Fulfillment Wiki

Units per Hour

Units per hour (UPH) is a labor productivity measure equal to the number of units a worker or team processes in one labor hour for a task such as picking, packing, or receiving.

Why it matters for ecommerce brands

Units per hour is the labor productivity number behind staffing plans and most 3PL labor charges. It tells you how many people a forecast needs and whether a process change helped. Compare it only within the same task and order profile, since single-unit orders pick far faster than five-line ones. For example, a team that processes 2,400 units in 16 labor hours runs at 150 UPH. To ship 9,000 units on a peak day at that rate, plan about 60 labor hours for that task.

Formula and calculator

UPH = units processed ÷ labor hours worked

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hours

UPH = 150 units per hour

Open the Units per hour calculator on its own page

Common questions

Is units per hour the same as picks per hour?
Not exactly. Picks per hour counts trips to pick locations or pick lines, while units per hour counts individual items. If one pick often takes several units, UPH will be higher than picks per hour.
How do you calculate units per hour?
Divide units processed by labor hours worked for the same task and period. 2,400 units in 16 labor hours is 150 UPH.
How can a warehouse raise units per hour?
Cut walking with better slotting and batch or cluster picking, and cut searching with scanners and clear location labels. Then remove waiting, such as pickers idle between waves.

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