What pitfalls should I avoid when installing warehouse automation?

Automation can boost efficiency and drive innovation. But choosing and implementing it isn’t simple, and many businesses make costly mistakes along the way.

With decades of robotics experience, our team has seen the biggest pitfalls – and how to avoid them. Here are the key mistakes to watch for when purchasing automation:

1. Lack of preparation

A common mistake is underestimating what it really takes to get automation up and running. Beyond robotics and software, facilities may need to upgrade their fire safety, floor flatness, or electrical power.

Factoring these upgrades from the start prevents costly surprises. For example, some systems require industrial-grade power that not every site has, while fire safety and insurance rules vary by region. These are especially critical in brownfield warehouses, which are harder to retrofit.

👉 How Brightpick does it: We carefully review site requirements as part of every solution design. Our system is designed to work in any warehouse, so it does not require special power or strict flat flatness. In many cases, if shelving remains under 10 feet (3 meters), no additional sprinkler modifications are needed either.

2. Poor project timing

Installing automation right before peak season carries high operational risk. Even if the system is delivered on time, your team still needs training and time to adjust to new workflows.

Rushing this process often leads to mistakes, bottlenecks, and disruption during the busiest and most profitable months. A better approach is to schedule automation projects during quieter periods. This gives your team time to train, test the system, and build confidence before volumes increase.

👉 How Brightpick does it: While we can implement projects quickly, we advise customers to plan ahead to allow for proper ramp-up and training. In many cases, we recommend waiting until after peak season to ensure a smoother rollout and more stable operations.

3. Delaying decision-making

Many automation vendors are booked months or even years in advance. Waiting too long to place an order can push your project to the back of the queue, delaying implementation and disrupting other initiatives.

By delaying automation, you risk falling behind competitors, limiting scalability, and making it harder to keep up with customer expectations.

👉 How Brightpick does it: We provide customers with clear lead-times from the start and help align project schedules with their business priorities. By locking in production slots early, we reduce the risk of delays and give customers predictable timelines.

4. Underutilizing automation

Investing in automation but running it below capacity wastes both money and potential. The investment cost is fixed, but savings and efficiency gains depend on the system’s utilization rate.

The single biggest driver of ROI is the number of labor shifts you run per day. More shifts mean greater labor savings, higher utilization, and faster payback on your investment.

👉 How Brightpick does it: Our system reduces labor requirements to the point where extending operating hours becomes easy. Instead of hiring 50 people to add another shift, you might only need 5. Our customers can also run fully lights-out night shifts with no staff on site, boosting throughput without adding cost.

5. Underestimating future scalability

Many companies choose automation without considering how their business will evolve in 5-10 years. This is risky in industries where demand can be volatile and unpredictable.

Fixed automation systems are expensive and difficult to adapt. Once installed, they can limit your ability to scale, reconfigure, or move warehouses as needs change.

👉 How Brightpick does it: Our solution is built entirely on mobile robots and standard shelving, with no fixed infrastructure. This makes it easy to scale by adding robots, adjust workflows as operations evolve, or even move the system to a new warehouse – all without major construction or costly retrofits.

6. Not holding vendors accountable

Making sure your vendor is contractually accountable protects your investment and prevents unexpected costs. Without clear guarantees on performance and pricing, projects risk delays and cost overruns.

Imagine purchasing an automation system only to discover it cannot deliver the throughput you need. The result isn’t just added cost – it can disrupt operations and derail future plans.

👉 How Brightpick does it: We define project scope, performance guarantees, and site requirement upfront so customers know exactly what to expect. This clarity ensures projects stay on schedule, within budget, and deliver the promised results.

7. Skipping simulation testing

Installing automation without testing it against your real order and inventory data is a gamble. Without a simulation, you risk bottlenecks, throughput shortfalls, and disappointing ROI once the system goes live.

👉 How Brightpick does it: We build a digital twin of your operation and run simulations with real production data. This shows how the system will perform under different scenarios, including peak season, so you can move forward with confidence.

8. Overlooking software quality

One of the biggest risks is choosing a vendor whose automation software cannot integrate smoothly with your WMS, ERP, or existing workflows. Without proper integration, operations may stall, errors can multiply, and ROI will suffer.

In many industries, software needs go beyond basic integration. For example, pharma and manufacturing often require traceability and batch tracking, while 3PLs may need inventory tracking across multiple tenants. If these requirements are not addressed upfront, they can cause major disruptions later.

To avoid this, make sure your vendor has both the experience and flexibility to address your needs. Integration should be completed and tested before on-site installation begins.

👉 How Brightpick does it: We tackle software integration early in the project, partially even before contract signing. Our team ensures our software connects seamlessly with your existing tools and delivers all the functionality you need, so operations are fully functional from day one.

The bottom line

Automation can transform operations, but success depends on careful planning and execution. From preparing infrastructure to ordering early, rolling out gradually, and maximizing utilization, each step plays a critical role in ROI and long-term success.

About Brightpick

Brightpick is a leader in AI-powered robotic solutions for warehouses. The company’s multi-purpose AI robots enable warehouses of any size to fully automate order picking, buffering, consolidation, dispatch, and stock replenishment. The award-winning Brightpick solution takes just weeks to deploy and allows companies to keep their warehouse labor to a minimum. With offices in the US and Europe, Brightpick has more than 250 employees and hundreds of AI robots deployed with customers. For more information, visit www.brightpick.ai.