Warehouse Design and Layout
- The goal of warehouse layouts and designing is to optimise a firm’s warehousing functions and achieve maximum efficiency, space utilisation within the shortest period possible.
- A warehouse is typically divided into areas to support a firm’s every day processes. These areas include:
- reserve storage,
- forward pick,
- cross docking,
- shipping,
- receiving,
- assembly/special handling lines,
- quality/inspection area.
- Warehouse layout is about material flow planning.
- Designing a new facility starts with analysing your current and projected data on the activities in each of these areas, including the receiving, shipping and inventory levels.
- This data should be supported by other considerations such as process flows, material handling equipment, type and styles of racking equipment, special handling requirements, and personnel.
