Have you ever stopped to think that a badly designed warehouse layout causes a lot of damage to your business, making it difficult to move, damaging merchandise, and consequently your business loses money?
Yeah! Planning the warehouse layout is critical for your company to be able to move products safely, ensuring the integrity of items in a protected environment.
In this post you will learn more about how warehouse layout reorganization can optimize your business results. Keep up!
What comprises the layout of the warehouse?
Warehouse layout is the way warehouse areas are arranged and distributed, as well as their organization, in order to improve the incoming and outgoing flows of both goods and equipment – such as forklifts – optimizing the use of space both horizontally and vertically.
Why worry about the right design of the Distribution Center?
Companies that need to expand markets and thus increase their profits necessarily have to deliver faster and with less storage costs without losing delivery quality.
From this reality, the movement of materials in a logistics warehouse will make all the difference, as well as the proper organization of departments, arrangement of sections, materials, and all the layout that contemplates the layout of the structure.
Therefore, thinking and planning each small warehouse space favors the continuous improvement of work, thus ensuring that the logistics flow follows properly, which favors the performance of the entire business.
What are the industry trends?
Warehouse verticalization is already one of the main trends in the logistics segment worldwide.
Warehouse designs are increasingly upright, being built with 40-foot ceilings. This is for the same reason that large commercial buildings were originally built in city centers, with the purpose of housing more people, in less space, in strategic locations.
In this scenario, it makes sense to place more products in urban distribution centers in taller buildings to make better use of the areas, as the square meter value of land is increasingly expensive.
However, these high-ceiling installations, in addition to requiring specialized material handling equipment, also require special sprinkler systems and support.
What are the advantages of a well planned warehouse?
Proper warehouse layout ensures cost savings as it reduces the risk of product movement damage.
This, especially in the case of fragile items, means that the fewer times the goods are handled, the lower the chance of accidents.
Briefly, a well-planned warehouse layout promotes benefits such as:
Improved handling: A planned layout makes it possible to move more safely and comfortably to equipment and employees.
Space optimization: organization, cleaning and proper storage of items;
Favors productivity: Space organization contributes to making other activities more logical, intelligent and effective.
How to think of an efficient warehouse layout project?
The project of developing a warehouse layout starts with understanding and gathering information about the company’s needs. Following are the points to consider when designing your company’s warehouse layout.
Make picking easier
To improve the efficiency of employee picking and picking processes, attention should be paid to a good layout organization practice, prioritizing allocating high-turnover items in fast-access areas, which makes it routine more pratice.
As these are the most requested goods, it is important to make the identification of the items as easy as possible. This eliminates the incidence of errors and other non-conformities. Similarly, low-turnover goods can be placed in more remote environments or on higher shelves to take advantage of warehouse space.
Separate goods by size and type
Product size should also be considered when designing the warehouse layout, as this directly interferes with space utilization. If a small area is intended for large items, for example, there will be storage and handling problems in the warehouse.
In addition, depending on the goods to be stored, there are special needs related to temperature, humidity, ventilation, among other specificities.
Thus, product type is also an aspect that needs to be evaluated when planning a warehouse layout, as this helps to ensure the integrity of materials.
Check door placement
It may seem obvious, but many people are unaware that proper door placement is essential to good warehouse logistics flow. If they are placed in a hard-to-reach space or may be blocked for some reason, this makes the project’s success impossible.
Design Corridors by Type of Movement
Ensuring good inventory movement is critical to the smooth running of activities, and assessing the volume of goods, the equipment needed to transport them, and the proper space to move all of these. Items is another turning point for warehouse layout, as these factors directly impact industry activities.
Think of a labeling system
If you do not already have a labeling system, it is important to invest in this tool that will bring big gains to your warehouse space. It’s important to remember that your competitors are using technology to optimize their operation, so you need to ensure the efficient operation of your business to stay competitive.
Tailor warehouse layout to your business model
Each type of business has its particularities. If you work with refrigerated goods, for example, you will need to think about how the cold rooms will be installed, the proper space for them, the necessary equipment, and all the other details for a successful operation.
Be aware of these issues when layouting the warehouse. Also, review the layout configuration at least once a year. This will ensure that the strength of your Inventory Maintenance Unit is in place, reducing unnecessary travel.
As we have seen throughout this post, warehouse layout is a crucial component of logistics success.
In order for the company to achieve the best results, it is necessary to make an advance analysis of space based on priorities, and also to plan an environment with the right structure for stocking products.
That way, with an appropriate warehouse layout, you benefit from every other step in the company’s logistics processes and add more value to your supply chain processes.
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