What is Blue Yonder Warehouse Labor Management?

Blue Yonder Warehouse Labor Management is an extensive labor scheduling and reporting solution that helps managers maximize employee performance and facility operations through improved planning, workload balancing, real-time feedback and productivity reporting.

Labor is one of the largest controllable costs in a distribution center. Warehouse Labor Management measures work against engineered labor standards so managers can plan staffing, balance workloads and coach performance based on objective data.

Why It Matters: Precision Performance

Without objective measurement, labor planning relies on averages and intuition. Warehouse Labor Management turns labor into a managed, measurable resource by delivering:

• Better Planning: Combine the warehouse workload with productivity data to plan staffing before shifts begin.
• Workload Balancing: Spot bottlenecks and move labor to where it is needed to protect shipping schedules.
• Real-Time Feedback: Give supervisors and associates current performance information so coaching happens during the shift, not after it.
• Fair Measurement: Engineered standards account for factors such as travel distance, equipment and item characteristics, so workers are evaluated consistently across zones.

How It Works: Engineered Standards and Real-Time Feedback

• Engineered Labor Standards: Calculate expected task durations based on travel, process steps and other physical factors.
• Labor Scheduling: Plan staffing levels against expected workload.
• Performance Tracking and Reporting: Measure individual and team productivity against standards and report on results.
• Incentive Support: Use objective performance data to support productivity-based incentive programs.

Key Benefits

• Lower Labor Costs: Data-driven staffing and task assignment help reduce overtime and idle time.
• Higher Productivity: Real-time feedback and balanced workloads help move more units per labor hour.
• Engaged Workforce: Transparent, objective metrics support coaching and recognition.

The Blue Yonder Difference: Connected Labor and Warehouse Execution

Warehouse Labor Management works alongside the Blue Yonder Warehouse Management Solution, which adds machine-learning Resource Forecasting by role, equipment, task and work zone, and Resource Orchestration that reallocates people and equipment during a shift as conditions change.