Peak season does more than test warehouse capacity. It reveals the point at which storage, access and movement begin to work against the operation. For food and drink manufacturers, seasonal pressure rarely arrives as a simple increase in volume. Promotional stock lands early, Christmas and limited-edition ranges compete for accessible locations, production schedules intensify and … Continued
Most advice on slow-moving stock treats it as a slotting problem. Move the slow lines to the back and to the top, keep the fast movers in the golden zone, reslot when demand shifts. All sensible, and all working within the racking you already have. But sometimes the racking itself is the problem. When slow … Continued
Cold storage is the most expensive warehouse space there is. Refrigeration alone can account for the majority of a facility’s electricity use, and every cubic metre you build has to be chilled and held at temperature around the clock, whether it’s holding product or not. That single fact changes how you should think about racking. … Continued
Cold store space is too expensive to waste. When pallet capacity is tight, forklift routes are busy, dispatch windows are under pressure and energy costs keep rising, the answer is not always a bigger cold store. Sometimes the bigger opportunity is to make the existing cold store work harder. At Thistle Systems, we help businesses … Continued
Warehouse automation ROI is usually presented as a payback period, and the figures quoted in sales proposals are often aggressive. We are a supplier of automated storage systems, so it is slightly against our interests to say this, but no payback claim should be accepted at face value, ours included. Any automation ROI figure is … Continued
Most conversations about warehouse automation begin with spreadsheets, payback periods, cost-per-pick calculations, headcount reduction targets. For years, that was the framework: build a business case, prove the ROI, get sign-off. But something has shifted in the last 12 months. Yes, companies are calling and asking these questions first. But when we start asking questions, the … Continued
Complete Control of Your AutoCube® Installation, From a Single Platform MAxIQ® is Thistle Systems’ proprietary warehouse control and management software, developed in-house by our UK team specifically for AutoCube® and AutoCube®-X automated pallet storage. It gives you real-time visibility of every pallet, every movement, and every transaction in your system. See MAxIQ® in Action – … Continued
The four key signs that a warehouse needs automation are space pressure, labour pressure, inaccuracy pressure and performance limitations. If your operation is experiencing two or more of these challenges, automated storage systems can often deliver significant improvements in capacity, productivity, accuracy and return on investment. Many businesses don’t make the decision to automate their … Continued
Intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) are one of the most efficient ways to store and transport large volumes of liquid. But the way most businesses store their IBCs is costing them far more than they realise covering floor space, safety risk and regulatory exposure. This guide covers everything you need to know: the challenges of conventional … Continued
Drum storage is one of the most underestimated risks in hazardous warehousing – and one of the most overlooked opportunities for improvement. In many facilities across the UK, drums are still managed using the same processes that have been in place for decades: forklifts moving continuously through hazardous zones, storage layouts built around access rather … Continued
Most pallet storage systems were never designed for hazardous environments. They were adapted. And that’s the problem. Across ATEX and COMAH regulated warehouses, we regularly see pallet storage systems that: Limit storage density Rely heavily on forklifts Introduce unnecessary risk Struggle to meet modern audit requirements They work. But they don’t work well enough for … Continued
Most COMAH warehouses aren’t restricted by regulation They’re restricted by design. There’s a common belief across COMAH regulated sites: “We can’t increase capacity because of compliance.” In reality, the limitation is rarely regulation itself. It’s how the warehouse has been designed to interpret it. The result is predictable. Space is under-utilised, layouts become inefficient, reliance … Continued
Most hazardous warehouses aren’t full. They’re just poorly designed. Across the UK, we work with COMAH sites, chemical manufacturers and regulated facilities that all believe they’ve reached capacity. They haven’t. What they’ve reached is the limit of what their current layout allows, and that limit is quietly driving cost, risk, and unnecessary expansion. Too much … Continued
In hazardous warehouse environments, inefficiency is not just an operational issue. It is a safety risk. Across chemical, pharmaceutical and regulated industries, the way materials are stored, moved and accessed is coming under increasing pressure. Higher volumes, stricter compliance requirements and limited space are forcing operators to rethink traditional approaches. This is where ATEX warehouse … Continued
High-density automated storage solutions for secure, safety-critical and regulated defence environments. Defence organisations face increasing pressure to improve storage density, strengthen operational resilience, protect critical inventory and modernise infrastructure without compromising safety, compliance or security. Thistle Systems supports secure, safety-critical and regulated storage environments with intelligent automated storage solutions engineered for complex defence applications. Built … Continued
Thistle Systems, the UK’s leading integrator of advanced automated storage and picking technologies, is proud to announce the exciting launch of Brightpick Gridpicker UK. After the success of the Autopicker, Brightpick have went one step further in changing the standard of warehouse automation. The Brightpick Gridpicker is a multi purpose robot built to automate all … Continued
IBCs play a critical role in the storage and movement of liquids, powders and hazardous materials across the chemical, pharmaceutical, coatings, food and manufacturing sectors. However, while IBCs are highly effective as transport vessels, they often create significant challenges inside the warehouse. Many facilities still rely on traditional racking or floor stacking, which can lead … Continued
What Happens If Warehouse Automation Stops? It’s one of the first questions we are asked when discussing warehouse automation projects. “What happens if the system stops?” It’s a completely valid concern. For many operations directors and warehouse managers, the idea of an automated pallet storage system stopping unexpectedly can feel like introducing risk into an … Continued
We are incredibly proud to be celebrating our 30th year in business. Reaching this milestone gives us a real opportunity to look back on how far we have come since we were established on 4th March 1996. When we started, we had a simple belief. Storage and handling systems could, and should, perform better. That … Continued
Chemical and pharmaceutical warehousing in the UK operates under rigorous regulatory and safety expectations. ATEX zoning, COMAH obligations, segregation requirements, validation protocols, audit trails, and, alongside that, the commercial pressure to increase capacity, improve throughput, and reduce operating costs. Thistle Systems is one of the UK’s leading warehouse automation integrators, delivering advanced warehouse automation for … Continued
When companies approach us, it is rarely because they simply want ‘new racking’ or ‘warehouse automation’. They usually come to us because their warehouse is under pressure. Space is tighter. Volumes are growing. Service levels are rising. Labour is harder to secure. Costs are making them uncompetitive. In practice, those challenges tend to fall into … Continued
In hazardous warehouse environments, inefficiency is never just operational. It is a safety, compliance and risk issue. Nowhere is this more apparent than in drum storage. Used widely across industries such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals and other regulated sectors, drums are a practical and durable storage format. But as operations scale, they become increasingly difficult to … Continued
Making Your Warehouse Work Harder. Today, Tomorrow, and for the Long Term At Thistle Systems, everything we do comes back to one simple principle. We exist to make our clients’ businesses better. That belief shapes how we work with our clients, how we design storage solutions and how we think long term. It’s why we … Continued
Why Understanding Warehouse Data Matters for Modern Operations In today’s fast moving warehousing environment, relying on assumptions or operating under ”how we’ve always done it” is no longer enough. Those who are seeing the biggest gains in efficiency, capacity and profitability are those investing in understanding warehouse data – what it means and how to … Continued
When every pallet position counts, unplanned downtime or breakdowns in your automated storage system aren’t just an inconvenience; they’re a costly disruption. From production delays and missed dispatches to increased labour costs, even a few hours of downtime can have a ripple effect across your entire operation. For warehouse managers, engineers, and executives, maintaining consistent … Continued
Thistle Systems, one of the UK’s leading integrators of automated storage solutions, has commenced its latest warehouse automation project to deliver a fully automated pallet warehouse for Mega Fortris at its new £9.5 million UK headquarters in Birmingham. The project will create a state-of-the-art automated warehouse capable of storing more than 2,000 pallets, designed to … Continued
Introduction to Automated Racking Automated Racking Solutions can deliver a number of significant benefits; however, the one thing that gets people turned on to the concept is how much additional capacity it can deliver. Once the potential to increase capacity, often exponentially, is established, the supplementary benefits such as improved throughput, improved safety, reduced operating … Continued
For most growing businesses, success brings a new challenge: how do you scale throughput without scaling costs at the same pace? Hiring more staff, extending shifts, or building bigger facilities might keep orders moving, but each option chips away at profitability. Recruitment is tough, overtime is expensive, and space is finite. At some point, the … Continued
In warehouse automation design, capacity can often be the primary focus when it comes to decision-making. How many pallets can we fit into the warehouse? Are we using every cubic millimetre of space? But there’s a point where maximising capacity alone starts to work against you and cause major problems. Designing a superstructure that’s a … Continued
A global sports nutrition retailer has transformed its fulfilment operations by deploying 73 Brightpick Autopickers, achieving more than 70,000 picks per day with just a handful of staff on site. Key Results 80% reduction in labour costs Return on investment in just two months 65% lower operating expenses The Challenge With over 6,000 SKUs and … Continued
For many CFOs, warehousing is seen as an operational cost centre – a necessary expense to keep goods moving. But the rise of automated pallet storage is transforming warehouses into powerful levers of financial performance. When approached strategically, automation can protect margins, unlock capital, and deliver resilience in ways traditional warehousing simply cannot. 1. Beyond … Continued
Every 3PL leader knows the pain of fulfilment mistakes. They seem small at first: ❌ The wrong SKU was picked off a shelf ❌ Inventory misplaced by just one slot ❌ A minor delivery delay that snowballs But behind each “small” error lurks a chain reaction of costs – returns to process, replacement items to … Continued
A high-growth 3PL ecommerce fulfilment operation needed to fundamentally change how it handled storage, picking, and replenishment. Manual processes were labour-intensive, difficult to scale, and increasingly unable to support rising order volumes and service level expectations. To address these challenges, the business implemented a Brightpick robotic solution to automate storage, retrieval, putaway, and order picking … Continued
In today’s fast-moving world of e-commerce, 3PL, pharma, and retail fulfilment, the pressure to pick, pack and ship faster than ever is relentless. That’s why more businesses are turning to robotics—not just for isolated tasks, but for a fully integrated, end-to-end fulfilment solution. Enter Brightpick—a revolutionary robotic system that goes beyond traditional goods-to-person automation to … Continued
In the rapidly evolving world of warehouse automation, precision matters. Getting it wrong can mean operational disruption, costly downtime, or failure to meet fulfilment targets. That’s why simulation has become a cornerstone of modern automated warehouse solutions – and nowhere is this more evident than with Brightpick. The Power of Simulating Before Investing and Deploying … Continued
Most warehouse automation systems focus on speeding up the pick. But what if the biggest bottleneck is actually where your inventory is stored? That’s just one of the problems Brightpick solves – not just by picking faster, but by constantly reorganising your warehouse in the background so you’re always ready for today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. … Continued
Costs of Automated Warehouse Storage: What Affects the Price and What You Get Back Most conversations about automated warehouse storage eventually arrive at the same question: what does it actually cost? It’s a fair question, and one that deserves a straight answer. Not a reassurance that “it’s more affordable than you think.” The honest truth … Continued
Automated pallet storage solutions are transforming the way modern warehouses operate, promising faster throughput, greater accuracy, and a more scalable approach to managing complex inventories. But not all automation delivers the same results. Without the right design strategy behind it, even the most advanced system can underperform, leading to bottlenecks, inefficiencies and missed ROI targets. … Continued
When it comes to modern order fulfilment, speed and accuracy are no longer optional — they’re essential. Whether you’re shipping cosmetics, electronics, groceries, medical supplies, or apparel, the diversity of SKUs can make automation challenging. That’s why Brightpick developed Flow Picking — a high-performance, Goods-to-Person solution that complements its autonomous robotic picking. And the results … Continued
Thistle Systems has unveiled the latest development of its AutoCube® Automated Pallet Storage Solution, marking a major milestone in warehouse automation thanks to its partnership with Dutch automation pioneers Logiqs, who were the first in the world to introduce 3D pallet shuttle technology. This next-generation system combines decades of proven innovation from Logiqs with Thistle’s … Continued
Discover how AutoCube®’s 6th Generation 4-Way Carriers deliver industry-leading energy efficiency — up to 16 hours of runtime on just 2 hours of charge — transforming uptime, cost savings, and warehouse productivity. While Others Are Plugged In, AutoCube Is Picking In the high-stakes world of warehouse automation, energy efficiency is no longer a “nice to … Continued
Bakeries across the UK face mounting pressure to reduce costs, increase throughput, and adapt to rising customer expectations, warehouse automation is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. From small batch operations to large-scale commercial bakeries, automation is unlocking new levels of efficiency, flexibility, and reliability that traditional systems simply can’t match. At Thistle Systems, we … Continued
Thistle Systems, the UK’s leading integrator of advanced automated storage and picking technologies, is proud to announce the UK launch of Brightpick Autopicker 2.0 – the latest evolution in AI-powered robotic fulfilment. Building on the success of the original Autopicker, version 2.0 introduces a host of breakthrough features designed to maximise warehouse productivity, efficiency, and … Continued
How a Leading Pharmaceutical Distributor Unlocked Significant ROI with Automated Order Picking In a sector where accuracy, speed, and traceability are critical, one of Europe’s largest pharmaceutical distributors has transformed its order fulfilment operations through warehouse automation—with impressive results. Facing a growing volume of orders, a wide SKU range, and tight delivery deadlines across thousands … Continued
Brightpick, a leader in AI-powered robotic solutions for warehouses, has partnered with Thistle Systems, one of the UK’s leading integrators of automated storage solutions, to expand access to its end-to-end robotic fulfilment platform across the UK. As warehouses in the UK face growing pressure from labour shortages, rising costs, and limited floor space, many companies … Continued
Brightpick’s automated order picking solution is a transformative technology, which is helping warehouses streamline operations, reduce labour dependency, and scale with ease. In the evolving world of logistics and e-commerce, businesses are under increasing pressure to deliver faster, more accurately, and at lower costs. If you’re exploring how to futureproof your fulfilment process, this quick … Continued
Warehouse automation was once seen as an ambitious, almost utopian concept. However, with advancements in technology, innovative solutions like Thistle Systems’ AUTOCUBE® are making automation more accessible than ever. Businesses now have the opportunity to implement future-proofed systems that can transition from manual to semi-automated or fully automated operations, unlocking new efficiencies and competitive advantages. … Continued
Welcome to the third part of our series on the myths associated with Automated Racking and Automated Storage Solutions. We have already discussed the myths surrounding the costs of automated storage solutions and automated storage being seen to be only suitable for large warehouses and large cold stores. One of the biggest concerns we get … Continued
The growing interest in automated storage has accelerated rapidly over the last 12 months. However, too many companies have either quickly dismissed or not even considered the concept, believing the myth that Automated Racking is Too Expensive. At Thistle Systems, we have been developing a range of semi-automated and automated storage solutions for the last … Continued
Do You Have A Capacity Issue or a Utilisation Issue in Your Warehouse? Storage capacity is often seen as the primary focus for many companies as they look at ways to improve their operations. However, it can be quite misleading when it comes to operational effectiveness and efficiency. The total storage capacity of a warehouse … Continued
© 2026 Thistle Systems
© 2026 Thistle Systems
