Warehouse Components

At a high level, the essential elements in a warehouse are an arrival bay, a storage area, a departure bay, a material handling system and an information management system. As part of the process for enabling a warehouse layout, you must define warehouse zone groups, and zones, location types, and locations.

Zones

Zones are logical or physical grouping of locations within a warehouse. A warehouse is divided into multiple zones based on its attributes, like package type and velocity codes. A Zone classifies a set of locations that share common properties. Inventory for a SKU is either stocked in a specific zone or in multiple zones and locations. A zone enables defining constraints for put away, retrieval, and picking of SKUs in the warehouse. For example, case storage and unit storage make separate zones. Camcorders are stored in the lock and key zone, while television sets are stored in the bulk storage zone.

Zone Groups

Zone Groups are logical or physical grouping of zones within a warehouse. Consider factors such as the physical characteristics of a particular area. You must consider the physical layout of the warehouse, both to determine storage capacities and to achieve optimal warehouse processes. For example, there might be areas where you can use only a certain type of forklift truck. Or, if your company has products from two competing brands, within the same facility, you might want to use the single warehouse but logically and physically separate the two operations by creating two zone groups.

Location Types and Profiles

Locations types define the logical or physical grouping of the warehouse locations. For example, you can create a location type for all staging locations. Location profiles are the grouping of locations that have the same warehouse location process policies. For example, items to which the same physical capacity constraints apply.

Locations

Locations are the actual physical space used to track where the on-hand inventory is stored and picked in a warehouse. Distribution centers often have thousands of locations, all controlled by a warehouse management system . Because products have different characteristics (dimensions, weights, and so on), dividing your locations often makes sense. While defining the zones, location types, and so on, one should consider how different areas in the warehouse are used for different processes.

Location Stocking Limits

Defines the physical capacity to carry the inventory. For example, if some locations within a warehouse can hold only one pallet per location, location stocking limits can be enabled.

Fixed Picking Locations

Multiple fixed picking locations can be used within the same warehouse and for product variants.

Fixed Packing locations Multiple fixed packing locations can be used within the same warehouse and for managing packing for various product variants.

Warehouse Labeling Process

Warehouses can be places where piles of packed or loose products occupy space. If left disorganized, it will become very challenging to identify products for packing or picking. Hence, proper organization of warehouse is very important. Warehouse labeling systems eliminate this problem by making sure products are easily identified and managed during the warehousing and shipping process. Labeling is the most functional and cost-effective way to keep your warehouse organized and operating efficiently.

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Warehouse Staffing & Roles

Resource Planning is the process of planning for expected workload and determining the number of resources required to complete each activity in the warehouse. There are many types of warehouse positions, and they also vary by the employer, the scale of operations and location. Discussed here are generic positions applicable to warehouse management processes.

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Warehouse Layouts

One of the most important decisions when running a warehouse is its layout. Warehouse layout defines the physical arrangement of storage racks, loading and unloading areas, equipment and other facility areas in the warehouse. A good layout aligned with the business needs could have a significant effect on the efficiency.

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Outbound Picking Process

When a customer wants a product that has been stored in the warehouse, the same need to be picked off the shelf (or off the floor) and get it ready for shipping. Depending on how big is the warehouse, picking can take a while. (Many distribution centers cover more than 1 million square feet.). Hence, warehouse order picking methods are an important aspect within any warehouse.

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Different Types of Warehouses

Warehouses may seem like a simple, straightforward concept, but they actually include a variety of different types of warehouses that all have their own niche. The type of warehousing that’s right for you depends on your specific industry, location, and needs. From private warehousing, distribution centers, and climate-controlled warehouses, there’s an option to suit every business.

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Warehouse Returns Process

In the normal course of business, customers are likely to return orders from time to time due to various reasons and business should design processes the manage and accept such returns. A well designed returns management process can reduce costs and issues associated with returns or exchanges.

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Inbound Receiving Process

When products arrive at a facility, there need to be a defined process to let them in. The process for accepting inventory when it arrives is called "Receiving". Any warehousing operation must be able to receive inventory or freight from trucks at loading docks and then stow them away in a storage location. Receiving often involves scheduling appointments for deliveries to occur, along with unloading the goods and performing a quality inspection.

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What is a Warehouse & why companies need them?

All organizations hold stocks. In virtually every supply chain, gaps exist between when something is produced and when a customer is ready to buy or receive it. Stocks occur at any point in the supply chain where the flow of materials is interrupted. This implies that products need to be stored during this period of gap.

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Overview of Warehouse Processes

The basic function of a warehouse is to store goods. This means that they receive deliveries from suppliers, do any necessary checking and sorting, store the materials until it is dispatched to customers. Traditionally warehouses were seen as places for the long-term storage of goods. Now organizations want to optimize their customer experience and try to move materials quickly through the supply chain, so the role of warehousing has changed.

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Warehouse Packaging Process

Before shipping, businesses need to make sure that the items will arrive in good condition. Packaging is a form of protection against environmental threats that the product will face from the time it leaves warehouse facility until the time it reached the customer. The packaging is intended to provide protection for the item as it is being handled in the warehouse or when the item is being shipped.

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