Good Distribution Center Design Starts with Analysis

PR Log (Press Release) – Oct 16, 2009 – Designing a warehouse or distribution operation is not simply an arbitrary arrangement of racks, bins, and operational areas, says Geoff Sisko, a senior consultant with Jack Kuchta LLC.

Writing in the October issue of industry newsletter "Distribution Center Management," Sisko notes that an efficient and effective design requires a sound understanding of both business and operating needs, which is achieved through a thorough analysis of products, orders, inventory, movement, returns, and information.

In the article, Sisko discusses each of these areas including order characteristics. The key he says is to, "Collect and analyze the historical orders for a sufficient time period, such as a year, to develop accurate profiles. These profiles will indicate whether the orders should be picked as single orders, in batches, by zones, or in some combination of these methods. A detailed analysis of the order and movement characteristics will help you determine the amount of space, equipment, and staff required. In addition, the required accumulation in the packing stations as well as the complexity of the packing operations will be greatly influenced by the order profiles.

To read the full article, "Thorough analysis of your processes is the basis of good DC design," visit http://www.DistributionGroup.com/featured_articles.php.