Tips for Planning Out Your Warehouse
If you’re new to warehouse design, you should learn these tips for planning out your warehouse. It may seem like a daunting project ahead, but with a little foresight and a lot of patience, you can build a warehouse that runs smoothly and efficiently.
Create a Schematic
The first point in these tips for planning out your warehouse has to do with sketching your space. Before you can set up your shelving and organize the different workstations, you need a bird’s-eye view of your warehouse. This is where a schematic comes in handy. Ask the previous owner or landlord for a blueprint of the space, and then use compasses and rulers to precisely sketch your plans for the layout. Draw where you plan to put all the stations.
If a blueprint is not available, draw it out on a piece of grid paper, with each square equaling one square foot of the warehouse. You can also do this online using free software. With this vision to back you up, you can be more confident as you move forward.
Decide on Production and Workflow Zones
Although the extent to which you’ll need space for each component varies depending on the purpose of your warehouse, you’ll most likely need zones for storage, working, packing, and shipping. Your schematic will outline the general idea of how you’ll segment all of these sections. However, you’ll need to put these plans to the test once you actually start putting up the shelves and organizing the different workstations. They may change due to OSHA requirements, new ideas that emerge as you work, or improved measurements.
Use a Barcode System
Warehouses benefit from setting up a barcode system to track their inventory as it moves in and out of the area. By giving your products barcodes and batch numbers, you will be able to trace and mark their location just by flashing them with your barcode scanner. Barcodes allow you to organize all this information on a computer, making it virtually impossible to lose an item, assuming you use the program correctly. Arrange your warehouse with this functionality in mind to make it an organized space where inventory is easy to find.
