Your Warehouse. Your Goals. Clear Answers.

Carte+ is designed to create more fulfillment capacity without requiring the warehouse to be rebuilt around the automation.

It can reduce non-value-added travel and handling, improve labor productivity and help operators support more volume within infrastructure they already own.

Related: Explore Carte+ ▸

The strongest fit is determined by the operation's constraints and material flows, not its industry label alone.

Carte+ is relevant to warehouses evaluating how to reduce manual travel and handling, use existing rack capacity more effectively, or support growing order volumes without rebuilding the facility.

An assessment considers SKU and order profiles, container characteristics, rack geometry, replenishment patterns, shift schedules, peak throughput and growth plans. These inputs help determine which workflows are suitable and whether software, process changes or targeted robotics should come first.

Deployment cost depends on the workflow, required capacity, physical scope and level of integration.

Key variables can include rack coverage, throughput targets, robot and lift requirements, workstation design, software integration, installation complexity and the size of the initial deployment phase.

Cartesian evaluates those costs together with the operating and capacity benefits so the investment can be considered as a complete business case rather than simply an equipment price.

ROI should measure the value created across labor, capacity, service performance and avoided operating costs—not labor savings alone.

• Labor hours and cost by workflow.
• Orders, lines and units processed per hour.
• Peak staffing and overtime requirements.
• Existing building-capacity constraints.
• Error, rework and exception costs.
• Potential expansion or relocation costs.
• Additional volume or customers the site could support.

Payback should be evaluated using the complete project investment and the expected net operating benefit, including recurring software, service, energy and maintenance costs where applicable. Scenario testing should reflect ramp-up, utilization, volume changes and the agreed performance baseline. The proposed business case should state its assumptions and expected payback period; there is no universal payback timeline for every deployment.

The value typically comes from several improvements working together rather than from one isolated labor-saving metric.

Those benefits can include higher labor productivity, less travel, better use of storage capacity, greater throughput, lower peak staffing exposure and the ability to support additional business without immediately expanding the facility.

Capacity can increase when the operation uses its existing storage volume and labor more productively.

Carte+ can automate movement within existing rack structures, reduce manual travel and make otherwise difficult-to-access storage locations more practical within the operating workflow. The actual opportunity is evaluated for each facility.

No. In many facilities the larger strategic benefit is creating more predictable capacity.

Automation can help absorb peaks, support new customers, reduce dependence on difficult-to-source labor and maintain service performance without increasing headcount at the same rate as volume.

The proposed operation can be modeled using actual warehouse and order data before the physical deployment is finalized.

eCarte+ can evaluate expected throughput, resource requirements, bottlenecks and operating scenarios, helping challenge both the system design and expected business outcome before deployment.

Related: Explore eCarte+ Digital Twin ▸

A phased modernization program can begin with operational assessment, scenario validation and process improvement before physical automation.

Early work can examine slotting, forward-pick and reserve rules, replenishment, task allocation and warehouse layout. Digital-twin analysis can help compare proposed changes before equipment is deployed.

The agreed scope should distinguish assessment and modeling from live software changes. Standalone software availability, required WMS interfaces and implementation responsibilities need to be confirmed for the proposed engagement; operational gains depend on the changes actually implemented and measured.

No—Carte+ is specifically designed around a retrofit-first approach.

Existing rack infrastructure can be used when its geometry, condition and structural characteristics are suitable. Rack condition, dimensions, clearances and loading are reviewed during engineering.

Carte+ is designed to avoid locking the operation into a proprietary storage ecosystem.

The objective is to work with appropriate existing racking and practical container formats rather than requiring the entire warehouse to be rebuilt around proprietary racks and bins.

Related: See the Carte+ architecture ▸

Product and container suitability is confirmed against the proposed handling configuration and operating workflow.

The review should consider external dimensions, loaded weight, load stability, container construction and condition, presentation at pickup and drop-off, and any special handling requirements.

Representative containers and products may need to be evaluated during solution design. Applicable size, weight and handling limits should be documented for the selected equipment; suitability should not be assumed for every item or container format.

Yes. Brownfield facilities are a core target application for Carte+.

The platform is intended for operators who want to automate around real physical constraints rather than design a completely new warehouse around the automation.

The system is designed for real warehouse environments, but site conditions still need to be assessed.

Floor condition, rack alignment, clearances and surrounding operations are reviewed during site engineering so the automation design reflects the actual facility rather than assuming a pristine greenfield environment.

Multi-level environments can be evaluated as part of the system design.

Mezzanine geometry, vertical interfaces, rack access, structural conditions and required material flows determine the appropriate configuration.

A full-facility shutdown is generally not the intended deployment model.

Installation can be planned by aisle, area or workflow so the remaining operation can continue functioning. The actual installation sequence is developed around site safety, operating hours and customer constraints.

Deployment timing depends on scope, equipment availability, site readiness, integration and the number of workflows being automated.

Phasing can allow an operator to bring an initial area online first and expand progressively rather than waiting for a facility-wide implementation to be completed.

Yes. Carte+ is designed for progressive deployment.

Operators can begin with the workflow, aisle or operating area that has the strongest business case and add capacity as volume, customers or service requirements grow.

Yes—Carte+ is designed to connect to the customer's existing technology environment rather than requiring wholesale replacement of host systems.

Integration can exchange orders, inventory, task status, exceptions and completion events with the appropriate system of record.

The proposed delivery model should account for your existing technology partners and clearly define each party's responsibilities.

If you want your systems integrator involved, raise that requirement during discovery. Cartesian, your IT team and the proposed partner can review interface ownership, workflow design, data mapping, testing, commissioning and support responsibilities.

Partner participation and scope should be agreed before implementation. Compatibility, certification and responsibility for third-party work should not be assumed without that review.

The appropriate architecture can be designed around the capabilities of the host environment.

In some operations the automation layer can take on more of the execution and orchestration responsibility, minimizing the amount of functionality that must be added to the existing WMS.

A sophisticated automation-ready WMS is not necessarily a prerequisite.

The interface can be designed around the APIs, files, transactions and data ownership that are actually available in the customer's environment.

Carte+ focuses on automating storage and retrieval within suitable rack environments, while AMRs commonly address movement across the warehouse floor.

Conventional AS/RS covers several technology types, often organized around an engineered storage configuration. Carte+'s retrofit approach starts by evaluating how the existing rack environment can support the required workflow.

These technologies can serve different parts of an operation and may complement one another. The comparison should consider storage access, horizontal transport, throughput, product characteristics, space, interfaces and deployment constraints rather than assume one approach is best for every warehouse.

eCarte+ is used to challenge the proposed system before physical deployment.

• Throughput and cycle-time expectations.
• Robot, lift and workstation requirements.
• Congestion and resource bottlenecks.
• Peak-volume scenarios.
• Phased implementation options.

Related: Explore Digital Twin validation ▸

The process can begin with the operational data you already have.

Useful inputs include order history, SKU information, inventory locations, storage rules, replenishment activity, staffing, shift schedules, service requirements and facility drawings. Gaps can be identified during discovery.

Interfaces and operating logic can be tested before the live system is commissioned.

Emulation and digital-twin workflows help expose data, sequencing and exception issues earlier, reducing the amount of discovery that must happen on the production floor.

Security and data requirements should be defined as part of the integration architecture.

Customer IT teams can review network connectivity, interface ownership, access requirements, system boundaries and operating responsibilities before deployment so the solution fits the organization's technology and security policies.

Carte+ can be configured around multiple storage and material-flow workflows.

• Order picking.
• Replenishment.
• Inbound and putaway.
• Storage and retrieval.
• Returns.
• Inventory consolidation.

A well-designed automated workflow can reduce opportunities for errors by connecting inventory identification, task instructions and movement confirmation.

The solution design should define how products and locations are identified, how picks are verified, and how discrepancies are routed for review. Barcode scanning or other verification steps depend on the selected workflow and interfaces.

Accuracy also depends on inventory data quality, replenishment discipline and operator procedures. Improvement targets should be measured against the site's baseline; robotics alone does not guarantee error-free fulfillment.

Automation can reduce the amount of additional output that must be created entirely through temporary staffing.

Peak scenarios can also be modeled during planning so the required capacity and operating strategy are understood before the peak occurs.

Exceptions are designed into the workflow rather than treated as an afterthought.

Depending on the operation, an item can be routed to a manual station, quality-review area, supervisor queue or alternate fulfillment path without stopping the primary automated flow.

The operating design should isolate equipment faults so a single issue does not automatically become a facility-wide problem.

Recovery procedures, alternate routing, resource availability and maintenance response are evaluated according to the configuration and service requirements of the site.

The system can be designed so maintenance is handled at the smallest practical level rather than requiring a complete shutdown for routine service.

The exact level of operational continuity depends on system configuration, available resources and the maintenance event.

Failure and recovery behavior should be defined before go-live as part of the integration and operating design.

The appropriate response depends on which system is unavailable, which transactions can continue safely and how task and inventory states are reconciled when connectivity is restored.

Power-loss and restart behavior should be defined and validated for the specific system before go-live.

The operating design should identify the affected equipment and software, the status of in-progress tasks, and the checks required to reconcile inventory and resume operation safely. Restart responsibilities and recovery procedures should be documented with the customer.

Any backup-power requirements or controlled-shutdown capability must be assessed and specified separately. A UPS, generator, automatic restart or uninterrupted operation should not be assumed to be included.

Safety is part of the physical and operational design of each deployment.

Access zones, maintenance procedures, human interfaces, emergency behavior and applicable site requirements are reviewed during engineering so automated and manual operations can coexist appropriately.

Documentation requirements should be identified for the actual equipment, installation and location during solution design.

Ask the project team to confirm the applicable equipment documentation, operating and maintenance instructions, risk-assessment responsibilities, and any conformity or certification records required for the proposed scope.

The precise documents and approvals depend on the selected components and installation. Certification claims should be verified for the relevant model and configuration rather than inferred from a general product description.

Training should be role-based rather than one-size-fits-all.

Operators focus on normal workflow and exceptions, supervisors on monitoring and escalation, and maintenance personnel on inspection, diagnostics and recovery procedures.

The support model is designed around the operating requirements of the deployed system.

It can include preventive maintenance, remote diagnostics, software support, spare-parts planning and on-site service procedures according to the requirements of the facility.

The service agreement should specify support coverage hours, the first point of contact, escalation responsibilities, spare-parts arrangements, and any agreed response or on-site attendance commitments. Responsibilities across Cartesian, the customer and any service partners should be clear. Local coverage, 24/7 support and particular response times should not be assumed unless included in the agreed support scope.