AI Slotting Optimization: A Warehouse That Works for You
Most warehouses are arranged historically — the first products to arrive took the nearest slots. The result: pickers walk kilometres of unnecessary steps every day.
The Core Principle: ABC Analysis × Location
Classic theory says:
- A-products (20 % of SKUs, 80 % of picks) → golden zone (close to dispatch, ergonomic height)
- B-products → silver zone (medium distance)
- C-products (80 % of SKUs, 20 % of picks) → remote zone
In practice, most companies don’t implement this systematically. Modulario AI does it for you — and adds extra factors.
What AI Considers During Optimization
Pick Frequency
How many times per day/week is an item picked from the warehouse? The more frequent, the closer it should be to the dispatch area.
Co-Picking
Products that are frequently ordered together should be stored close to each other. AI analyses order history and identifies product “families.”
Example: coffee + sugar + cups → place in the same section → one pass instead of three.
Dimensions and Weight
Heavy and bulky products → ground level, near the loading dock. Small, lightweight items → upper racks or central zones.
Seasonality
Top movers in December differ from those in July. AI dynamically suggests seasonal reorganization of the golden zone.
Results After Optimization
Typical warehouse operation after implementing AI recommendations:
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Average travel per pick order | 320 m | 195 m |
| Time to fulfil one order | 4.2 min | 2.8 min |
| Orders per day (same team) | 180 | 270 |
| Physical workload per picker | High | Medium |
Implementation
- Modulario analyses 6–12 months of dispatch history
- Generates a proposed new layout with quantified savings
- Displays an interactive warehouse map with colour-coded zones
- On approval → generates a relocation plan (what, where, in what order)
- Pickers receive relocation tasks in the mobile app during normal operations
The entire relocation process for 500 SKUs takes 2–5 working days without halting dispatch.
