Peak Season Capacity
Sizing for the peak without paying for it year-round.
The problem
Peak defines the operation: staffing plans, space commitments, and equipment are all sized for a period that lasts a few weeks. The rest of the year that capacity sits idle, and the peak still strains.
How automation helps
The useful distinction is between capacity that must be permanent (storage) and capacity that should flex (throughput). Dense storage is a fixed asset that pays back year-round; pick and pack throughput can scale with station count and shift pattern.
Practical moves
- Scale throughput by adding stations and shifts, not floor space
- Keep storage density constant while pick capacity flexes
- Make temporary labor productive within a single shift
- Use historical throughput reporting to plan the next peak
