Illustration of a businessperson jumping over traffic cones and large holes in the ground, symbolizing overcoming obstacles and challenges. The person carries a briefcase and wears a suit with a yellow scarf.A sortation system can transform your warehouse—but only if it fits into your operation. Too many businesses make the wrong call, investing in systems that are overbuilt, underperforming, or simply mismatched.

Here are five common mistakes we see (and how to avoid them):

 

  1. Focusing Only on Throughput

Yes, speed matters. But chasing the system with the highest throughput without considering your actual needs is a fast track to wasted dollars. If your order volume fluctuates seasonally or your picking process is the true bottleneck, a high-speed system won’t fix the real issue.

What to do instead: Match system speed to average order volume, not your peak day.

  1. Ignoring Warehouse Layout Constraints

Sortation systems don’t just need space—they need the right space. If your layout isn’t optimized, even a well-sized system can create bottlenecks, disrupt flow, or eat up valuable staging and packing areas.

What to do instead: Map your process zones and traffic flow early. Consider ceiling heights, load-bearing zones, and how parcels move in and out of each area before selecting a system.

  1. Not Factoring in Maintenance and Downtime

Two construction workers in safety vests and helmets examine damaged cardboard boxes. One worker gestures toward the damage with concern, while the other looks at the boxes thoughtfully with a hand on his chin.Some systems, especially high-speed ones with many mechanical parts, require more regular service. If your team isn’t equipped to manage that (or your vendor support is weak) downtime could cost you more than the system saves.

What to do instead:   Ask upfront about maintenance cycles, spare part lead times, and support response windows. And more importantly—work with a partner who won’t disappear after install.

At Engineering Innovation, we stay hands-on from design through deployment and beyond. Our clients count on a team that’s invested in keeping operations running smoothly long after the sale.

  1. Overbuying Capacity

Planning for growth is smart. But buying a system sized for five years down the line can lead to complexity, underutilization, and higher upfront costs than necessary.

What to do instead:

Design a phased approach that scales. Start with what solves today’s problem.

  1. Neglecting Integration with Existing Systems

A sortation system isn’t a stand-alone hero. It must work seamlessly with your WMS, ERP, and upstream/downstream processes. If integration is an afterthought, your team ends up stuck with data silos or manual workarounds.

What to do instead:

Look for systems with flexible business logic that can either make decisions on their own or follow instructions from your existing infrastructure. Whether your operation needs the machine to drive the workflow or integrate seamlessly with your current systems, early alignment with IT is key.

Summary

Choosing the right sortation system isn’t about buying the biggest or fastest—it’s about finding the right fit. Avoid these five mistakes and you’re already ahead of the curve.

Need help evaluating your current setup?

Not sure what setup makes the most sense? Let’s walk through it together.

 

 

 

Posted in Blog