You don’t always need automation to get automation-level gains. As a third-party logistics provider, Ryder has found that small, low-tech adjustments can also be impactful. Steps like re-slotting fast movers, tightening pick paths, or improving signage can lift productivity without a major investment. 

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Even simple steps (e.g., better lighting, daily team huddles, or cross-training) help teams move faster and more accurately. “It’s really about optimizing flow and empowering people to work smarter,” says Alec Hicks, Ryder’s Group Director of Supply Chain Excellence. “Those incremental changes add up quickly and translate directly into better service and faster turn times for customers.”

Hicks says many of these low-tech improvements mirror the logic of automation, which focuses on reducing touchpoints, optimizing flow, and improving visibility. Yet they rely on “human ingenuity rather than capital expenditure.” Here are 12 steps you can take today to start improving your own warehouse or DC efficiency and performance:

1. Optimize labor planning & forecasting. Align labor to demand using historical data, customer forecasts, and business rhythms (seasonality, order patterns, etc.).
2. Reduce “walking empty” time on the warehouse floor. Encourage workers to carry returns or replenishments when walking back from a pick. “Eliminating non-value-added movement is a huge efficiency driver,” says Hicks.
3. Regularly revisit and revise slotting strategies. Re-slot fast-moving items closer to the shipping area or at waist height to reduce travel and reach times. Even quarterly re-slotting based on order velocity data can yield productivity improvements.
4. Optimize pick paths. Use zone picking, batch picking, or wave picking, depending on order profiles. “Small process changes can drastically reduce travel distance and idle time,” Hicks points out.
5. Cross-train employees. Flexibility is key in the fulfillment environment, where cross-training improves workforce agility, reduces bottlenecks and builds engagement by adding variety to work.
6. Implement daily stand-up meetings. These 5-minute shift huddles reinforce priorities, safety reminders, and performance goals, helping maintain focus and accountability.
7. Add feedback loops. Ask frontline workers to share “quick wins” each week. Operators on the floor often identify small layout tweaks or tool changes that deliver a big impact. Employee suggestion programs are one good method for formalizing these feedback loops.
8. Standardize workstations. Make packing and labeling stations uniform and ergonomically designed so employees can move seamlessly between them with minimal retraining. Use the 5S strategy: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. “This is a great approach to improve and standardize workstations,” says Hicks. 
9. Enhance signage and visual cues. Clear aisle markers, color-coded zones, and consistent labeling systems reduce errors and mental load, especially for new or seasonal workers.
10. Fine-tune replenishment timing. Instead of bulk restocking at the end of the day, introduce continuous or “just-in-time” mini-replenishments to keep pickers supplied without disrupting workflow.
11. Use simple pick-to-light or voice prompts. Even without full-scale automation, inexpensive light cues or mobile devices can direct pickers efficiently and reduce paper-based errors.
12. Invest in better lighting. This final—and relatively simple but often overlooked tip—can produce major gains, especially in older facilities. Better illumination improves accuracy, morale, and speed, while LED lighting can also cut energy costs.