Rational placement of goods in the warehouse: rules and methods

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

Warehouse is the main element of the company's logistics system. It is designed not only to store material assets, but also to provide warehouse services, being a key link in all deliveries and shipments. The activity of the enterprise as a whole depends on how the organization of its work is formed.

Warehouse functions

The set of work performed in all warehouses is approximately the same and includes the following actions:

• temporary storage and placement of inventories;
• conversion of various streams;
• formation of the correct logistics service in the service sector.

The system for placing goods in the warehouse provides for at least three types of flows:

• Internal (moving products within the organization).
• Day off (sending cargo to consumers if there is transport for export).
• Input (acceptance of goods from suppliers, requiring verification of the correct loadingunloading operations and quality of receipt).

There is also a function of temporary storage of stocks, namely: work on the placement of goods with the necessary conditions for the further preservation of the quality of the goods.

Warehouses for finished products carry out sorting and additional processing of products before their direct shipment or labeling. Here she is being prepared for loading operations.

Requires continuous improvement in the placement of goods in the warehouse to effectively use the available space. In addition to storage areas, it is necessary to allocate premises where they receive, unload, sort and prepare products for consumption. Performing so many tasks is impossible without a rational approach.

Trade warehouses are often located in places where production is concentrated, where they receive goods in large quantities from supplier enterprises, and also form and complete the largest shipments directly to supermarkets and large stores.

Methods of storage

Organization of the placement of goods in a warehouse is a significant stage in trade. But the preservation of their quality and aesthetic appearance is also important. Storage methods are as follows:

1. High-quality. Different types of products are laid out separately from each other.
2. Partion. Each incoming batch is laid out separately, while in one block there can be a variety of goods.
3. Partition-varietal. Each delivery is stored separately, and the products in it are disassembled by grades and types and are also located invarious locations.
4. By name. Goods with different purposes are stored separately.

Principles of placing goods in warehouses

For convenient and quick picking of products, special schemes are being developed that provide for permanent storage places. This provides the possibility of monitoring the safety, as well as care. At the time of development of the schemes, the volume, frequency of receipt and shipment of goods, as well as the methods of stacking are taken into account.

There is a very popular principle: more demand - closer to the road. Products that are needed every day are located in close proximity to the point of issue or shipment.

Also, in practice, the method of long-term and short-term storage is used. Some areas contain more necessary products, while others contain less. Placing goods in a large warehouse involves the formation of cells that allow you to place a batch of products in them along with a box or pallet in which it is located. Moreover, the aisles should be wide so that loaders with lateral movement of the forks can pass there.

In warehouses of wholesale and small retail trade, goods are most often laid out by size. In places of storage there are sections for small and large products. Specially designed large, medium and small cells with different shapes and depths.

Companies engaged in the manufacture of warehouse equipment have already developed standard models and schemes of racks for goodsdifferent type. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy ready-made collapsible racks with adjustable cell height than to make them yourself.

Address storage system

Rational placement of goods in a warehouse is a very important stage in trading, regardless of whether the premises are large or small. Many experts recommend using an address system for this in order to protect yourself from inevitable losses, re-sorting and losses. This technique helps to increase turnover, eliminate all kinds of errors and quickly find products even for new employees after a brief briefing.

The system consists in assigning a code (address), which indicates the number of the vertical section, rack and shelf. Such a name can combine 4, 5 or more characters. The program provides automatic assignment of addresses in checks, labels, statements and other necessary documents.

For example, consider the following encoding for cell number A1739:

• A, B, C - this is the product location area - warm, cold or a certain part of the warehouse;
• 17 – rack number;
• 3 – vertical section number;
• 9 – shelf number.

From this diagram, we can conclude that this code is suitable for a zone of 99 racks, and each of them can contain no more than 10 vertical sections and 10 horizontal shelves. If more components are used, letter zone codes apply.

Rational placement and stacking of goods in the warehouse using this techniqueprovides for the presence of plans and schemes on which all numbers are placed. Information is also entered into a computer database.

Shelving, compartments and floors are coded in bright colors so they are clearly visible. The empty space is also divided into zones. Goods should be labeled large on boxes so that employees can see them from afar and quickly navigate the route. Labels are recommended to be placed on shelves, not on boxes, so that there is one and the same layout location.

Laying

There are various methods of placing goods in the warehouse that help the enterprise to function efficiently.

In order to preserve products packed in bags, coolies, bales, boxes and barrels, stacking is used. Using this option, you can provide the necessary height, stability and free access to the product. The height is determined by the properties of the product, as well as the option of its packaging, the maximum load and the volume of the warehouse itself. This styling is often formed in three versions:

• Straight. Often used for barrels and boxes of the same size, each of the subsequent layers is installed on the previous one.
• Pyramidal. Used to improve stability. There is one less seat in the top row, and the next is laid out on the bottom two.
• Cross. It forms boxes of various sizes.

When stacking, the maximum rationalization of the placement of goods in the warehouse is achieved, since if the products are stacked on special pallets, then there isthe ability to use various mechanisms, which reduces labor costs.

There is also a rack storage method. It is characterized by the picking of unpacked goods, which are placed in special cells. Such storage is very convenient, since the display takes place on pallets, which are placed on shelves located at any height accessible to the mechanisms. At the bottom, you can lay out goods that are selected only by hand, and at the top - shipped with a pallet.

Rules

Rational placement and stacking of goods in the warehouse is carried out by specially trained personnel, since the quality work of both the enterprise and any outlet depends entirely on this. Here are the main requirements:

1. Products are laid out only with markings towards the aisle. Goods with the same serial number are placed on both sides of a single rack, thanks to which the transportation path becomes shorter. If one cell is not enough, then the remaining products are placed in the same section, above or below, so that only the shelf number is changed in the address.
2. It is customary to place outerwear on hangers, bulk products in bulk, and liquids in prepared tanks and tanks.
3. The upper tiers are convenient for storing long-term storage goods, as well as those that are issued in whole pallets.
4. Drums with flammable and combustible substances are laid out only lying down, with the cork up and in one row. This is necessary for proper storage andfire safety.
5. Packaged products are required to be kept in bins and pallets.
6. Placement and storage of goods in a warehouse should be carried out on the basis of uniformity and storage modes. It is necessary to take into account biological and physico-chemical properties, sanitary and hygienic requirements and neighborhood rules.
7. Non-food and food products with a long shelf life require a temperature of 10-18 °C and a relative humidity of 60-70%.
8. Products that actively perceive foreign odors should be completely isolated from products with strong aromas.

Rational placement of goods in the warehouse also has certain requirements:

• need to monitor humidity and temperature;
• do not lay out products in aisles and other inappropriate places;
• it is necessary to keep order between the racks and on the shelves;
• lifting equipment must be kept in the designated area;
• should be cleaned regularly and monitor the sanitary standards of the warehouse;
• do not form excessively high stacks;
• topmost slots required to be reserved for reserve items;
• bulk products must be mixed, and things must be turned over periodically.

Equipment

In order to achieve high-quality placement and storage of goods in a warehouse, the human factor is sometimes not enough, as often high racks andheavy goods may not be easily accessible. Then special machines come to the rescue, which can perform a large amount of work with minimal labor costs. There are various lifting and transport mechanisms for servicing warehouses.

All equipment used can be divided into the following groups:

• Machines for loading and unloading operations (overpasses, walkways, ramps, ramps, cranes and conveyors);
• internal warehouse transport for handling goods (collapsible racks for various purposes, floor and hand carts, stackers);
• equipment for automating accounting operations;
• automated management systems.

Product storage conditions

In order for the placed goods in the warehouse to always remain fresh, you must follow certain requirements:

1. Refrigeration cabinets or chambers are used to complete gastronomy. Moreover, sausages and smoked meats are stored only in limbo.
2. Dietary eggs should be at a temperature of 0 to +20 °C for 7 days, and table eggs (from 0 to +2 °C) - 25 days.
3. Dry baby cereals are stored at trade firms no higher than at +10 °C and relative air humidity no more than 75%.
4. Ice cream will spoil if the room is more than -12 °C.
5. Mayonnaise should be stored in shady places at a temperature of +3 to +18 °C in accordance with its shelf life.
6. Chilled fish is aged in the container received at the warehouse. Keep at -2 °C for no more than 2 days.
7. Bulk products should be stored in clean, dry and well-ventilated areas with a relative humidity of no more than 75%.
8. Live fish must be in an aquarium in clean water for no more than 48 hours.
9. Stocking regulations state that s alt must be isolated from other products, as it absorbs water and odors well.
10. Meat and meat products are stored in chambers and cabinets at -6 °C.
11. Fruits and vegetables are put into containers and placed in well-ventilated pantries without natural light.
12. Cakes and rolls have minimum expiration dates, as they are especially perishable products. The optimum temperature is considered to be from +2 to +6 °C.

Storage of non-food products

Methods of placing goods in the warehouse are different, it all depends on the things that are laid out. Here are the main requirements:

• Dresses must be placed on the shoulders.
• Laundry is piled on shelves.
• Piece textiles and fabrics are in boxes.
• Knitwear is sorted by size, type, height and other features.
• Shoes are laid out in rows in boxes no more than eight in height. Cardboard is laid between them.
• Hats are rammed into boxes or crates and stacked on wooden decks.
• Fur is recommended to be stored in dimly lit and well-ventilated rooms at temperatures from 0 to +8 °C. Place the goods in the warehouseonly on hangers and in plastic bags.
• Fireproof cabinets will be needed to store jewelry.
• Ceramic and glass products are unpacked and laid out on shelves.
• Carpets are stacked on undercarpets.

Storage and placement of goods in the warehouse of the store can be organized by groups (shoes, things) or by narrow consumer properties (for men, for home, for summer cottages). Relative humidity and temperature are controlled with a thermometer.

Delivery time

The quality acceptance time is often stipulated by the contract or technical standards established earlier. In all other cases, acceptance of goods in terms of completeness and quality is carried out within the following terms:

• For out-of-town deliveries - no later than 20 days. And perishable products - within 24 hours after receipt at the warehouse.
• With uniform delivery - no later than 10 days. The requirements for perishable products are the same.

Acceptance is considered correct and timely if the quality check was carried out and the goods were placed in the warehouse on time.

Preparing for sale

This stage consists of sorting, unpacking, packing, cleaning, ironing, packing and labeling products. The number of all preparatory stages depends on the degree of initial readiness of the goods at the time of its receipt, complexity, list andother factors.

During unpacking, products are released from protective packaging, sorted and grouped according to product lines, cleaned of dust, anti-corrosion lubricants and contaminants. If necessary, small defects are eliminated. All of the above operations must be carried out in specialized facilities with the necessary equipment.

Sewing products, which are already prepared for sale, are sorted by height and size. They are ironed and cleaned. For ironing, a separate room must be allocated, in which there are ironing boards. Silk and woolen fabrics are measured before being laid out on the trading floor, and then rolled onto special boards, on the ends of which information about the article, price and type of goods is placed.

Small metal haberdashery is prepackaged in bags of 10, 15 and 20 pieces. Lace and ribbons are wound on special cardboard or plywood plates.

In order to prepare perfumes for sale, you need to carefully check the packaging so that there are no defects on it. Before submitting film, photo and projection devices to the trading floor, you need to check them for operability. Music products must be customized. Motorcycles and bicycles are cleaned of grease, completed, assembled and tested for performance.

Most food comes in bulk and is fully prepared in store. This applies to confectionery and groceries, as well as vegetables and fruits. Stores pack them using the simplestinstallations or on desktop dial scales in specialized rooms. This area should be close to product storage. The packer's workplace is equipped with packaging material and related equipment.

Before the goods are delivered to the hall, they are labeled and placed in baskets, trays, trolley boxes or other suitable containers.