Warehouse staffing planned on throughput, not phone-queue math
Pick, pack, dispatch, and inbound receiving are throughput problems — volume ÷ productivity rate. Turnella plans them correctly using backlog flow models, not Erlang C.
Staffing for every part of the warehouse operation
Pick and pack
Plan by orders or lines per hour. Set a throughput target (e.g. 60 orders/picker/hour), enter your daily volume forecast, and Turnella computes the FTE needed for each shift. Add peak season uplifts to model Q4 or promotional events.
Dispatch and outbound
Dispatch volumes follow carrier cut-off windows — they're not random arrivals like phone calls. Model as a backlog: volume must be processed before the end of each shift. Turnella shows whether your current FTE can clear dispatch within the window.
Inbound receiving
Receiving volume follows delivery schedules and purchase order cycles, not random arrival. Use the backlog model: daily receiving volume vs. processing capacity. Backlog that isn't cleared adds to the next shift — Turnella shows when you need to add resource.
Quality control and returns
QC and returns processing are classic backlog work: a daily inflow of units to inspect or process, a throughput rate per person, and a target to keep backlog below a level. Model these the same way as records or email — incoming flow vs. capacity.
How Turnella models warehouse operations
Warehouse planning is a flow problem, not a queue problem. The inputs are daily volume (orders, lines, or units), productivity rate (units per operative per productive hour), shift duration, shrinkage, and any existing backlog. Turnella's backlog model computes:
Required FTE
Daily volume ÷ (productivity rate × productive hours/shift)
Backlog clearance
Days to clear existing backlog at current FTE
Weekly labour cost
FTE × hourly loaded rate × productive hours
Warehouse planning is highly seasonal
Warehouse operations often see 2–5× normal volume during peak periods — Black Friday, Christmas, sale events. Turnella lets you add date-specific volume multipliers to your forecast and run what-if scenarios for different peak volume assumptions. Build your permanent headcount plan around a sustainable baseline and model peak headcount as a temporary uplift — the difference is your flex or agency requirement.
Warehouse staffing questions
Erlang C is for call centres — what model applies to warehouse operations?
Erlang C models a random-arrival phone queue — it has no application in warehouse planning. The correct models for warehouses are throughput-based backlog models: productivity rate × headcount = throughput capacity; required FTE = daily volume ÷ (productivity rate × productive hours per shift). Turnella's backlog and email model implements this correctly.
How do I plan for peak season volume spikes?
Turnella lets you add volume event multipliers to specific dates — a 1.8× multiplier for Black Friday means Turnella uses 80% more volume that week in the requirements calculation. You can also run what-if scenarios comparing base volume vs. a +30% volume scenario to see the FTE difference and cost impact before committing to temporary headcount.
Can I plan multiple shifts and functional areas separately?
Yes — each functional area (pick, pack, dispatch, returns) is a separate workstream. Each gets its own volume forecast, throughput assumptions, and shift schedule. The dashboard shows all areas side by side with coverage and FTE for each.
How do I model productivity targets in Turnella?
Use the 'efficiency' setting — it represents the effective fraction of paid time spent on productive work. A picker who handles 60 units/hour at 85% efficiency has an effective rate of 51 units/hour. Combined with AHT (which can represent the time per order or per line), Turnella's backlog model computes the FTE needed to meet a daily volume target.
What about agency and temporary workers?
Turnella's contracted FTE and attrition fields handle this: contracted FTE represents your permanent headcount, and the gap between required and contracted FTE is your flex or agency requirement each week. The headcount plan section of the Cost tab shows this gap explicitly.
Free tools for warehouse workforce planners
Backlog & throughput calculator
FTE for pick, pack, and dispatch
Shrinkage calculator
Convert productive hours to roster headcount
Attrition cost calculator
Annual cost of operative turnover
Throughput explained
Units per person per hour, and why it matters
Shrinkage explained
Paid time vs. productive time
FTE explained
Full-time equivalent — what it means for rosters
Start planning your warehouse operation — free
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