenges in two major ways: 

1. Eliminated dependency on walking and manual picking 

2. Faster training with intuitive, ergonomic workflows 

Modern ASRS solutions allow new workers to get up to speed in as little as 30 minutes. Mobile robots bring items directly to human-operated pick stations via the most efficient route — eliminating strenuous walking and heavy lifting, reducing travel time and ensuring 99%+ order accuracy. 

The result? Higher productivity and more value-added work from your existing team — without the stress of seasonal hiring. The reason why: Automation enables you to scale operations during peak periods without needing to ramp up your workforce. 

What to Look for in an ASRS Solution 

Choosing an automation partner isn’t just about equipment. It’s about how well that partner can support your operational realities — today and tomorrow. 

“When you look at installing automation in your existing footprint, the question is: How is this transition period going to work? There’s equipment already there. What does the cut-over to automation look like?” Senn says. 

The right provider will minimize disruption during deployment and offer phased implementation plans that match your capacity and budget. 

“Lead times are important to understand,” Senn continues. “You need to ask: How disruptive is it? Am I going to have steel erected for six months? If so, it’s not very attractive.” 

Look for vendors who offer modular systems — solutions that can grow alongside your business. 

“Let’s say you have invested and implemented a phase-one system, and then your growth rates are doubling,” Senn says. “You’re two years into your investment, and you need to expand your system. What now? This is where you learn if you really have a modular and flexible solution. You have to do it without interruption. You can’t shut it down; it’s the lifeblood of your operation.” 

That means being able to add more robots, racking, and totes — without compromising ongoing operations. 

Plan for What Comes With the Automation 

One of the most overlooked aspects of automation installation is the temporary space required to stage components like racking and totes. 

“If you’re standing up a racking, when you receive it, it’s a bunch of steel,” Senn says. “Where do you put that steel? Or a hundred thousand totes? Where do you put all that stuff? How much space do you need while you’re doing the installation? This is often overlooked.” 

He advises coordinating tightly with your provider to phase installation in a way that doesn’t compromise daily operations. 

“It might mean I only have this small footprint I can give you now, because the rest is being used as much as it can, but then we can build out,” Senn says. “You can start small, but you need a provider who is flexible enough to do that. That way, you can start with the seed and get to the forest in the end.” 

Additionally, consider scheduling installation during second or third shifts to minimize impact during peak hours. 

Vet Your Vendors — In Person 

As with any major investment, seeing is believing. Senn recommends visiting customer sites that are already using the system you’re evaluating. 

“Go look at existing sites,” he says. “Ask the vendor: ‘Where has this been done?’ Who can you call who’s undergoing expansions or doing multi-site rollouts?” 

While data and modeling are useful tools for visualizing impact, nothing beats observing a live environment. 

“Data analysis is important, of course, but you need to go see for yourself,” Senn says. 

Future-Proof Your Fulfillment: Flexibility, Scalability, Reliability 

In today’s market, agility is the new currency. Goods-to-person automation that's modular and flexible by design gives operators the power to handle more SKUs, fulfill orders faster and adapt to labor and space constraints — all without costly expansion or disruption. 

As Senn puts it, “The ability to use automation as a tool to adapt to changing times is the biggest benefit.” 

The bottom line? Sweating your assets is no longer about overworking your people or overburdening your systems — it’s about using technology to make the most of what you already have. 

Resource URL: HaiRobotics.com