Dark, Lights-out, Always-On: How warehouse operations are setting the pace for modern supply chains

In many warehouses, the work doesn’t stop when the shutters close for the evening. While the outside world winds down, the rhythm of precision continues inside: conveyors hum quietly, fleets of autonomous robots glide purposefully along the aisles, and software orchestrates processes in real time. In the control rooms, system checks and maintenance tasks are carried out.

What may appear to be a standstill from the outside is, actually a strategic window of opportunity, whether overnight, over the weekend or during shift changes. For many businesses, this “Always-On” operation has already become a decisive competitive advantage: safeguarding performance, building flexibility, and maintaining service levels, even during peak demand.

In everyday conversation, the terms are often blurred, but it’s important to make the distinction clear:

• A Dark Warehouse is a highly automated, low-staff environment, where people only intervene when necessary, such as for quality checks, exceptions, or maintenance. The facility largely runs on its own, but not entirely without human presence.
• A Lights-out Warehouse takes it a step further. Here, processes are so fully automated, requiring little or no on-site staff. In some zones, lighting itself can be dispensed with, because robots, conveyor systems and software operate entirely unaided.
• It’s important to note that a 24/7 operation refers only to operating hours, not the level of automation. Many operators already run in extended hours – the real question is how many of those hours are automated.

Kevin Price, Logistics Consultant at Dematic, sums it up succinctly:

“Some of our customers run 24-hour production in peak periods – not just because the technology can do it, but because the business demands it.”

The value of a Dark or Lights-out concept is measured less by what’s technically possible, but rather by the tangible advantages it delivers to processes and customer relationships.

• Maximum system availability is achieved by performing maintenance, calibration, and software updates during off-peak hours, which prevents unplanned downtime during the workday and ensures that every order is fulfilled as planned.
• Higher service levels are possible because automated systems can accept and process orders late into the night. In e-commerce and B2B supply chains, this is crucial for reliably meeting same-day or next-day delivery promises, even during seasonal peaks.
• Better cost-efficiency is another advantage: significant automation investments pay back faster when assets operate productively beyond traditional working hours.
• Flexibility is built in: peak production, seasonal surges, and tight dispatch cut-offs can be managed without adding shifts or hiring additional staff at the last minute.

Ilario Ascenzo, Portfolio Regional Permanent Operations Manager for Dematic in Italy and Switzerland, reinforces:

“Our job is to hand over a technically flawless system to the customer each morning. That means avoiding any loss of valuable daytime operations to unscheduled downtime – which often requires working through the night.”

Full autonomy isn’t always the most cost-effective or practical approach. Many projects adopt Dark Warehouse zones, which are highly automated areas that run with minimal staffing, while other processes are still deliberately human-led.

Reasons for targeted human involvement may include:

• Exception handling for variable products
• Quality checks requiring human expertise
• Safety or compliance obligations
• Scheduled service windows

The more homogeneous and standardized the material flow, the greater the potential for a near- or fully autonomous Lights-out operation. This concept can deliver its best results in repeatable, highly standardized tasks, such as automated storage, sorting, or packing.

Whether Dark, Lights-out or Always-On, the real conductor in the background is the software – the unseen brain coordinating every material flow, machine, robot, and process.

A robust control system ensures orders are prioritized, resources are used optimally, and processes are adjusted in real time to changing demands. It seamlessly integrates new and existing systems such as conveyors, shuttle systems, Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) fleets, or picking stations.

The big advantage is that before a system even goes live, every process can be tested through simulation and emulation. This allows identifying bottlenecks, modelling alternatives, and optimizing for day-one efficiency.

In live operation, the software provides:

• Real-time monitoring of every component and order
• Dynamic adjustment to order volume, product mix, or dispatch deadlines
• Predictive control to smooth demand peaks
• Full transparency for planning, reporting, and long-term optimization

For supply chains, that means maximum control, maximum flexibility, and consistent performance – even without a human constantly having to be on the floor.

AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) work equally well in Dark and Lights-out scenarios. They often begin their runs in the afternoon to handle consolidated order volumes and can pick hundreds of items per hour.

Whether bin-to-person, bin-to-picker or hybrid models, AMRs boost productivity, reduce peak-time strain on staff, and meet shipping cut-offs – without adding extra shifts.

For operators of highly automated warehouses, one thing matters above all: reliable performance. Every unplanned stop can result in delivery delays, penalties, or dissatisfied customers. That’s where Dematic’s Lifecycle Solutions & Services (LSS) helps keep automation performing at its designed output. And it’s not just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about monitoring performance, extending asset life, upgrading as technology evolves, and ensuring hardware, software, and people work as a synchronized system.

LSS include:

• On-site Operations Teams who know customers’ systems inside out, to ensure smooth, uninterrupted operations.
• Predictive maintenance using sensors and data analytics to identify faults before they halt operations.
• Enhanced remote services, such as augmented reality support for instant visual troubleshooting – anywhere.
• Drone inspections for hard-to-reach or hazardous areas cut inspection times and improve safety.
• 24/7 digital monitoring that reacts instantly to anomalies and highlights optimization opportunities.

The outcome:

• Maximum uptime through proactive action, not reactive fixes.
• Consistent high performance, regardless of time, season or workload.
• Predictable costs by avoiding costly outages.
• Future readiness through ongoing optimization, upgrades and adaptation.

As Ilario puts it: “Our goal is that customers walk into their facility in the morning – whether it’s a Dark Warehouse or fully Lights-out – and find everything is running as if it had never stopped. This level of certainty changes how businesses can plan, deliver, and grow.”

The question is no longer whether automated facilities can run 24/7 – that’s already a reality. The real question is how to design those hours for maximum value.

• Dark Warehouse: High automation with minimal staffing – driving efficiency, utilization and flexibility.
• Lights-out: Full autonomy – ideal for standardized, exception-free processes.
• Always-On: Combines both approaches for maximum availability, regardless of time or season.

Success depends on how technology, software and service work together:

• Automation delivers speed and precision.
• Software enables real-time control, visibility and agility.
• Comprehensive service ensures everything works and adapts to tomorrow’s needs.

With this combination, operators can run supply chains that are faster, more agile, and more resilient – not just today, but in the long term. From food and beverage to e-commerce and complex manufacturing, the principles remain the same: consistent performance, maximum uptime, satisfied customers.

Kevin Price, Logistics Consultant at Dematic sums it up: “The technology can do almost anything. The real skill lies in aligning operations, software, and service so every hour the facility is running it is working for the business – whether in the middle of the day, the twilight hours, or deep into the night.”