Warehouse planning – consulting and software
What is warehouse planning?
Only with good planning can you run a warehouse with the greatest possible economic success. However, because a wide variety of influences and factors have to be taken into account here, successful warehouse planning is a very complex process that can be divided into three areas: receiving, storage and shipping.
Incoming goods
The name says it all: when the goods arrive, they are received in the incoming goods department. At the same time, the quality of the goods is checked here and the loading units are adjusted if the product characteristics require it.
The goods receiving area should be located directly next to the unloading ramps and have enough space to work with all the products that are received in the warehouse on a normal working day. Ideally, there is another area next to the receiving area where incoming goods that arrive unscheduled can be processed.
If it is necessary to adapt the incoming loading units, the area should be expanded and the appropriate resources such as sufficient personnel, suitable workbenches and tools should be available. It would be good if part of the storage area could be set aside for storing empty containers and a system for disposing of the original containers could be implemented.
The storage area
Only with good planning can you run a warehouse with the greatest possible economic success. However, because a wide variety of influences and factors have to be taken into account here, successful warehouse planning is a very complex process that can be divided into three areas: receiving, storage and shipping.
Warehouse planning with combined storage systems
In order to achieve optimum warehouse planning, the turnover rates and products are classified into three categories: low, medium and high turnover. These three categories are determined on the basis of an average reference value. The positioning of the products in the warehouse is then determined:
- Goods with a low turnover rate require a low storage volume
- Goods with a medium turnover rate must be easily accessible and transported out of the warehouse at medium speed
- Goods with a high turnover rate must be easily accessible and have a high retrieval speed
The shipping area
In the dispatch area, orders are compiled and, if necessary, packed. This requires adequate resources. As this part of the warehouse contributes significantly to the reputation and prestige of the entire facility, no costs should be spared here. When the orders are put together on the shelves, the work in this area is made considerably easier.
If the warehouse is equipped with an appropriately programmed warehouse management system (WMS), the tasks involved in compiling orders are concentrated on creating batches in a designated area. This reserved area should be large enough to cover all the lines that go out on a normal working day. Nevertheless, it is advisable to provide for an expansion area at the warehouse planning stage that can be used in the event of unscheduled peaks in demand.
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