Understanding the role of goods-to-person fulfilment – and where sortation fits in.

Yet, despite a rise in the adoption of automation, around 80 percent of warehouse logistics centres still rely on manual fulfilment processes.

For bulk shipments, this might work. But for operations with a high throughput and a large number of SKUs – particularly in fashion or e-commerce – manual picking is time-consuming, labour-intensive and prone to error.

For example, there’s no way manual processes could support the kind of scale seen around Black Friday in the US, when an estimated 200 million packages are shipped in just three days, with the necessary speed, accuracy and efficiency.

While a variety of automation solutions can address the challenges above, this article will specifically look at goods-to-person (GTP) systems with sortation elements that offer an integrated solution for fulfilment across WD centres.

What is GTP fulfilment – and where does sortation fit in?

A GTP fulfilment system minimises the time spent walking around the centre, speeds up the processing, and – crucially – integrates with other technologies to support a seamless, high-speed order flow.

For logistics centre managers navigating operational upgrades, GTP systems are key to enabling a streamlined, automated material flow.

Benefits of GTP fulfilment

As the name suggests, GTP fulfilment brings goods directly to warehouse operators, removing the need for a person to reach the goods.

This removes inefficiencies, reduces the picking time by up to 70 percent, increases order accuracy, reduces returns and provides high-speed fulfilment.

Furthermore, it frees up space with vertical storage, scales quickly during peak periods, and minimises worker fatigue and manual errors.

A range of GTP technologies to choose from

There are several types of GTP technologies available:

• Shuttle systems – high-density, multi-level systems that retrieve totes or bins via robotic shuttles, enabling compact, fast-access storage
• Grid-based systems – solutions stack storage vertically and use robots driven by intelligent algorithms to retrieve the right bin (for example, AutoStore or Ocado)
• Mobile robots – autonomous units (AGVs or AMRs) move shelving units to picking stations (for example, Geek+)

All of the listed systems share one common trait: they retrieve goods and present them to a picker (or directly to outbound processes), after which the container is returned to storage.

In some fully automated set-ups, the picked goods are never touched by humans at all.

GTP with sortation: an integrated automation solution

Now that we know what a GTP is, and how it functions, the most important thing is to understand the post-GTP processes.  Usually, value-adding functions like order consolidation or final sortation are required after picking.

While GTP technologies handle storage and picking, they are only one part of the fulfilment journey. Once goods are picked, they must be:

• Conveyed to the next processing point
• Sorted based on shipping requirements
• Packed and dispatched efficiently

Depending on the fulfilment speed, it is classified as high-speed or low-speed sortation. For a high-speed sortation, fixed sortation systems like a cross-belt sorter can complement a GTP and offer a fully integrated solution to address the post-GTP processes.
An integrated GTP set-up offers the following tangible benefits:
Speed and accuracy – high-speed sorters process up to 15,000 packages per hour with minimal errors, compared to a few hundred in manual set-ups
Scalability – especially critical during seasonal peaks like Black Friday or major product launches
Reliability – reduced manual intervention means fewer mistakes, less downtime and better customer satisfaction
Space efficiency – vertical storage systems maximise facility utilisation

The role of material flow design

Essentially, an integrated solution would implement a GTP for picking and a sortation system to address the order consolidation, sequencing and packing processes.

It is essential that the concept of material flow is well understood when implementing an integrated solution. Material flow is not simply about moving goods. Rather, it is about designing the entire flow to meet time and speed targets at every stage, from inventory to shipping. Each subsystem must meet defined throughput rates to ensure overall performance.

This means mapping the entire flow, from inventory to shipping, with clearly defined throughput targets at every stage. Each system must be calibrated to perform its part of the material flow without causing bottlenecks or idle time.

For example, GTP robots must release goods fast enough to keep sorters running at target speeds, conveyors must be able to transport goods at a consistent pace to sorters and, furthermore, the sorters must be matched to shipping SLAs and capacity peaks.

If any part of this chain is misaligned, the whole system suffers – and that’s why having an experienced system integrator onboard is so important.

When the goods leave the GTP unit and enter a broader ecosystem of conveyors, sorters, packing stations and shipping docks, this is where integration becomes critical.

A good material flow design would address and overcome these integration challenges – like in these examples:

• Mechanical handover – physically moving goods from GTP units onto conveyors and into sorters must be seamless. Bottlenecks or misalignments at these handover points can cause jams, slowdowns and manual intervention – all of which erode the gains of automation.
• Digital handover – equally important is ensuring that data travels with the goods. The item identity, inventory status, order destination and priority must stay synchronised across all systems in real time. Without this, orders can be delayed, misrouted or lost in the process.

The foundation of successful automation

A good material flow design – and successful automation – relies on the digitalisation of the fulfilment process.

It establishes a solid foundation of digital infrastructure while implementing this integrated automation solution.

Role of data and digitalisation in integrated solutions

At the core of any efficient GTP system is the data. Whether a logistics centre manager is reviewing system-wide KPIs, or a technician is troubleshooting a slow zone, the availability of data is key to digitalising the process.

Digitalisation is the backbone of automation, and data is the backbone of digitalisation.

The way the system works is similar to how a smartwatch collects the data of its wearer – for example, number of steps, hours of sleep, burnt calories – to obtain actionable insights.

In a warehouse with automation solutions, the operational data works in the same way. It reveals where time is spent, which processes are slowing down operations, and where improvements can be made.

Digitalisation and automation can address:

• Operational visibility – tracks every parcel’s movement and identifies inefficiencies
• Traceability – especially critical in fashion fulfilment, where SKUs, returns and storage cycles are complex
• Real-time decision-making – for staffing, order prioritisation and inventory replenishment

CONCLUSION

For fulfilment centres with a high throughput and a large number of SKUs, integrated solutions using GTP technology, conveying, and sortation are essential. For the integrated solutions to function, a proper material flow design and digitalisation are a must because designing integrated material flows is a specialised skill that requires deep understanding of both the technologies involved and the business objectives of the warehouse.

Nevertheless, its true value is only realised when it is integrated seamlessly into the wider material flow, so that the conveyors, sorters, software, and operations are all carefully calibrated to perform as one. This requires having the right expertise in system design and flow management, along with a deep understanding of the technologies and business objectives. With this onboard, logistics centres can achieve the speed, scalability and efficiency their customers expect.