Good planning is half the battle. E-commerce products frequently enter and exit the warehouse or turn over operations, so optimal efficiency is the primary consideration in planning. Flat warehouses have lower construction costs and larger inventory, while building warehouses have multi-layered structures. Planning is based on the design decomposition of demand. Warehouse planning mainly includes regional layout, shelf selection, cargo location setting, stacking and operation process, which are introduced in detail below.
(1) Design of functional areas, operating tables, equipment types and quantities in the warehouse, including receiving area, storage area, review and packaging area, return processing area, shipping handover area and sundries area. Plane planning is based on process planning and complements each other. At least 20% to 30% of the space in most warehouses is not properly planned and used. The process logic of automated warehouses is completely different from that of ordinary cabins, and the functional division of warehouse areas, assembly line design, replenishment upstream and shipment downstream management are also different. Usually, the platform adopts a U-shaped warehouse area on one side, and the two sides are separated by a straight warehouse area to improve the utilization rate of warehouse capacity. In addition to minimizing dead corners and making full use of shelf heights, regional planning must also be coordinated with the design of storage strategies such as storage and picking separation, ABC partitioning, large and small piece partitioning, and classified storage and random storage.
(2) Determine the operation mode according to the equipment process requirements, such as unit cargo grid, goods to person, AS/RS, etc. According to the mechanical form and equipment parameters, quantity, size, placement, operating range and other warehouse layouts, try to use simple and appropriate equipment, use standard equipment parts and systems, so that it is easy to operate, expand and upgrade, and fully consider personnel safety and system safety. When storing goods and zero-picking positions, shelves of different heights and load-bearing specifications should be used reasonably. The height of the shelf and the number of channels have a certain impact on the picking efficiency. The storage position should be reasonably set and adjusted according to the volume of different products. For example, multi-layer storage boxes and loft-type shelves are used for light and small items, and the cargo area number, shelf number, layer number, storage position number, etc. are maintained in the system.
(3) In terms of process links, in order to facilitate quick storage and retrieval of goods, the design should be based on the order tracking mode, maintain straight-line operation, avoid reverse detours and cross-transportation; emphasize unified logistics exits and entrances for easy monitoring and management. The automation system can improve work efficiency and space storage utilization. The automated warehouse tests the comprehensive planning ability of the warehouse. It can simulate the work ability of warehouse personnel to determine the storage and retrieval mode, process flow and shelf type. The most prime cargo space is reserved for the busiest SKU. When designing a logistics center, cross-floor material handling should be avoided as much as possible. Vertical transportation often becomes a bottleneck in the warehouse system.
The ultimate goal of planning is to achieve the optimal “spatial structure, time organization, and process continuity” of subsequent warehouse management, eliminate invalid handling, reduce commodity flow links, and improve operational efficiency and warehouse capacity utilization. Actual operations and production plans are a process of mutual search. Flow analysis is performed according to different levels of pallets, turnover boxes, and materials, and the location of cargo spaces is continuously analyzed and optimized. Planning should also take into account the margin appropriately, such as the maximum load margin in extreme scenarios when orders surge during peak seasons. Purchasing shelves, conveyor belts, and picking trucks abroad are more expensive than in China, and do not include transportation and construction costs. You can purchase them from China.