Voodoo RoboticsWarehouseWorkflow Lab
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Problem-solving guide

Peak volume overwhelms the process

Compare demand and realistic capacity hour by hour to find the first step that cannot keep up.

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

Packing can safely complete 180 orders per hour, but release sends 310 orders at 2 p.m. Capping release near packing capacity can prevent the queue.

01 · Check the complaint

Signs to confirm on the floor

  • Normal days work; peaks collapse
  • Overtime rises nonlinearly
  • Temporary labor and queues appear together
  • Supervisors constantly reprioritize
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

Planning uses daily averages

2

One stage runs close to full capacity and creates queueing

3

Peak labor ramp is omitted

4

Replenishment and problems consume capacity

5

Release timing creates an avoidable surge

03 · What to measure

Numbers that can change the decision

Hourly/15-minute demand by stageCount work arriving at each process step by hour or 15-minute period on peak days.
Sustainable capacity and availabilityUse the safe repeatable rate while the step is staffed and working, then include breaks, downtime, and normal delays.
Unfinished work and agingCount unfinished work and show how long the oldest jobs have waited.
Peak factor and overload durationCompare the busiest interval with the average and record how long demand stays above capacity.
Training/ramp productivityShow how quickly new or temporary workers approach the safe experienced-worker rate.
04 · Possible fixes

Choose a fix only after the facts point to it

1

Hour-by-hour staffing

Use this when: Demand shape is known

2

Bottleneck-based release

Use this when: Unfinished work overloads one stage

3

Pre-peak top-off and staging

Use this when: Support work steals peak capacity

05 · This week

A practical seven-day starting plan

  1. 01

    Plot the last three comparable peak days

  2. 02

    Calculate workload as a share of capacity at every stage

  3. 03

    Find the first stage above sustainable capacity

  4. 04

    Test a release cap and cross-training window

  5. 05

    Measure cutoff, unfinished work, and overtime 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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