ROBOTICS · 2.5 HOURS
Warehouse and Logistics Automation
Warehouse and Logistics Automation teaches warehouse managers and logistics leads to map one goods flow from arrival to dispatch and separate what is measured from what is assumed. You finish with a one-page map showing where automation would pay and where it would make the flow worse, ready for a meeting with a supplier.
About this course
Warehouse automation covers equipment such as conveyors, sorters, mobile robots, automated storage, and robotic picking, and each system is sized to the volumes and goods it is told about. Proposals often go wrong because the site describes the part that hurts most instead of one complete path of goods, treats supplier estimates as measurements, and leaves out the goods the system will not handle and the day it stops.
This course teaches you to follow one goods flow from arrival to dispatch, mark where the unit of handling changes, and label every figure as measured or assumed. You finish with a six-part, one-page map that shows where automation would pay, what it would leave for people, and where it would make the flow worse, ready to put in front of a supplier.
What you will take away
- You will be able to narrow a whole site to one goods flow and mark each point where the unit of handling changes, for example from pallet to case to single item to parcel.
- You will be able to label every figure as measured, with its record and period, or assumed, and to give the peak the attention it needs.
- You will be able to identify the step where steady volume, uniform units, and travel come together, and check whether it is the step that constrains the flow.
- You will be able to read a supplier proposal for the pile of goods it leaves to people and to write a fallback that says what people would do when the system is down or overloaded.
- You will leave with a signed one-page goods flow map that a colleague could put in front of a supplier and expect an answer to.
Who this course is for
- Warehouse managers who are being asked about conveyors, sortation, mobile robots, or automated storage and want to answer from one flow they know well.
- Logistics and supply chain leads who need to brief suppliers with figures they can stand behind and a clear statement of what is still assumed.
- Operations analysts who can pull volumes from the warehouse management system and want to turn them into a case that separates measured peaks from guesses.
- Managers preparing for a supplier meeting who want the supplier to respond to their own flow rather than to a brochure.
What you will do
Each lesson teaches one part of the method, works through a realistic example, and ends with a check on a case you have not seen. The course closes with an assessment and then the piece of work you sign.
- 5lessons with a worked example and a check
- 7scenario questions in the course assessment
- Signedthe goods flow map, with a record anyone can verify
- 2.5 hoursat your own pace, with progress saved
- 01
Lesson
One goods flow
This lesson defines a goods flow as the path one kind of goods takes from arrival to dispatch and explains why the points where the unit of handling changes matter most. You see a distribution centre manager narrow her site to one flow, then choose the description of a depot that follows a single path.
- What a goods flow is
- Where the unit of handling changes
- What a goods flow is not
- The mistake people usually make
You compare two versions of the same piece of work, choose the stronger one, and see the reasoning behind the answer.
- 02
Lesson
Measured or assumed
This lesson explains why every system is sized to a volume and how to label each figure as measured, from a named record over a known period, or assumed, with particular care for the peak. You see a manager's rough figures marked, then label the figures for a parcel sortation flow.
- Automation is sized to volumes
- Two labels for every figure
- Why the peak matters most
- The mistake people usually make
You mark 4 statements from a realistic case and receive an explanation for each one.
- 03
Lesson
Where it pays
This lesson sets out the three conditions under which warehouse automation tends to pay, which are steady volume, uniform units, and travel, and explains why the step that pays is usually the constraint. You weigh two candidate steps, then choose where automation would pay for a clothing retailer.
- Three conditions that come together
- The step that constrains the flow
- What is and is not a reason it pays
- The mistake people usually make
You compare two versions of the same piece of work, choose the stronger one, and see the reasoning behind the answer.
- 04
Lesson
The pile it will not touch
This lesson shows that every system has goods outside its range, such as oversized items, soft bags, and unreadable labels, and that the pile left behind needs space and labour. You read a goods-to-person proposal for its pile, then mark sentences from a parcel sortation proposal as handled by the system or left for people.
- Every system has goods it cannot handle
- The pile is part of the design
- Reading a proposal for its pile
- The mistake people usually make
You mark 4 statements from a realistic case and receive an explanation for each one.
- 05
Lesson
Where it makes the flow worse
This lesson explains four ways a working system can make a flow worse, including rigidity at peak, and what a fallback must say about how goods keep moving. You see risks added to a goods-to-person option, then edit a mobile robot note so its fallback says what people would do.
- Four ways a working system makes a flow worse
- What a fallback is
- Saying where it is worse is part of the case
- The mistake people usually make
You repair a flawed draft so it meets the standard the lesson sets, and your revision is checked against it.
- 06
Course assessment
The course assessment
This lesson sets out the five moves in one place, shows how each move tests the others, and works one mixed case from a pet supplies warehouse. You then apply the method to seven situations from warehouses and transport operations, and you need six correct answers to pass.
- The method in one place
- How the moves test each other
- How the assessment works
You judge 7 new workplace situations, with feedback on every option, and need 6 correct to pass.
- 07
Final work and signed record
The map
This final lesson brings the method together into a one-page map in six parts and explains the test for each line, which is whether a supplier would have to answer it with a figure, a place, or a commitment. You write the map for a flow on your site and sign it.
- Six parts on one page
- Ready for the supplier meeting
- Keep it to what is true on your site
- How the map is checked
You write the goods flow map for your own work, part by part, and sign it as your record.
GOOD WORK.THE GOODS FLOW MAP, SIGNED.
WHAT CHANGES
What the course changes for you and your organisation.
- 01
Systems sized to your real volumes
Because every figure on the map carries its source and period, a supplier sizes the system to your measured volumes and peak rather than to an estimate. Your organisation avoids buying equipment that copes on an average day and falls behind in the weeks that matter most.
- 02
Investment aimed at the constraint
The course teaches you to choose the step where volume, uniformity, and travel meet, instead of the step where complaints are loudest. Money then goes to the step that actually limits dispatch, rather than moving a queue from one place to another.
- 03
Exceptions and outages planned for
The map names the oversized, bagged, damaged, and unlabelled goods the system will leave for people, and it gives every risk a fallback. Those answers are then designed and priced before the contract is signed, when changes are still cheap.
- 04
Most warehouses are still manual
The UK Warehousing Association cites estimates that fewer than 20% of UK warehouses feature automation, so most sites still have the decision ahead of them. A goods flow map that separates measured facts from assumptions lets an employer judge supplier proposals on evidence rather than sales claims.
QUESTIONS
Questions about Warehouse and Logistics Automation
- What is Warehouse and Logistics Automation about?
- Warehouse automation covers equipment such as conveyors, sorters, mobile robots, automated storage, and robotic picking, and each system is sized to the volumes and goods it is told about. Proposals often go wrong because the site describes the part that hurts most instead of one complete path of goods, treats supplier estimates as measurements, and leaves out the goods the system will not handle and the day it stops. This course teaches you to follow one goods flow from arrival to dispatch, mark where the unit of handling changes, and label every figure as measured or assumed. You finish with a six-part, one-page map that shows where automation would pay, what it would leave for people, and where it would make the flow worse, ready to put in front of a supplier.
- Who is Warehouse and Logistics Automation for?
- Warehouse managers who are being asked about conveyors, sortation, mobile robots, or automated storage and want to answer from one flow they know well. Logistics and supply chain leads who need to brief suppliers with figures they can stand behind and a clear statement of what is still assumed. Operations analysts who can pull volumes from the warehouse management system and want to turn them into a case that separates measured peaks from guesses. Managers preparing for a supplier meeting who want the supplier to respond to their own flow rather than to a brochure. No specialist background is assumed, and every term is explained before it is used.
- What will I be able to do after Warehouse and Logistics Automation?
- You will be able to narrow a whole site to one goods flow and mark each point where the unit of handling changes, for example from pallet to case to single item to parcel. You will be able to label every figure as measured, with its record and period, or assumed, and to give the peak the attention it needs. You will be able to identify the step where steady volume, uniform units, and travel come together, and check whether it is the step that constrains the flow. You will be able to read a supplier proposal for the pile of goods it leaves to people and to write a fallback that says what people would do when the system is down or overloaded. You will leave with a signed one-page goods flow map that a colleague could put in front of a supplier and expect an answer to.
- How long does the course take, and how is it taught?
- The course takes about 2.5 hours and is studied online at your own pace. It has 5 lessons, each with a worked example, a practice exercise, and a check on a new case, followed by a course assessment of 7 scenario questions in which you need 6 correct to pass. Your progress is saved to your account.
- Do I get a certificate?
- Yes. When you pass, you sign a record that names you, the course, and the goods flow map. Anyone you share it with can verify it online and download it as a PDF. The record confirms what you completed and does not claim compliance with any regulation.
- How much does it cost, and when can I start?
- The course costs £129, paid once by card through Stripe. Access begins as soon as payment is confirmed, and you can save a sign-in to return to the course from any device.
- Can my organisation train a whole team?
- Yes. Individuals can buy any self-paced course online, and organisations can book trainer-led courses for teams, in person or online, through the Experrt Academy.
More robotics courses are listed on the self-paced robotics and automation courses for non-engineers page.
THERE IS A NEXT CHAPTER.
Start today, and finish with
the goods flow map your organisation can use.
Checkout takes an email address and a card, and access begins as soon as payment is confirmed. When you finish, you sign a record that names you and the goods flow map, which anyone you choose can verify online. The record confirms what you completed and does not claim compliance with any regulation.