How do you calculate fleet dispatch workload?

Divide dispatched missions by the processing rate to get base time, then multiply by one plus the exception allowance. With 2400 missions at 18 per minute and an 18% allowance, base time is 133.33 hours and adjusted workload is 157.33 hours.

Why add an exception and replan allowance?

Real fleets hit traffic conflicts, failed picks, and reroutes that the clean mission count ignores. The 18% allowance here adds 24 hours on top of the 133.33-hour base, bringing it to 157.33.

What is a typical dispatch processing rate?

It depends on your orchestration stack and how much human confirmation each mission needs. The 18 missions/min default reflects an automated dispatcher; manual or semi-manual flows run far slower and should use a lower rate.

What is a good exception allowance to use?

Start from your own replan logs. Tidy, well-mapped sites run 8-12%, while congested mixed-traffic floors easily reach 18-25%. The example's 18% suits a moderately busy floor.

How does this differ from AMR utilization?

Utilization measures robot busy-ness; dispatch workload measures the orchestration effort to keep them fed. A fleet can show low utilization precisely because dispatch workload exceeds capacity and robots wait for missions.

Base dispatch time vs adjusted workload: which should I plan against?

Plan against the adjusted workload. The base 133.33 hours assumes a perfect day; the 157.33-hour adjusted figure is what your dispatch capacity must actually cover.

AMR, AGV & Intralogistics Automation calculator

Fleet Dispatch Workload Calculator

Fleet dispatch workload converts a day's mission volume into the hours your dispatch and traffic-management layer actually has to spend assigning, routing, and replanning robots. Intralogistics engineers and orchestration software owners use it to check whether the fleet controller and its operators can keep up before missions start queuing. It matters because dispatch is the hidden bottleneck in busy fleets: when missions arrive faster than they can be processed and replanned, robots sit idle waiting for orders even though they have charge and capacity to spare. Adding an exception allowance keeps the estimate honest, since traffic conflicts and failed picks always inflate the base number.

What this calculator does

Estimate dispatch workload time from mission count, dispatch processing rate, and exception or replan allowance.
a control-room lead or automation engineer needs to estimate dispatch workload for a shift or operating day
It computes the total dispatch workload time in hours by dividing mission volume by the processing rate and adding an allowance for exceptions and replanning.

Formula used

Base dispatch processing time = dispatched fleet missions ÷ dispatch processing rate
Adjusted dispatch workload time = base dispatch processing time × (1 + exception and replan allowance)

Inputs explained

Dispatched fleet missions:
Dispatch processing rate:
Exception and replan allowance:

How to use the result

Use it when sizing dispatch capacity, planning peak-day staffing for fleet operators, or diagnosing why robots wait for missions.
It models average throughput, not bursts; a fleet that meets the daily average can still back up during a 20-minute order spike.

Current U.S. benchmarks

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Common questions

How do you calculate fleet dispatch workload? Divide dispatched missions by the processing rate to get base time, then multiply by one plus the exception allowance. With 2400 missions at 18 per minute and an 18% allowance, base time is 133.33 hours and adjusted workload is 157.33 hours.
Why add an exception and replan allowance? Real fleets hit traffic conflicts, failed picks, and reroutes that the clean mission count ignores. The 18% allowance here adds 24 hours on top of the 133.33-hour base, bringing it to 157.33.
What is a typical dispatch processing rate? It depends on your orchestration stack and how much human confirmation each mission needs. The 18 missions/min default reflects an automated dispatcher; manual or semi-manual flows run far slower and should use a lower rate.
What is a good exception allowance to use? Start from your own replan logs. Tidy, well-mapped sites run 8-12%, while congested mixed-traffic floors easily reach 18-25%. The example's 18% suits a moderately busy floor.
How does this differ from AMR utilization? Utilization measures robot busy-ness; dispatch workload measures the orchestration effort to keep them fed. A fleet can show low utilization precisely because dispatch workload exceeds capacity and robots wait for missions.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.