Warehouse and storage space planning

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Only if you can count on the profitable work of the company, when the production lines and workshops at any time are sufficiently provided with raw materials, and the sales department - with finished products. It will be possible to avoid downtime if you correctly approach the planning of the warehouse at the enterprise. This issue is considered by several areas of logistics, the problem is studied in some detail, so that with a careful assessment of the issue, it is possible to create an exemplary warehouse that excludes downtime. I must say, warehouse planning is inherent in all modern successful companies.

Features of warehouse work planning

Careful warehouse planning involves taking into account all aspects of the premises. Particular attention is paid to the time intervals allocated for various operations. It is careful work over time that allows, through production planning, to supply all the necessary items to the warehouse, ship goods from it not only efficiently, but also quite flexibly. At the same time, all orders available in the internal information system are taken into work. With proper warehouse planning, shipment and acceptance of positions take quite a bit of time,thereby meeting pre-established standards.

The main goal pursued by the planning of a warehouse of spare parts, products, exclusive ceramics, whatever, is to turn the organization into a strong competitor in the market, which is achieved through effective activities that benefit the economic entity.

Where do we start?

Whether you are planning a warehouse for a wholesaler or you only need to work with storage points for retail companies, the approach has common standards. It all starts with an assessment:

• turnover;
• service level;
• cost of inventory;
• volume of purchased items.

Who to trust?

As professionals in the field of logistics say, it is better to entrust the planning of the location of operating rooms and utility rooms of warehouses to a team specially formed for this task. To do this, the HR department forms a project team, and the document management department pays special attention to the work processes in the enterprise that are currently active and documents them.

Quite often, the fire safety aspects of warehouse planning require not only rethinking of plans for how to locate departments inside, but even reorganizing the warehouse altogether. In addition, such processing allows you to rationalize the premises, make it more in line with the standards of our time and the characteristics of the organization's field of activity. Widespreadpractice when planning a warehouse at sawmills, factories, other manufacturing enterprises updating equipment, machinery and equipment used in the storage system. Recently, the most common option is the installation of automated systems to reduce labor costs and reduce the likelihood of errors due to the human factor.

What to look out for?

When planning a finished goods warehouse, inventory, or other resource, there are a number of important general aspects to consider. In particular, the workflow begins with an estimated calculation, but gradually the working group works out finer details, so that planning covers all working moments.

It is necessary to thoroughly work on the planning of the work of the warehouse, not losing sight of any significant aspects. At the same time, the results should be such that at the end of the work they can be implemented without much difficulty. In order for such planning to reflect in detail the real state of affairs in the company, it is necessary to have an up-to-date complete information base that reflects everything that happens inside it.

One by one and in detail

Warehouse planning is a thorough assessment and calculation of various options for organizing the premises. Each of the projects proposed by the working group is evaluated by a selected expert and submitted for consideration to the company's management. This helps to decide in favor of the most successful solution.

Planning the logistics process in a warehouse starts inside and gradually "moves" out. This means that at first the working group works out the issues of inventory, equipment, technological solutions used within the warehouse, designs the movement of flows of material reserves, and only then selects a building in which all this can be implemented with minimal costs and maximum efficiency. However, at the opening of a new building, the planning of the logistics process in the warehouse does not end. It is necessary to familiarize all working personnel with the developed information system, as well as to support the workflow in real time. This means that several responsible specialists are selected from the working group of designers. Their task will be to control operations within the warehouse, measure quantitative performance indicators and develop options for improving the implemented project, and in the future - a complete reorganization taking into account changing conditions.

Project: what and how?

Warehouse planning always involves a detailed study of the project, which includes:

• goal setting;
• analytical activities;
• developing a plan;
• implementation of the plan;
• work start.

Warehouse planning: everything is connected

The planning process is usually divided into several stages, but the relationship between them is taken into account. This means that the steps are not sequential, but parallel. So, at one point in time, the working group deals with issuesstorage, movement of inventories, choice of premises and technologies, machines. At the same time, phasing is needed to achieve a balance between these aspects.

All components are interconnected. Keeping this in mind when planning a warehouse, competent specialists always control how a change in one aspect affects others. The most effective approach is considered to be iterative, when a cycle of successive actions is formed, repeated every time as soon as at least one indicator changes.

Planning: what happens?

The work begins with preliminary planning, during which an approximate model is created. It is developed, focusing on the budget estimate, the direction of the project. The data known at this stage allow the formulation of decisions on which subsequent actions are based. But the further you go, the more accurate information you need to use.

The next step is to predict the amount of resources needed for the correct operation of the enterprise. To do this, you need to have a budget estimate and have a fairly accurate idea of \u200b\u200bthe direction of the project. After that, you can start detailed planning.

Details and details

When the working group reaches the step of detailed planning, according to the standards adopted in logic, it works with the following stages:

• selection of storage space;
• internal and external planning;
• working out the premises inside;
• analysisneeds for equipment, inventory;
• forecasting the capacity of personnel, warehouses;
• planning of individual operations.

How not to miss anything

It is important for the working group to control the movement within the designed warehouse of information and materials. One of the surest ways not to miss anything is to document all business processes, as well as to model information flows and all processes within the enterprise. Additionally, you can work out functional descriptions. This is most effective when using specialized databases.

At the same time, it is not recommended to start work from the bay-floundering. According to professionals, it is first necessary to draw up a business plan for at least five years, but many world-class scientists agree that for a more or less stable company, the plan should cover the next decade. At the same time, it is necessary not only to take into account existing trends, but also to predict changes in demand, the direction of improvement of the enterprise.

Spend: a lot or a little?

In most cases, planning a warehouse takes up quite a bit of finance - no more than 15% of all costs associated with creating a new warehouse, but usually even less. But that's no reason to underestimate him! It must be remembered that the pre-planning stage is the time when the work team collects the maximum amount of data possible. If it is not possible to accumulate the required amount of information, this will soon lead to a slowdown in work and an increase in costs, andwill also reduce the efficiency of the planning team.

Warehouses are different

Speaking about the planning of storage facilities, it should be noted that they can differ significantly from each other. It depends on a number of factors. Trade enterprises, for example, have different levels of technical equipment, differ in organizational features and approaches in the field of technology. This means that such premises are planned differently, that is, it would be reasonable to introduce a classification into groups.

Main criteria:

• position regarding material flows;
• functions assigned to the warehouse;
• range of items;
• technical features;
• mechanization;
• number of floors;
• organizational managerial forms;
• transport.

Theoretical aspects

When planning, the working group creates a project in which, with the exact embodiment, the goods are in the best availability relative to the consumer (buyer). At the same time, the plan is divided into two parts: sites where stocks are stored, as well as sites set aside for other purposes. It is believed that the most rational ratio of these areas is 2:1, that is, the areas used for storage should be twice as large as those intended for auxiliary tasks.

When planning warehouses, they try to use only the most rational methods of stacking, placing stocks, while positions are located relative to each otherin such a way that no other influence is exerted and damage does not occur due to undesirable proximity. They try to place such goods close to each other, for the movement of which you can use similar equipment.

General warehouse

It can be described as the most common type of warehouses in trading companies in our country (and not only). In such a warehouse there are zones:

• manufacturing, where work operations are predominantly performed;
• auxiliary, used to contain containers, pallets, containers;
• technical, where various devices and communications are installed. This also includes pantries, places of work for repairmen;
• administrative, domestic.

Features of the technological process, of course, strongly influence the structure and layout of the territory for storage. Already at the design stage, the working group forms a complete list of the premises required for a particular warehouse, and also displays a proportional ratio of areas to each other. At the same time, they strive to organize a continuous workflow, divided into streams that do not interfere with each other.

Warehouse: how to choose?

When choosing a room, many solve the problem quite simply: they figure out how much space is needed, rent a suitable building. Rarely companies seriously calculate the future, especially small ones. But you need to understand: the interests of the company can change rapidly.

In recent years, more and more opportunitiescover sales markets that were inaccessible even a year or a couple of years ago, but along with this, competition has grown, working conditions have changed. These aspects have an impact on the warehouse rental industry. Therefore, a firm that does not want to waste money should analyze the future and only then make a decision in favor of a particular option.

Features of the issue

The first thing worthy of attention in this matter is the geographic location of the territory of interest. It is likely that items will have to be transported between warehouses if the company has several buildings, and these costs must be taken into account in advance. The more expensive logistics costs, the higher the price tag will have to be, which in the end can lead to the fact that a potential buyer will go to a competitor. This is an incentive to reduce logistics-related spending.

But with industrial warehouses, things are a little easier. Typically, an enterprise equips all warehouses on the territory of a plant, factory, which reduces the cost of money and time for transporting items. But the problem of choosing the optimal size remains relevant. The most difficult task is the planning of distribution and supply warehouses. In any of the options, the working group predicts the costs associated with the opportunity under consideration, the company's income, calculates the ratio between them, which makes it possible to understand how this warehouse will be beneficial for the enterprise.

What will you have to spend on?

First of all, they evaluate the costs associated with transport. These investmentsare considered initial, this includes work on the creation, repair of roads, the purchase of vehicles, the construction of facilities for downtime, and the repair of cars. Additionally, this category includes expenses associated with sending, delivering items.

Another cost item associated with planning a warehouse and translating the plan into reality is the construction itself. Operating costs are also predicted in advance. This group of investments includes money spent on equipment. Do not forget about repairs, utility bills, wages. An estimate of these costs should be prepared already at the planning stage.

More is better. Or not?

In general, a large warehouse is more profitable than a small one. It is customary to estimate the cost of a warehouse in terms of: per ton of stored goods. Since the value is smaller, the larger the room, it can be assumed that large warehouses are always preferable to small ones. At the same time, consolidating several small company-owned warehouses located in different locations into one large warehouse will increase transportation costs, as shipping will become less profitable. But the presence of small warehouses is a step towards the buyer, as transportation costs are reduced, delivery time is reduced. On the other hand, there are more expenses associated with the construction of facilities and their use (communications, personnel).

How to find the middle ground? Experts recommend evaluating the following aspects:

• density of competition;
• proximity to the customer;
• proximity to raw material suppliers;
• levellife in the region;
• ability to staff warehouses;
• planned salary level;
• transport capacity;
• taxation;
• profit.

In addition, they analyze whether the potential warehouse will be located near the railway, a large city, specify the cost of land, the complexity of obtaining permits. A careful analysis of these factors helps to determine which option is more profitable: the creation of one large warehouse or several small ones.