Context: Poland as a Central European Logistics Hub

Poland's geographic position at the intersection of east–west and north–south European freight corridors has made it a preferred location for regional distribution centres operated by multinational retailers and third-party logistics providers. According to data published by the Central Statistical Office of Poland (GUS), the country's logistics sector accounted for approximately 7.5% of GDP in 2023, with warehouse floor space exceeding 28 million square metres by the end of that year.

This growth has placed pressure on labour markets in Lower Silesia, Mazovia, and the Silesian agglomeration, the three regions with the highest concentration of large-format logistics parks. Median hourly wages for warehouse operatives rose by 34% between 2020 and 2024, according to GUS wage statistics. The combination of cost pressure and available capital has made automation investment economically viable for a broader range of operators than was the case prior to 2020.

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR)

AGV systems and their more flexible successors, autonomous mobile robots (AMR), are deployed across a significant share of large Polish warehouses. The functional distinction is meaningful: AGVs follow fixed magnetic or optical tracks and require significant infrastructure changes when routes are modified, while AMRs use simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) to navigate dynamically. Polish operators have increasingly favoured AMR solutions for fulfilment operations due to their configurability.

Typical use cases for AMR in Polish facilities include goods-to-person picking, where mobile shelving units are transported to stationary picking stations, reducing picker travel by up to 70% in documented case studies. Manufacturers including Geek+, Locus Robotics, and 6 River Systems (now Shopify Logistics) have placed equipment in facilities operated by logistics providers in the Warsaw metropolitan area.

Reducing picker travel distance remains the single largest productivity gain available through AMR in conventional rack-based fulfilment environments.

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS)

High-bay AS/RS installations represent the most capital-intensive form of warehouse automation and remain concentrated in purpose-built facilities with ceiling heights above 20 metres. In Poland, installations of this type are found primarily in the automotive components, pharmaceutical cold-chain, and fast-moving consumer goods sectors.

Unit-load AS/RS systems use stacker cranes operating in individual aisles to retrieve palletised loads from racking at height. Miniload systems, designed for individual totes and cartons, are more commonly associated with e-commerce and spare parts operations. Both system types require integration with a WMS to function effectively: the WMS assigns storage locations, manages replenishment triggers, and sequences retrieval tasks to minimise crane travel time.

Shuttle systems

A growing category of AS/RS in Poland is the multilevel shuttle system, where battery-powered shuttle vehicles operate within individual racking levels and are served by vertical lifts at the aisle ends. These systems offer higher throughput density than traditional stacker crane installations and are more easily scalable. Vendors including Swisslog, Jungheinrich, and TGW have installed shuttle systems in Polish facilities in the 2022–2025 period.

Warehouse Management Software (WMS)

WMS adoption in Poland broadly follows two tracks: enterprise-grade platforms integrated with ERP systems (SAP EWM, Oracle WMS, Manhattan Active WM), and mid-market or specialist platforms used by smaller operators and 3PLs. The Polish market also shows significant use of locally developed WMS products tailored to domestic regulatory requirements, including mandatory GS1 barcode handling and integration with the Polish e-invoicing platform (KSeF) for goods-receipt documentation.

Key WMS functional areas relevant to Polish operators include:

  • Slotting optimisation, which assigns fast-moving SKUs to ergonomically and logistically optimal positions within the pick face
  • Labour management modules that record task completion times and generate productivity metrics per operative and shift
  • Wave planning, which batches pick tasks to minimise travel and align with dispatch schedules
  • Yard management, an increasingly integrated component that co-ordinates inbound truck arrivals with dock door availability

Implementation Challenges

Operators in Poland report several recurring implementation challenges. Integration between WMS and automation equipment from multiple vendors requires stable API contracts and is frequently cited as a source of project delays. Staff retraining following automation deployment is an organisational challenge distinct from the technical implementation, and several operators have reported unexpectedly long stabilisation periods for new systems.

Physical building constraints also influence what can be deployed. A substantial proportion of existing Polish logistics buildings were constructed before 2010 to lower clear heights and narrower aisle specifications than current automated equipment requires. Retrofit projects in these buildings often involve compromised automation configurations rather than optimal designs.

Further context on automation investment in European logistics can be found in the European Association for Pallet & Container logistics and sector data published by GUS.

Related reading

For context on supply chain factors that influence automation investment decisions, see the article on supply chain optimisation in Poland. The logistics software overview, including WMS and TMS comparisons, is covered in the freight routing software article.