Voodoo RoboticsWarehouseWorkflow Lab
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Problem-solving guide

Aisles and work cells are congested

Find out whether blocked aisles come from short demand spikes, crossing routes, refill work, poor equipment fit, or too much unfinished work.

What to look for · What to measure · What to try this weekNot sure about a term? Open the plain-English glossary
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A simple example

Replenishment forklifts enter the main pick aisle from 9:00 to 10:00, the same hour order picking peaks. Moving planned refills earlier is a small first test.

01 · Check the complaint

Signs to confirm on the floor

  • Workers wait to reach locations
  • Carts block pick faces
  • Forklifts and pickers share unsafe peaks
  • Cells fill with incomplete work
02 · Possible causes

Check more than one possible cause

The first explanation may sound right and still be wrong. Use the measurements in the next section to separate these possibilities.

1

Release is not capacity-controlled

2

Zone and route paths cross

3

Replenishment occurs during active picks

4

Cart/wall geometry is wrong

5

Problem work occupies normal capacity

03 · What to measure

Numbers that can change the decision

Occupancy by 15-minute intervalEvery 15 minutes, count workers and equipment in the aisle or work cell.
Blocked seconds and causeTime each delay caused by another worker, cart, lift, queue, or obstruction and label the cause.
Queue depth and unfinished work ageCount waiting jobs and record how long the oldest one has been waiting.
Crossings by equipment typeCount worker, cart, pallet-jack, and forklift route crossings separately.
Space consumed by problemsMeasure floor or rack positions holding damaged, short, unidentified, or otherwise problem inventory.
04 · Possible fixes

Choose a fix only after the facts point to it

1

Smooth or throttle release

Use this when: Short peaks create queues

2

Separate refill timing/path

Use this when: Replenishment conflicts with picks

3

Resize unfinished work and positions

Use this when: Cell capacity is physically blocked

05 · This week

A practical seven-day starting plan

  1. 01

    Video or observe one peak interval from a fixed safe point

  2. 02

    Mark every blockage and crossing on a layout

  3. 03

    Separate normal unfinished work from problem inventory

  4. 04

    Test one release limit or time separation

  5. 05

    Recheck completed output and safety together

Turn what you measured into a small test

The diagnostic compares practical options and shows which limits could change the answer.

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