When an AGV supplier provides a warehouse simulation, the result may look precise: six AGVs, 28 pallet moves per hour, 80% utilization, and a projected daily throughput. For a buyer, however, the most important part of the simulation is not the final number. It is the assumptions used to produce that number.
A simulation can be technically correct while still being unsuitable for a specific warehouse if the input data does not represent actual operating conditions. This is why overseas buyers should validate the model before using simulation results to finalize an AGV purchase.
Ask the supplier what information was used to build the simulation. A site-specific model should normally consider the physical layout and the actual material-flow requirements.
Warehouse dimensions
Rack locations and aisle widths
Pickup and drop-off stations
Storage locations
Pallet dimensions
Load weights and load centers
Required lift heights
Daily pallet movements
Peak-hour workload
Operating shifts
Manual forklift traffic
Pedestrian traffic
If the supplier has not received this information, the result should be treated as a preliminary estimate rather than a detailed warehouse simulation.
Daily pallet volume can hide important workload peaks.
For example, a warehouse may move 800 pallets per day but receive most outbound orders during a few hours. AGVs must handle the peak workload, not simply the daily average.
Ask the supplier whether the simulation uses actual hourly demand, order history, or representative mission patterns.
Travel distance has a direct effect on mission time and fleet requirements.
A simulation based on short pickup-to-drop-off distances may produce a very different result from a warehouse where pallets travel across multiple zones.
Provide actual origin and destination locations whenever possible. This allows the supplier to model the routes that the AGVs will actually perform.
AGVs do not carry a pallet during every movement. After completing a delivery, a vehicle may need to travel empty to the next pickup location.
Empty travel can become significant in warehouses where pickup and drop-off locations are widely separated.
Ask the supplier whether the simulation includes empty repositioning and how dispatching decisions are made when multiple missions are waiting.
A simulation should not assume that every AGV can move freely at all times.
In a real warehouse, several vehicles may compete for the same aisle, intersection, staging area, or transfer point.
Ask how the simulation handles:
Narrow-aisle traffic
Shared intersections
Staging queues
Pickup station queues
Manual forklift interference
Temporary route blockages
Charging should be part of the fleet model, especially for a warehouse operating multiple shifts.
Ask whether the simulation considers charging time, battery state, charger availability, charging locations, and the effect of charging on vehicle availability.
A fleet that looks sufficient when every vehicle is assumed to be continuously available may require a different operating strategy once charging is included.
Request a list of the main assumptions used in the model.
| Simulation Factor | What the Buyer Should Check |
|---|---|
| Travel speed | Whether it represents actual operating conditions |
| Cycle time | What activities are included |
| Demand | Whether peak demand is included |
| Charging | Whether charging removes vehicles from service |
| Traffic | Whether congestion and waiting are modeled |
Do not ask the supplier to provide only one ideal operating scenario.
It is more useful to review normal demand, peak demand, reduced vehicle availability, temporary aisle blockage, and future workload growth.
This shows how sensitive the system is to changes in operating conditions.
The purpose of simulation is not to produce the highest possible throughput number. Its purpose is to help the buyer understand how the proposed AGV system is expected to perform under defined warehouse conditions.
Before purchasing, make sure the simulation can be traced back to real warehouse data and that its assumptions are clearly documented.
A realistic simulation is much more valuable than an impressive number generated from an idealized warehouse.
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