Improving ergonomics and well-being: six levers to boost your logistics

In the logistics sector, warehouses and distribution centers are at the heart of the activity.
Efficient inventory management, optimal space organization and smooth operations are essential to ensure sustainable performance. But beyond automation, digitization or warehouse management systems (WMS), productivity also relies on a factor often overlooked: employee well-being and the ergonomic quality of their working conditions.

The recruitment challenge: a wake-up call for companies

Attracting and retaining talent remains a real challenge today. According to a recent international study by Descartes entitled “Labor Shortages: What Are the Challenges for Supply Chains and Logistics?“, 76% of supply chain managers say they lack manpower, and 37% describe the shortage as “significant, even very severe.” A total of one thousand logistics decision-makers were surveyed in the study, conducted in the United States, Canada, and nine European countries including France.

“The economic slowdown and the end of the Covid crisis had led some in the logistics sector to believe that the labor shortages of recent years would ease. But that wasn’t the case,” explains Mounir Zaïdi, senior account executive at Descartes.

In this context, promoting well-being and ergonomics in the warehouse is not just a response to social obligations—it is a genuine strategy for attractiveness and performance.

Why invest in well-being and ergonomics in the warehouse?

Team well-being is essential for motivation, productivity and employee retention. Today, most warehouses implement the necessary ergonomic conditions to prevent musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue and stress caused by repetitive tasks, uncomfortable postures or heavy lifting.

These issues come at a high cost: absenteeism, accidents, turnover and reduced productivity. Improving working conditions therefore supports both employee health and business profitability.

Six levers to improve well-being and ergonomics in the warehouse

1. Rethink space and flows
Smart layouts reduce unnecessary movements and physical strain on workers. With a WMS like IzyPro, storage locations can be organized strategically and adjusted in real time using operational data.

2. Equip smartly and automate
Ergonomic equipment (pallet trucks, lifting platforms…) reduces physical effort. Combined with a WMS, they help assign tasks more efficiently and limit repetitive movements that lead to fatigue.

3. Train to prevent
Training teams in proper techniques is essential. An advanced WMS can include recommendation or live alert modules that promote best practices and necessary breaks.

4. Integrate robotics
Picking robots, automated conveyors, or smart storage systems ease physical burdens. IzyPro orchestrates these tools for smoother, safer, and less strenuous processes.

5. Optimize workstations
Workstations designed for comfort, paired with intuitive interfaces (touch screens, augmented reality…), give access to information with fewer unnecessary gestures, reducing injury and error risks. Our teams can help you audit and quickly improve these workstations.

6. Support physical and mental health
Tracking data helps identify overloads, redistribute tasks and preserve teams’ physical and mental balance. A WMS like IzyPro thus becomes a prevention tool.

A positive and immediate impact on safety and productivity

An employee who feels good works better. An ergonomic working environment reduces errors, improves focus, limits injuries and strengthens engagement. It’s also a source of savings: fewer absences, fewer replacements, fewer accidents.

Moreover, a company that cares about well-being sends a positive message—both internally and to the market.

ACSEP, a committed partner for more human-centric warehouses

At ACSEP, we support companies in creating logistics operations that are both high-performing and respectful of their teams. We implement concrete solutions to improve processes and working environments, while making logistics careers more appealing.

One example is the Geneva-based foundation PRO, which since 2023 has been using our IzyPro WMS and our support services not only to manage logistics but also, as employee Ethan LO GIUDICE—who has a disability—explains: “to work better and faster in an environment where, because you’re guided, you feel more confident and less stressed.”

As a result, reliability and productivity go hand in hand with a secure logistics environment that benefits all employees and supports business growth.

Investing in people: a winning strategy!

Investing in suitable equipment, technology tools, and ergonomically designed workstations is not a luxury—it’s a strategic choice. Creating a healthy, ergonomic, and motivating work environment is truly the foundation for sustainable performance.

And you? Are you ready to transform your warehouse into a space that’s both high-performing and human-friendly?