How to get a well-designed warehouse that suits your needs?
When building or re-engineering distribution centers, you need a detailed planning process to ensure they meet return on investment expectations. For this, you need to follow seven basic steps when planning a warehouse or distribution center.
1. The first step involves defining goals and objectives which include minimizing warehousing operating costs, maximizing picking productivity, or simply providing the best customer service.
2. Consult your staff by conducting personal interviews with those dedicated to all major functional areas within the process. If those interviewed can’t identify areas of opportunity for improvement in their department or area, you should look to interview more from that department or functional area as there is always room for improvement.
3. Collect information and data about existing space for the new facility which should include accurate drawings showing column sizes and locations, dock and personnel doors and locations, ceiling height restrictions, and ceiling girder/joist construction.
4. After collecting data about the space and the inventory, conduct an analysis with the following questions like how well does the product flow into, within, and out of the facility, is the storage system and area large enough to accommodate the inventory including any required safety stock, what type of conveying and sortation equipment will be used, what are the staffing requirements, etc.
5. Create a detailed project plan which includes start and end dates for all tasks, as well as availability of resources. Once the plan has been developed, it should be reviewed and checked to be sure the timeline is realistic and attainable.
A well-designed and well-planned warehouse or distribution center is a principle key in keeping you ahead in this business world. With each careful step from start to finish, the result will be a facility that operates efficiently, uses space effectively, maintains cost control, and in the end achieves its ultimate goal of meeting expectations.
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