Integrating MHE with WMS for Smarter Warehouse Management

What MHE means in a warehouse

The term MHE stands for Material Handling Equipment. It includes powered and non-powered tools used to move, store, protect, and control materials and products throughout the flow of warehousing and distribution. Examples range from simple pallet jacks and shelving to powered forklifts, conveyors, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and robotic pickers. For beginners, think of MHE as the physical workforce of a warehouse — the machines that actually pick up, move, sort, and store goods.

Why integrate MHE with a WMS?

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is software that plans, directs, and controls warehouse operations. When MHE is integrated with a WMS, the two systems share information in real time so that software-driven decisions can directly control or influence physical equipment. This integration transforms disconnected activities into coordinated workflows, delivering benefits such as improved throughput, fewer errors, better space utilization, lower labor costs, and enhanced safety.

Key benefits explained simply

• Increased accuracy: A WMS can send exact pick/put commands to MHE, reducing human error and mispicks.
• Faster operations: Coordinated equipment movement (e.g., conveyors routed to the right packing station) shortens cycle times and speeds order fulfillment.
• Better utilization: Real-time visibility lets the WMS allocate tasks to underused equipment or re-route material to reduce bottlenecks.
• Improved safety: Integrations can enforce safety rules (e.g., stopping conveyors during maintenance or limiting forklift speed in pedestrian areas).
• Data-driven decisions: Equipment telemetry (uptime, location, performance) feeds analytics that guide maintenance and capacity planning.

Common MHE types and integration examples

• Forklifts and reach trucks: When connected, the WMS can assign precise pallet locations, track movements, and optimize travel routes to reduce trips.
• Conveyors and sorters: A WMS can sequence cartons and direct diverters to route items to the correct packing or shipping lane.
• AS/RS and stacker cranes: Tight integration allows the WMS to queue, prioritize, and confirm storage or retrieval tasks automatically.
• AGVs and AMRs (autonomous mobile robots): The WMS schedules tasks and transmits pick/drop instructions; the robots report status and positions back for visibility.
• Pick-to-light and put-to-light systems: These guide workers with lights; the WMS controls lights based on order logic and confirms completion in real time.

How integration typically works

Integration approaches vary from simple to advanced:

1. Manual/Batch updates: Operators update the WMS with equipment actions after the fact — low cost but limited real-time value.
2. Direct API or middleware: A modern WMS exposes APIs; MHE control systems (PLCs, fleet managers) communicate directly or through middleware that translates messages and enforces business rules.
3. Message bus / event-driven: Systems exchange real-time events (task assigned, task completed, equipment fault) using enterprise messaging, enabling fast, scalable coordination.
4. Vendor integration platforms: Some integrators provide pre-built connectors for popular WMS and MHE vendors to simplify implementation.

Key implementation steps (beginner-friendly)

1. Map your processes and objectives: Identify which equipment will be integrated, desired outcomes (speed, accuracy, utilization), and critical KPIs.
2. Assess existing systems: Determine whether your WMS and MHE controllers support APIs, OPC, MQTT, or other integration standards. Note any legacy equipment that may need retrofit devices.
3. Choose integration approach: For smaller operations, middleware or point-to-point APIs may be enough. Larger sites often benefit from event-driven or vendor-integration solutions.
4. Define data and message models: Establish the task lifecycle (create, assign, start, complete, error) and the data elements needed (location IDs, SKU, quantity, equipment ID, timestamps).
5. Pilot and iterate: Start with a limited area or a single MHE type, validate workflows, capture metrics, and refine before scaling up.
6. Train staff and document: Ensure operators and maintenance teams understand new workflows, safety protocols, and escalation paths.

Best practices for successful integration

• Start small and scale: A pilot reduces risk and helps secure stakeholder buy-in.
• Standardize identifiers: Use consistent location, SKU, pallet, and equipment IDs to avoid mapping errors.
• Plan for downtime and fallbacks: Define safe manual workflows when systems are offline so operations continue smoothly.
• Monitor and measure: Track KPIs such as order cycle time, picks per hour, equipment utilization, and error rates to measure ROI.
• Keep safety first: Integrate safety interlocks and ensure the WMS won’t send commands that override safe operating limits.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Over-automation too quickly: Automating poorly understood processes can lock in inefficiencies. Understand the current workflow and optimize before automating.
• Poor data hygiene: Inaccurate SKUs, locations, or equipment IDs undermine integration. Clean data first.
• Neglecting change management: Workers must be trained and processes updated; ignoring human factors causes resistance and errors.
• Underestimating testing: Insufficient testing across scenarios, shifts, and failure modes leads to problems in production.

Real-world example (simple scenario)

Imagine a medium-sized e-commerce warehouse that uses a conveyor to feed packing stations and manual forklifts to load trailers. By integrating the conveyor control and forklift telematics with the WMS, the system can: sequence orders to reduce repacking, alert forklifts when a trailer space is ready, and automatically allocate pick tickets based on conveyor capacity. The result: faster packing, fewer last-minute trailer changes, and clearer visibility into when shipments will load.

Measuring ROI

Common ROI measures include reduced labor hours per order, improved order accuracy (fewer returns), increased throughput (orders per hour), lower equipment idle time, and reduced safety incidents. Track baseline metrics before integration and compare after a stabilized run to quantify benefits.

Final tips



Integration of MHE and WMS is both a technical and operational project. Treat it as a phased transformation: clarify goals, secure stakeholder support, choose the right technical approach, pilot carefully, and measure results. For beginners, start with clear, achievable improvements (reduce travel time, eliminate paper pick lists) and expand as confidence and capabilities grow. Done well, MHE–WMS integration turns warehouse machinery from isolated tools into a coordinated system that makes everyday operations smarter, faster, and safer.