Handlingaufwand

HandlingAufwand refers to the labor, time, and resources required to move, store, and process goods as they pass through a logistics or manufacturing sequence. The term is common in German-speaking operations and is often translated as handling effort or handling cost. It encompasses activities from receipt and unloading to put-away, internal transport, order picking, packing, loading, and inspection, as well as any rework or returns handling. In production contexts, it also covers transferring items between workstations and staging for assembly.

Measuring HandlingAufwand can be done with time-based methods (time and motion studies or standard times) or cost-based approaches (direct labor cost or activity-based costing). Key metrics include handling time per unit, handling cost per unit, and total handling cost per period, which feed into capacity planning, throughput estimation, and total cost of ownership analyses. Factors that influence handlingaufwand include item characteristics (size, weight, fragility), packaging, equipment and automation level, facility layout, and the quality of operating procedures.

Applications include identifying bottlenecks in warehouses, evaluating layout redesigns, justifying automation or mechanization, and improving order picking strategies. Reducing HandlingAufwand can improve lead times, raise service levels, and lower total logistics costs, though changes may require investment and retraining. Related concepts are throughput, cycle time, inventory carrying costs, and activity-based cost allocation. In practice, many organizations track HandlingAufwand within ERP, WMS, or SCM systems using standard times and cost rates to support planning and control.