Tips For Efficient Warehouse Layout Design

Designing a practical warehouse layout is a crucial process because it directly affects the efficiency and productivity of the warehouse. The design layout should arrange the processes in a logical order to help simplify operations, increase productivity, and reduce costs. Implementing an efficient warehouse layout design allows easy access to stored goods, minimizes travel time, and improves order fulfillment rates.

1. Importance Of Efficient Warehouse Layout Design

In addition, it is important to consider all requirements according to your business needs during the planning stage, because once your facility starts construction, due to the additional material and labor costs involved, the cost of changing the warehouse layout design will be high.

2. Efficient Warehouse Layout Design Tips

(1) Separate The Loading And Unloading Area

The loading and unloading area of the warehouse is either built in the building or completely separated from the building. If your warehouse has a built-in loading and unloading area, accessing a docking point will allow trucks to easily connect and unload their products directly within the building. If there is not enough space for your device to move, everything must be done manually, which will take longer.

If the area is independent of the warehouse, a two-step method is required for design. You need a forklift to transport the product from the truck to the warehouse, and then place it in the receiving area.

(2) Separate The Receiving Area

The receiving area, also known as the assembly area of the warehouse, is the place where goods are received, quality control is implemented, and sorting is completed. Generally, products are classified from here. It is easier to do this by using an I-shaped or L-shaped design to separate the area from all other areas of the warehouse, and the U-shaped design is also applicable. Sufficient space needs to be provided here to perform accurate product inspections and prevent bottlenecks.

(3) Organize The Storage Area

One suggestion is vertical storage. Stacking is a common way, but it can only be used for loads with high internal strength, such as soil bags, and rigid packaging, such as cardboard or plastic boxes. All other items should use warehouse shelving and racking. Another way to use all storage space is to separate dynamic storage from static storage. Dynamic storage is the part of storage space set up for mobile projects, while static storage consists of products that have been placed for a period of time before shipment. Distinguishing these two aspects helps prevent inventory inaccuracies.

(4) Create A Separate Picking Area

It is recommended to place a separate picking area inside or next to the storage area. This can reduce the time to find goods. The picking rate can be increased by adding and using conveyor belts and sorters, thus having an efficient picking area.