At CeMAT Asia, “goods-to-person” and “tote-to-person” automation has confirmed itself as a pillar of intelligent logistics. Systems that bring goods to the operator instead of forcing them to move are now becoming accessible even to SMEs thanks to modularity: small, scalable systems that grow with the business. Shuttles, AMRs, carousels and orchestration software are shaping the future of warehouses.
In recent years, logistics has taken a decisive step forward. Instead of having operators move through endless aisles, more and more solutions now bring goods, or their containers, directly to the picking station. At the latest CeMAT Asia, this approach, known as goods-to-person, has moved beyond being a promise of efficiency and is now a consolidated reality. In parallel, the tote-to-person variant focuses on moving containers (totes, bins) directly to operators, reducing idle time and improving ergonomics and accuracy. The result is faster picking, fewer errors and more efficient use of space.
Until a few years ago, these solutions were reserved for large-scale hubs and high-throughput warehouses. Today, the most interesting development is their availability for small and medium-sized enterprises. The key enabler is modularity: the ability to start with a small system and expand progressively without redesigning the entire logistics infrastructure. This gradual scaling makes investment more accessible and reduces project risk.
Alongside this, flexibility—understood as the ability to handle different product types—is another major advantage in today’s highly volatile market.
The solutions
The technological solutions showcased at the fair are numerous. Shuttles and mini-shuttles represent a high-density solution, capable of moving boxes or containers along dedicated lanes and delivering them quickly to picking stations. These systems are highly appreciated, as are fleets of AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots), which stand out for their flexibility. They can transport entire racks or individual containers and integrate into existing flows with minimal disruption. Their fleet size can be easily increased during peak periods without heavy fixed costs or the risk of technological obsolescence.
Compact shelf-to-person systems also respond to the needs of urban micro-fulfilment, where space is limited but speed remains critical. Carousel systems and vertical lifts complement these technologies. Carousels are automated storage systems made of shelves or trays rotating on a vertical or horizontal structure—like a mechanical carousel: when requested, the relevant tray is automatically brought to the operator. Vertical lifts instead exploit warehouse height to reduce floor space usage. In the cases observed at the fair, both systems can easily integrate with shuttles and AMRs to create hybrid solutions, where the operator remains central but relieved from physically demanding tasks.
Alongside hardware, software integration is becoming increasingly important. Orchestration systems—WMS, WES (Warehouse Execution Systems), fleet managers and digital twins—are essential to fully exploit these technologies. It is no longer enough to bring a container to an operator; systems must manage priorities, optimise routes, simulate scenarios and adapt warehouse capacity in real time.
Designing modularity
Modularity delivers concrete benefits. Financially, it spreads investment over time and ensures faster ROI. Operationally, it enables pre-assembled solutions that can be integrated without stopping production. It also allows capacity adjustments based on seasonality, reducing the impact of peak demand. Space optimisation—especially in urban areas—also benefits from scalable solutions combining shuttles and vertical storage.
For SMEs approaching this path, the process starts with a careful analysis of material flows and product types, followed by identifying a first step focused on the main bottleneck. The key is choosing interoperable technologies capable of scaling without becoming a dead end. Scalability must be planned not only in terms of hardware, but also digital infrastructure, energy and future space requirements.
Challenges to address
However, challenges remain. Software integration is still the most complex issue: without a unified orchestration layer, efficiency gains can be significantly reduced. A common problem is having systems that optimise only individual areas of the warehouse rather than treating it as a single organism, leading to inefficiencies at system boundaries.
Energy management is another challenge, as constantly moving robot fleets require new charging and monitoring strategies.
Finally, the human factor should not be underestimated: automation requires training, role redefinition and the ability to integrate predictive maintenance into daily operations.
Goods-to-person and tote-to-person automation is now reaching technological and organisational maturity to become widely adopted by SMEs. The real leap forward is not only in robotics or mechanics, but in the modular approach: a step-by-step model that allows testing, measuring and improving without disrupting existing processes.
