Layout designs for warehousing operations: Space Requirements Planning

The first step in laying out a warehouse is to determine the overall space requirements for all warehouse processes. The space requirements for each process should be computed and summarized to estimate the overall building requirements. Effective space utilization makes good use of total building volume and not merely the floor area.

For example, when calculating the space required for the receiving and shipping staging area, the number of receiving and shipping dock doors and the turnaround time for each dock would be considered. A common practice is to allocate enough staging space behind each dock door to accommodate a truckload’s worth of material.

Some other processes that would be considered in the space requirement planning include case picking, pallet storage, broken case picking, packing and unitizing, customizing, cross docking and more.

Warehouses should also be designed based on current and future needs to:

Facilitate changes in business/agency growth, and size/population of office and warehouse spaces within the building. Warehouse space should be easily adapted to new functions such as office (on ground or upper levels), computer centers, or light industrial/fabrication.

Accommodate need for future loading docks, truck space, and car parking spaces if space configuration changes through effective site design.

Address material handling technologies and business practice, such as "just-in-time" storage, which have fundamentally changed operation of warehouses and distribution centers, and will continue to do so.

Include roof design with built-in extra structural capacity to handle addition of future rooftop equipment.

Be designed with fire protection capacity to accommodate storage of materials with a greater fire hazard, especially needed with high plastic product content or packaging, and plastic shrink-wrapped pallets.

It should also be able to maximize utilization of space while providing adequate circulation paths for personnel and material handling equipment such as forklift trucks. We should also use higher bays to take advantage of height allowances in the space.

Alternative material handling methods will determine other building aspects, such as aisle widths, lighting design, need for mezzanine space, fire protection, and egress design. Businesses will often use different methods of storage handling simultaneously for different products.

Taken from: