Cut Labour Costs with Powered Roller Conveyor Systems

Your warehouse operation needs more than just manpower. Powered roller conveyor systems, designed for carton and tote movement, can make a measurable difference.

By Diamond Phoenix

// 10 Nov 2025

Cut Labour Costs with Powered Roller Conveyor Systems

Your warehouse operation needs more than just manpower. Powered roller conveyor systems, designed for carton and tote movement, can make a measurable difference. By automating key segments of your flow, you harness speed, reliability and cost-savings right from the start.

Why labour costs keep rising in fulfilment & logistics

Skilled warehouse operators are increasingly hard to find; wage inflation is eroding margins.
Manual handling of cartons and totes is slow, error-prone and expensive when scaled up.
According to market research, conveyor system demand is driven by logistics automation as labour challenges mount.
When you struggle to hire enough pickers or retain them, productivity suffers.

How powered roller conveyor systems deliver cost-savings

Here are the key benefits:

Reduced manual touches: fewer operators moving cartons/totes manually means less labour spent.
Higher throughput: powered rollers keep items moving consistently, reducing bottlenecks.
Improved safety/less downtime: less manual lifting = fewer injuries and fewer unplanned stoppages.
Better space utilisation: conveyors reclaim wasted space from manual staging.
Optimised labour deployment: operators shift focus from moving to supervising, a more value-added role.

Step-by-Step: Deploying a powered roller conveyor solution

Use this checklist:

Step Action	Why it Matters
Map existing carton/tote flows and labour touches	Understand where manual cost centres are
Identify conveyors for high-volume repetitive segments	These are where ROI is fastest realised
Choose a system integrator	Size matters for your project
Run cost/benefit calculation: labour saved vs investment	Builds business case
Install, train operators, monitor performance & adjust	Ensures sustained ROI

Metrics to track for ROI and success

Cost per pick (before vs after)
Labour / m² used in the manual zone
Throughput rate (cartons per hour)
Error rate/damage rate
Idle time of conveyors/downtime

Overcoming implementation challenges

Integration with existing systems (WMS, pallet conveyors)
Ensuring modular design to scale with volume peaks (e.g., e-commerce surges)
Securing buy-in from operations (training, change management)
Justifying capex to finance/board; use robust cost-benefit figures
Maintenance and support: choose vendor with 24/7 service (a key USP for you)

Why choose Diamond Phoenix for your powered roller conveyor project

Faster quotation turnaround (1-2 weeks, including site visit)
Experienced team ensuring accuracy from first brief
Service and support 24/7
Tailored automation solutions for cartons and totes (not just pallets)
Accredited by Safe Contractor and AMHSA

Your warehouse operation needs more than just manpower

If you’re managing a fulfilment centre or 3PL with six or more pickers (or a rising labour cost/space under-utilised), now is the time to act. Contact us to explore how powered roller conveyor systems could reduce your labour spend, increase throughput and free up space.

In an industry where labour costs and scarcity are real pressures, implementing a powered roller conveyor system isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic move. By automating high touch segments, you can reduce staffing risk, improve throughput and make your warehouse more future-proof. Let us help you build that strategy and take action today.