Insights from operators managing growth under pressure
Warehouse and logistics operations worldwide are facing increasing structural pressure. To better understand how operators are responding, Gonvarri Material Handling (GMH) conducted a global survey among warehouse and logistics leaders operating in fast‑growing and capacity‑constrained markets.
The survey captures the day‑to‑day reality of running warehouses where demand, throughput expectations, and compliance requirements are rising faster than available infrastructure.
About the survey
More than 600 professionals managing warehouse performance, safety, and operations shared how their facilities are structured today, where pressure points are building, and how they plan to respond.
The findings highlight common challenges across regions: high utilisation levels, reliance on manual processes, limited inventory visibility, and growing expectations for performance and compliance. While operational maturity varies, the constraints are strikingly similar — growth is stretching existing facilities to their limits.
What the data reveals
The results show warehouses operating with minimal capacity buffers and increasing sensitivity to disruption. Manual processes remain dominant, even as accuracy and throughput requirements increase. Technology adoption is selective and pragmatic, with operators prioritising solutions that can be integrated step by step rather than full system replacements.
At the same time, there is a clear preference for optimising existing facilities. Most respondents favour upgrading, retrofitting, and reconfiguring what they already have instead of relocating or investing in entirely new sites. Quality standards and compliance play a decisive role in these decisions, particularly in environments where safety and operational continuity cannot be compromised.
Why this matters
The survey offers a grounded view of where global warehouse operations stand today and what realistic improvement paths look like. It confirms that operators are not seeking disruption, but structured, low‑risk modernisation that improves space utilisation, visibility, and performance while maintaining operational stability.
For GMH customers and partners, the findings provide a benchmark for understanding customer priorities, investment logic, and the pace at which modernisation is expected to happen across different markets.
From insight to action
The report translates data into practical implications using GMH’s Connect · Build · Perform approach — from understanding current constraints, to engineering scalable solutions, and sustaining performance through service, inspection, and modernisation.
It provides a clear foundation for informed discussions around capacity optimisation, selective automation, retrofit programmes, and long‑term operational resilience.