Almost every company says the same thing: “Our technicians need to be able to grab supplies quickly.” So the warehouse remains open. This makes sense, until you look at what actually happens. Because in most cases, there is no problem with access to the warehouse, but with what does not happen afterwards: registration.
Every inventory has value
Let’s make it concrete. Suppose:
Then you’re talking about: €50 x 20 x 5 days = €5,000 per week
Even if you halve this (because it doesn’t go wrong every day), you’re still looking at: €10,000+ per month in unexplained consumption. That’s without anyone consciously noticing it: no fraud, no major mistakes, just a process that isn’t working properly.
I’d rather grab something quickly than have to register everything.
The reflex is often: “We need to be stricter about registration.” But that rarely works, because on the shop floor the reality is:
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speed always wins over administration
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“just grabbing something quickly” feels logical
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registration afterwards gets forgotten
As long as registration is an extra step, this leakage will keep existing.
The wrong discussion: open vs closed warehouse
Many companies end up with two extremes:
1. Open warehouse (current situation)
2. Closed warehouse
The result is that nothing changes, because closing it off feels too drastic and keeping it open feels too inefficient. This is simply the wrong discussion.
The middle ground that actually works: semi-closed warehouse
There is a third option that works much better in practice, namely a semi-closed warehouse:
What this looks like in practice:
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you place a BarTrack sticker on each relevant item
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each technician has the BarTrack app
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when picking, the technician simply scans the code
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the product is automatically:
This only takes a few seconds, but the impact is fundamental.
What this solves (and why it matters)
With this way of working:
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you know exactly what leaves the warehouse
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you see where materials end up
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“unexplained discrepancies” disappear
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you get real-time insight into your inventory
And more importantly: you take registration out of discipline and embed it into the process.
When a closed warehouse does make sense
For some companies, the next step is a fully closed warehouse setup. In this model:
- technicians submit their required materials in advance
- or work with fixed templates for each type of job
- and everything is prepared by a warehouse manager
The same pick lists are still used here. The difference is not in the tooling, but in the operational process. Companies often choose this approach when:
- volumes increase
- projects become more predictable
- or tighter control becomes more important.
Behavior only changes when it becomes easier
This is where many processes go wrong. Companies try to change behavior through rules, while behavior actually changes through convenience. If scanning:
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is faster than not registering,
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directly delivers value to the technician,
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and doesn’t feel like extra work,
then adoption will follow naturally. That’s why you often see this change starting with small steps, but having a big impact.
Conclusion
The question is not whether your warehouse should be open or closed. The real question is:
As long as the answer is “not fully,” you are losing money. Every single week.
Bart Grol : Mar 23, 2026 9:45:39 AM
