Warehouse Requirements Planning

In this article, we will discuss the steps for planning warehouse requirements, I try to write this based on some of my experiences and have proven to be quite effective.

There are at least 8 steps needed in planning warehouse requirements, these steps are:

Analysis of goods and storage types
Warehouse operational plans
Determine material handling equipment (MHE)
requirements Calculating warehouse space requirements
Make a list of warehouse infrastructure needs
Making warehouse layouts
Analyzing personnel needs
Projections warehouse costs

The more complex the warehouse operations will be, the more detailed and complicated the planning required will be.

Every detail of warehouse requirements planning aims to support warehouse operations at an optimal point, not only cost efficiency but also taking into account the effectiveness of the operation later.

The eight steps of planning warehouse requirements require experience, ability and a strong understanding of the company's business processes and warehouse operational activities.

Starting from the step of analyzing goods and storage types to the final step of projecting warehouse costs, it must answer the operational needs of the warehouse later.

Not infrequently for a warehouse design project, companies hire the services of foreign consultants with no small cost (between hundreds of millions to billions of rupiah), this is done because the company really wants to make sure the warehouse design they have is the best design.

Around 2009 to 2010 the two major retailers in Indonesia at the same time changed their conventional Distribution Center (DC) concept into a modern DC by involving more sophisticated technology and several new material handling equipment (MHE). significantly reduce the number of warehouse employees by 25%-35%.

The main difference between the two retailers is the planning team that carries out the analysis and design, one retailer uses a foreign consultant while the other relies on a small cross-departmental team specially prepared to prepare the new DC concept.

In the end, the two retailers succeeded in implementing the concept, uniquely the suppliers used, ranging from rack suppliers, MHE, conveyors, wifi gadgets, and so on were the same suppliers.

Warehouse requirements planning for several people who are experts and experienced in this field has become an 'art' rather than a skill.

Such unique and extraordinary ideas were born from these people to produce a warehouse design that is suitable for company operations.