In Part 1 of this series, we discussed why your warehouse technology strategy must evolve beyond basic MHE automation. We then covered the hidden costs of MHE in the warehouse without proper tech alignment. Today, let’s look at the ingredients for creating a lasting ROI impact from MHE.
ROI of MHE beyond implementation
Modern Materials Handling reveals that nearly all (91%) of companies had their time-to-value objectives met or exceeded with their robotics implementations. That’s impressive—but what separates the organizations achieving exceptional ROI with MHE from those merely meeting expectations?
Find out in our MHE ebook: “A Comprehensive Guide to Warehouse Management Maturity and Flexible Solutions,” which explores how to transform initial technology adoption into ongoing operational excellence.
It’s all about what happens after implementation: the training, the maintenance, and scaling it with the right processes to balance cost and throughput.
The path to strong MHE ROI
Getting new technology up and running successfully requires a phased approach that delivers incremental value while managing risk and complexity. Deposco’s Professional Services Team uses these concepts in guiding you toward your path of excellence:
- Phase 1: Foundation Building: Establish core functionality, standardized processes, and data integrity
- Phase 2: Optimization: Enhance performance through advanced features and analytics
- Phase 3: Automation Introduction: Incorporate targeted automation with careful integration
- Phase 4: Advanced Orchestration: Implement sophisticated optimization and predictive capabilities
This graduated approach ensures each phase builds on the success of previous efforts, maximizing your MHE technology’s ROI over time. In our experience, a platform approach allows you to be prepared to move up the maturity value chain without the time and cost of evaluating, purchasing, and integrating the needed components.
Bright Suite is a highly scalable supply chain platform that integrates, automates, and grows with your business.
79% of high-performing supply chains see above-average revenue. Using our modern warehouse platform approach, they’re turning vast amounts of operational data into actions and savings. One great example is Altitude Sports, an outdoor sports retailer that implemented a put-wall with Deposco, saving 20% on their pick, pack, and ship activities.
Intelligence drives everything
Data is the core driver of ROI from MHE and any future technology you need to bring on board. It’s becoming more and more difficult to maintain the right resource to interpret it all. Be sure your provider invests in advanced analytics capabilities, like Deposco’s SCI that uses AI to identify your next opportunity. Organizations that leverage this information are saving big by:
- Identifying performance bottlenecks before they impact service
- Optimizing labor allocation based on actual productivity metrics
- Refining pick paths and storage locations to improve efficiency
- Accurately tracking throughput to cost ROI for process expansion
- Adapting processes based on changing order profiles
Integrated dashboards and robust reporting drive continuous improvement and can transform raw data into actionable insights. By uncovering hidden blind spots and bottlenecks, you can turn MHE investments into strategic assets that drive revenue growth instead of operating costs.
Decision-making isn’t just choosing between options—it’s understanding how each choice unlocks different levels of value and defines the company’s course.
Breaking down cross-functional silos
Warehouse operations don’t exist in isolation. Maximizing your overall ROI from MHE demands an intentional balance of resources and operational alignment across workflows. Finding a WMS partner that is confident in acting as an integration hub is vital to success. The efficiency losses that come with working across multiple systems will slow growth in a meaningful way.
This means looking beyond warehouse walls to:
- Align receiving processes with supplier capabilities
- Coordinate strategic fulfillment with transportation constraints
- Synchronize inventory policies with sales forecasts
- Integrate warehouse operations with the overall supply chain strategy
Organizations that optimize across functions achieve synergies that isolated improvements can’t match.
What’s the productivity potential of supply chain automation in your warehouse?
With a single WMS software platform at the heart of your processes and information, you can holistically approach your opportunities and solutions.
Technology as a workforce multiplier
In an era of persistent labor challenges, automation must enhance rather than replace human capabilities. The right approach to MHE can supercharge your ROI by:
- Freeing up associates from repetitive, low-value tasks
- Reducing training time through intuitive interfaces
- Improving job satisfaction by eliminating frustrating bottlenecks
- Enabling consistent performance regardless of experience level
By choosing an easy-to-use WMS foundation like Deposco to power MHE in the warehouse, you can have productive pickers in about 15 minutes. Combine that with the efficiency insights of a Deposco partner like Matthews Automation and you can have a workforce and MHE approach that can flex with your needs.
Continuous adaptation: the ultimate competitive edge
True MHE ROI comes from more than simply upgrading technology—it’s about competitive advantage and your ability to adapt, scale, and optimize as demands shift. Flexible, future-ready platforms like Deposco empower organizations to evolve their operations, turn challenges into opportunities, and sustain leadership over time.
When conditions change—whether it’s customer expectations, supply chain disruptions, or new growth opportunities—your supply chain execution software shouldn’t hold you back. It should move you forward.