Sources & methodology
We aim to back every figure. There are three kinds: (1) published industry benchmarks; (2) methods with published research or standards; and (3) our own experience estimates — which you must validate with a stopwatch.
How the numbers are derived
We use industrial-engineering time-and-motion / work sampling and lean (Lean, 5S, standardised work): split each order into four buckets — walking & fetching, deciding, admin, and hands-on — then fix the biggest one. General methodology reference: ILO, Introduction to Work Study (Kanawaty, 4th ed.).
① Packing throughput: orders per hour
| Finding | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Single-item, uniform (competent) | 40–60 units / hour / station | Nventory — Packing Station Setup |
| Multi-item, mixed (2–4 SKUs) | 25–40 orders / hour | Nventory — Packing Station Setup |
| Typical manual packing range | ~30–80 packs / hour | CXTMS — Picking & Packing |
| Orders per hour / time per order | 20–40 orders / hour; ~90–180 s / order | Endless Commerce — Pick/Pack |
| Conventional manual packing (avg.) | ~36 boxes / man-hour; automated 75–90 | F. Curtis Barry & Co. |
Our benchmark table maps these published ranges to beginner / competent / expert. The “fragile (double-box)” and “heavy / oversized” rows are PackReflow estimates extrapolated from the fact that double-boxing and heavy packs are slower; they have no direct published figure and are for orientation only.
② Where the time goes: walking & hunting
| Finding | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Travel / search dominates order time | travel ~50–65%; actual extraction under 10–20% | Sizelabs — Order Picking Productivity |
| Travel around 55% | Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute figure | Productiv (citing Georgia Tech) |
| Travel around 55% (peer-reviewed) | 2023 paper in the journal Axioms | Optioryx (citing Axioms 2023) |
The home-page “~90 seconds of hands-on packing in a 5-minute parcel” is an illustrative example (roughly one-third), not a fixed figure from one report.
③ Task batching, 5S and standardised work
| Finding | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Task batching / wave reduces travel | travel distance −27–40% | Gademann et al., IIE Transactions (2001) |
| Wave batching gains | walking up to −35%; labour cost ~−20% | Samir Saci — Smart Batching |
| Batching reduces travel distance / time | distance ~−27%; time ~−23% | Navexa — Batch Picking |
| 5S station organisation (no capital) | available capacity ~+10–20%; productivity up to ~25%; tool searching ~5–15% of time | User Solutions — 5S |
| 5S productivity gain | up to ~25% | Flevy (citing McKinsey) |
| Standardised station + SOP (case) | fetch travel 8.4 m → 3.0 m (~−64%) | IJRASET — time-and-motion study |
“A standardised station and flow can remove ~20–30% of non-value time” synthesises the travel share, batching and 5S figures above. It refers to removing walking/hunting waste, not a guarantee of that total-time cut.
④ Reach zone and station layout
| Finding | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Primary / convenient reach | forearm-sweep primary zone ~35–40 cm; horizontal work envelope ~70 cm | Cornell Ergonomics (ANSI/HFES 100-2007) |
| 24-inch (~60 cm) reach zone | frequent items within arm’s reach are fastest | Attribute — Box Station |
| U-shape, supplies close | supplies wrapped within arm’s reach around the packer | Box Atlanta — Station Design |
These come from front-line experience and extrapolation from the ranges above — there is no direct published figure, so validate them on your own floor with a stopwatch: the fragile / heavy orders-per-hour rows; ~15–40 s per trip away from the station, ~5–10 s per box decision, ~15–30 s per order for a shared printer; ~15–20 s per standard order and ~45–60 s per gift order; the “3–4 box sizes cover ~85% of orders” Pareto rule of thumb; and the optimizer’s “seconds saved”, payback and AUD figures (a model built from your inputs and the ranges above — not a simple sum).
Equipment and materials prices
Equipment prices are indicative public retail and packaging-supplier bands in AUD for 2026, excluding GST, freight and installation. They are not formal quotes and vary by brand, channel, promotion and over time; the invoice at purchase prevails.
How to verify and cite
The external links above are public sources for you to check. Given differing methodologies and floor conditions, treat the numbers as starting references, not guarantees. See the full Disclaimer. For purchasing, employment or safety decisions, consult a local professional.