WMS, Warehouse Labor & Fulfillment worked example

Wave Planning Workload at 12% setup, handling, and delay allowance: a worked example

This scenario runs the wave planning workload calculation on the strong side: 12% setup, handling, and delay allowance, with every other input held at its documented default. Use it when wave planning workload in wms, warehouse labor and fulfillment is changing rate or allowance and you want to see the impact.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Order units to release in the wave: 120 units (unchanged)
  • Pick line throughput rate: 12 units / min (unchanged)
  • Setup, handling, and delay allowance: 12 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 10)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Base wave planning workload time = wave planning workload workload รท wave planning workload completion rate) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 11.2 hr for required wave planning workload time, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 10 hr for base wave planning workload time.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 12 % for wave planning workload allowance applied.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 12 pieces / min for wave planning workload completion rate.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where setup, handling, and delay allowance sits at 10% and the headline result is 11 hr, this scenario comes in 1.82% above the baseline at 11.2 hr.
  • Use it when building wave templates, staffing a shift by cutoff, or checking whether a proposed wave fits the labor available before release. Treat this as a target state: the delta against the baseline quantifies what the improvement is worth before you commit to chasing it.

Results at a glance

  • Required wave planning workload time: 11.2 hr (headline result)
  • Base wave planning workload time: 10 hr
  • Wave planning workload allowance applied: 12 %
  • Wave planning workload completion rate: 12 pieces / min

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Wave Planning Workload calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.