Presentation
Studying Safety-Related Workforce Absenteeism Impacts on Warehouse Picking Operations Using a Monte Carlo Discrete-Event Simulation
SessionWednesday Poster Session
DescriptionWarehouses depend on manual labor as much as technology. When workers are absent due to illness, injury, or safety-related disruptions, even well-designed systems turn unpredictable. The study used real operating data from a footwear distribution warehouse to estimate how different levels of workforce absenteeism affect daily order-picking performance. Using a discrete-event simulation (DES), 178 days of warehouse operations were simulated to test scenarios ranging from zero to severe disruption levels. The results showed that typical absenteeism causes only a small average drop in completed orders, but it increases daily uncertainty. The effect becomes much larger when demand is already close to or above available capacity. On high-demand days, a few workforce absences can lead to substantial order losses, while low-demand days can absorb the same absence rate with little impact. These findings suggest that warehouses should not plan staffing while relying on average absence rates alone. Instead, managers should use demand forecasts to identify vulnerable days and prepare targeted responses such as backup staffing, cross-training, flexible task assignment, and overtime approval. The approach supports both operational reliability and worker safety.
Event Type
Poster
TimeWednesday, October 21st5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
LocationSummit Pavilion