Warehouse systems engineering · Automation integration
Automation integration and commissioning, vendor-neutral.
You have chosen the automation — pick-to-light, put-walls, conveyor/sortation, materials-handling controls, or the WES/WCS that coordinates them. 1722 provides the vendor-neutral engineering that integrates and commissions it: configuration, installation coordination, controls commissioning, testing and go-live, delivered as a scoped project against a written test plan.
We do not sell automation hardware, software licences or vendor kit, and we take no vendor commissions. We integrate and commission what you have already specified.
How the work is staged
The commissioning lifecycle.
A sequence built to de-risk go-live rather than discover problems on the floor after cutover.
| 1 · Configuration | Device and zone configuration for the light, put-wall and conveyor/sortation systems; WES/WCS logic set against the process design. scoped to engagement |
|---|---|
| 2 · Installation coordination | Sequencing and interface points aligned with the hardware installer so controls and physical equipment land together, not in conflict. |
| 3 · Controls commissioning | Point-to-point checks, device addressing and interlocks verified against the design before load testing. |
| 4 · Testing | A written test plan run at representative volume — pick/put accuracy, sortation diverts, exception handling and WES/WCS-to-WMS message flow. |
| 5 · Go-live & sign-off | Readiness criteria agreed in advance, staged cutover, rollback defined, and a recorded sign-off against the test results. |
A factual comparison
Pick-to-light vs put-to-light vs put-wall.
Three related technologies, applied to different points in the flow. Which one fits is a function of order profile and layout, not preference.
| Pick-to-light | A light and display at a pick location directs an operator to the correct slot and quantity. Fits high-velocity SKUs and discrete order picking where speed and accuracy per pick matter most. |
|---|---|
| Put-to-light | The same technology applied at a put location, directing an operator consolidating product into an order or container. Often paired with batch picking upstream. |
| Put-wall | A wall of slotted, usually light-directed cubbies used to sort a batch of picked units into individual orders. Fits multi-line order profiles where batch picking followed by discrete sortation outperforms single-order picking. |
The three are frequently combined in one flow — batch pick, put-to-light consolidation, put-wall sortation — coordinated by the WES/WCS.
When you need it
When integration engineering earns its scope.
- 01
Automation is specified but not yet integrated
Hardware has been selected or ordered and needs configuration, commissioning and a test programme before it can carry live volume.
- 02
A WES/WCS needs to coordinate multiple systems
Pick-to-light, put-walls and conveyor/sortation are running as separate islands and need a controls layer that sequences them against the WMS.
- 03
A go-live date is fixed and risk needs managing down
A written test plan, staged commissioning and defined rollback replace a single untested cutover on the day volume arrives.
- 04
An existing integration is unreliable
Diverts misroute, light modules desynchronise from the WMS, or exception volume is high — commissioning records and test results establish what is actually happening before a fix is scoped.
What you get
Deliverables you own.
Concrete artefacts your team keeps, not advice alone.
- Integration design — device configuration, zone logic and WES/WCS-to-WMS interface documentation
- Commissioning records — point-to-point checks, device addressing and interlock verification
- Test results — the written test plan and its outcomes at representative volume
- Go-live sign-off — readiness criteria, cutover sequence and rollback plan
- Handover pack — documentation and training so your team runs it without us
Out of scope — we do not sell or resell automation hardware, software licences or vendor kit, and we take no vendor commissions. We do not install physical equipment, and we do not run day-to-day operations after go-live.
Get the automation you specified working as intended.
Tell us what you have chosen and where go-live sits. A short discovery call, then a scoped commissioning plan.
FAQ
Automation integration, answered.
Do you sell the automation hardware or take a vendor commission?
No. We do not sell pick-to-light, put-wall, conveyor/sortation or WES/WCS hardware or software, hold no distribution agreements, and take no vendor commissions. Our only revenue is client fees, so the recommendation follows your floor, not a product line.
What is the difference between pick-to-light, put-to-light and a put-wall?
Pick-to-light and put-to-light are the same directional technology used at either end of the flow — a light and display at a location tell an operator where to pick from or put to. A put-wall is a physical structure of slotted, usually light-directed cubbies used to sort discrete units into orders during batch picking. Which one fits depends on order profile and layout — covered in the comparison below.
Which vendors do you integrate?
The method is vendor-neutral by design, so it is not tied to a single manufacturer's pick-to-light, put-wall, conveyor/sortation or WES/WCS platform. Tell us what you have specified or already own on the discovery call and we will be specific about fit and integration approach.
What reduces go-live risk on an automation integration?
A written test plan run before cutover, staged commissioning rather than a single big-bang switch, and readiness criteria agreed in advance with rollback defined. Controls are tested against the WES/WCS logic under representative volume before the floor depends on them, and every result is recorded, not just observed.
Do you install the physical equipment?
No. Installation of conveyor, sortation, put-walls and light modules is performed by the equipment installer contracted for the hardware. We coordinate that installation against the commissioning plan and configure, commission and test the controls and WES/WCS layer.
Do you run the automation after go-live?
No. This is staged project engineering with a defined go-live and end point, not managed operations. You receive commissioning records, test results and a handover pack so your team runs the system without us. A follow-on engagement is available but never the lead offer.
How does this relate to warehouse systems engineering more broadly?
Automation integration is one of four engineering lines under warehouse systems engineering, alongside WMS configuration and optimisation, launch/migration/stabilisation, and warehouse data and analytics engineering. It is commonly scoped alongside WMS optimisation when the automation and the WMS need to be aligned together.