By most metrics, peak season is the most challenging time of the year for warehouse managers and teams. It’s when supply skyrockets and workloads multiply, and with more work to be done, plus more pressure on the workforce, the chances of things going wrong tend to rise. 

Getting ready in advance for peak periods will help you more effectively face the challenges these moments bring.

Key Takeaways

• Proactive planning, flexible capacity, and strong communication are essential to keeping warehouse operations running smoothly during peak season.
• Automation and systems like Logix WCS™ help coordinate equipment, increase throughput, and maintain real-time visibility when demand surges.
• Continuous improvement through post-season audits and data analysis ensures each peak season becomes more efficient and less stressful than the last.

Understanding the Pressures of Peak Season Logistics

Before we look at how to manage peak season demand, it’s important to understand exactly why peak season can be so difficult for the supply chain.

Peak season refers to the times of year when order numbers significantly rise, typically associated with big sales and holiday periods (like Black Friday, Christmas, etc). Inventory levels surge at this time, as supply has to rise to meet demand, and warehouses need to process far more orders than usual, all while maintaining high levels of service, speed, and accuracy.

The pressure on teams and systems at this time is especially high, and even a small error or delay can quickly spiral into more serious issues for warehouse operations. These include delayed deliveries, stock problems, wasted money or resources, and unhappy customers. This, in turn, makes the workplace a more stressful “pressure cooker” style environment for all involved.

What Are 11 Best Practices to Follow for Better Peak Season Warehouse Operations?

Peak season demand doesn’t have to be synonymous with stress and panic. If you approach it the right way, you can counteract the challenges this season brings and actually see marked improvements in metrics that matter (such as customer satisfaction and operational efficiency) with smart peak season planning and preparation. 

Here are 11 best practices you and your team can follow:

1. Use Data to Predict Seasonal Demand Patterns
2. Build Flexibility into Your Capacity Plans
3. Re-Slot High-Velocity SKUs for Faster Picking
4. Cross-Train and Empower Your Staff
5. Secure and Retain Seasonal Labor Early
6. Evaluate Opportunities for Scalable Automation
7. Communicate Forecasts and Expectations Early
8. Maintain Safety Standards Despite the Rush
9. Support Employees with Ergonomic Tools
10. Design an Efficient Reverse Logistics Process
11. Conduct a Post-Season Audit

#1 - Use Data to Predict Seasonal Demand Patterns

The key to peak season success is to understand that it may not come on the first try, or even the second or third. Instead, see it as a process of continuous improvement; always strive to make future peak seasons better than those that came before.

Use historical data from previous peak seasons to predict how the next one will go. It can help you spot patterns and trends, like spikes in order volume or recurring issues you may be able to more effectively anticipate with the aid of demand forecasting tools and predictive analytics.

#2 - Build Flexibility into Your Capacity Plans

Peak season means more products flowing through facilities, and you’ll need to ensure you have the capacity and infrastructure in place to handle that. The more flexible your facility is in terms of space utilization and efficient inventory management, the better.

Rather than rigidly persisting with a fixed warehouse layout, look for ways to adapt your space and systems. Optimize your usable space, both vertical and horizontal, ideally with the aid of high-density solutions, or look at different varieties of storage types like shelves, racks, automated carousels, etc.

#3 - Re-Slot High-Velocity SKUs for Faster Picking

As order numbers rise, your facility will need additional SKUs to cope with demand. Therefore, it can be highly effective to re-slot your most high-velocity SKUs to streamline the picking process and minimize wasted or inaccessible warehouse space.

By reorganizing your stock-keeping units, you can find ways to reduce travel time for the most important items (fast movers) from storage to workstations. This, in turn, aids orders in flowing faster through the facility and out to the customer.

#4 - Cross-Train and Empower Your Staff

Even with a strong warehouse management system and advanced technologies across your facility, the success of your warehouse in managing peak demand will, ultimately, come down to the people. Your staff have to be prepared, educated, and empowered to cope with the rigors of the season.

Help them by investing in training and education. Equip them with the skills they need to not only perform their primary tasks, but possibly take on additional or alternative roles, so that you can build a flexible and more resilient workforce on the whole.

#5 - Secure and Retain Seasonal Labor Early

Labor shortages are a common concern around peak season periods, and they often happen because organizations respond too slowly to rises in demand or don’t anticipate and prepare for peak times correctly.

The key here, as with most elements for better peak season operations, is timing. Get your seasonal labor secured ahead of time, before the season begins, so they can be trained and settle into the environment, ready to go once the peak season arrives.

#6 - Evaluate Opportunities for Scalable Automation

There’s no overstating the value warehouse automation can bring at any time, but especially in peak season. The more processes and workflows you can automate, or at least partly automate, the more time you’ll save and the more efficient your operations will become.

These days, there are countless tools and technologies to help you implement automation. These include autonomous mobile robots, goods-to-person systems, conveyors, warehouse management software, and even drones.

Optimize Peak Season Performance with Logix WCS

Automation delivers its greatest value during peak season when every second counts. Logix WCS™ by BoxLogix helps you coordinate, control, and visualize your entire warehouse operation in real time, ensuring your automation works as hard as your team does.

With Logix WCS, you can:

• Orchestrate equipment performance across conveyors, sorters, and AS/RS systems for faster, more reliable throughput.
• Monitor operations live through interactive 3D warehouse views that provide instant visibility into bottlenecks or downtime.
• Adapt dynamically to demand surges, automatically routing orders and workloads based on real-time conditions.
• Integrate seamlessly with your existing WMS, WES, or ERP to synchronize data, inventory, and task execution.

During peak periods, visibility and responsiveness make all the difference. Logix WCS empowers warehouse managers to make faster, data-driven decisions that keep operations flowing smoothly, no matter how much demand spikes.

Discover Logix WCS to see how it can help your facility handle the rush with precision and confidence.

#7 - Communicate Forecasts and Expectations Early

Communication is a massive part of effective warehouse operations during peak periods; the more clearly and proactively you get messages out to your teams and leaders, the better, especially in regard to forecasts and expectations.

In simple terms, let people know what to expect. Tell them in advance before the peak rush begins, and keep them informed during the season about rises and falls in demand and how you’re going to be adjusting operations to align with changing conditions.

#8 - Maintain Safety Standards Despite the Rush

Warehouses can quickly become frantic or even chaotic environments during peak season, and that increases the odds of injuries and accidents. The last thing warehouse management will want is team members getting hurt.

Mitigate risks by maintaining the same strict safety standards as you usually would, regardless of the rush. Ensure that employees don’t feel excessively pressured or even forced to bend the rules or put their safety in jeopardy just to keep up with demand.

#9 - Support Employees with Ergonomic Tools

Part of the challenge of peak season is the toll it takes on warehouse staff. They’ve worked harder than ever, often having to move miles around the facility on any given day, lifting, packing, preparing, and so on. It’s tiring work, even during periods of less intensity, which means it is particularly taxing in peak times.

Invest in ergonomic aids to support staff. These might include adjustable workstations, life-assist devices, more conveyors to get goods where they need to be without manual lifting, or more advanced warehouse solutions that are lightweight and comfortable to work with.

#10 - Design an Efficient Reverse Logistics Process

Peak season doesn’t just bring more orders to fulfill, but often comes with more returns to process, too. So you can’t just focus on your forward-flowing logistics (from provider to consumer), but also your reverse logistics (from consumer to provider).

Design an efficient system to handle returns. This may include designating part of your facility as the returns handling area to avoid mix-ups with outgoing orders, standardizing inspection and triage processes, and investing in automation for processing refunds and related tasks.

#11 - Conduct a Post-Season Audit

We’ve already discussed the importance of learning from previous peak seasons to improve in future ones. To that end, it’s worth carrying out a post-peak season audit once the period of heavy demand comes to an end to see how well your facility managed it: What worked and where can you improve?

With that data and insight to inform you, you should be able to make smarter steps to prepare for future seasons. Perhaps you found that orders were largely processed well, but you had a hard time with returns, for example, so you may want to work on your reverse logistics.

Looking to Improve Your Warehouse This Peak Season? BoxLogix Can Help. Contact Us Today to Learn More

Peak season brings challenges, but BoxLogix has solutions. We can help you not only implement many of the practices listed above, but also provide the technologies you need to turn your warehouse into a well-oiled, smooth-running machine, even during the most intense peak periods. 

Get in touch today to find out more.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can data analytics help predict peak season demand?

Data analytics allows warehouses to identify seasonal trends, forecast order volumes, and prepare resources before demand spikes occur. By analyzing historical sales data, shipping times, and SKU movement patterns, managers can anticipate bottlenecks and adjust staffing, inventory, and space utilization in advance. The result is a smoother, more controlled peak season operation.

How can automation improve warehouse efficiency during peak season?

Automation reduces manual strain and keeps operations moving even when order volumes surge. Tools like conveyors, autonomous mobile robots, and goods-to-person systems accelerate fulfillment and minimize human error. With automated workflows in place, warehouses can maintain high accuracy and throughput while reducing the stress on seasonal labor.

What role does a Warehouse Control System (WCS) play during peak season?

A Warehouse Control System (WCS) acts as the command center that keeps automation synchronized during peak season. It manages equipment activity, routes orders efficiently, and provides real-time visibility into warehouse performance. Systems like Logix WCS™ help facilities adapt to rapid changes in demand, ensuring equipment, people, and data all operate in perfect coordination.