Warehouse/Distribution Center Layout

  • Overview
  • Course Content
Overview

Warehouse/Distribution Center Layout

Course Description

A well-planned warehouse layout will help you reduce operating costs by improving warehouse processes and inventory control. In this course, you will learn to apply field-proven techniques, which focus on layout planning, methods selection, space optimization, and material handling to make your layout the most efficient it can be. Extensive use of cases studies that are adapted from real situations and projects is incorporated in the course. Additionally, you are encouraged to bring challenges from your workplace for consideration and analysis.

This course is offered as a contract/private course to companies interested in having the course taught on-site to 10 or more employees. As an option, we also suggest the 100% ONLINE, self-paced version of Warehouse/Distribution Center Layout and Material Handling course.

LOG 3010P is exclusively available as a private or corporate offering. Visit the Supply Chain and Logistics Corporate Training page to learn more.

Course Content

INTRODUCTION

  • Typical approaches to layout planning
  • Three fundamentals of layout planning

LAYOUT PLANNING CASE EXERCISE

  • A six-step simplified planning procedure
  • Relationship charts and diagrams
  • Hands-on case exercise in warehouse layout

SYSTEMATIC LAYOUT PLANNING (SLP)

  • The four phases of every layout project
  • Systematic planning procedures
  • Gathering and projecting key input data

PROFILING AND INVENTORY ANALYSIS

  • Activity and order profiles
  • Inventory profiles
  • Zoning and picking methods
  • Matching your methods to inventory levels and flows
  • Storage capacity calculations

HANDLING AND STORAGE EQUIPMENT

  • Unit load handling and storage
  • Case and item picking and storage
  • Simple and complex equipment

METHODS SELECTION CLASS EXERCISES

CLASSICAL LAYOUTS AND FLOW PATTERNS

  • Commodity, activity, and other storage zones
  • Basic flow patterns and their benefits
  • Charting your operations
  • Defining your activity areas

FLOW OF MATERIAL ANALYSIS

  • Ways to measure and visualize material flow
  • The quantified flow diagram
  • Guided application in flow analysis
  • Combining flow and other-than-flow relationships

ESTIMATING SPACE REQUIREMENTS

  • Five ways to establish space requirements
  • Short-range and longer-range space projections
  • Case exercises in estimating space requirements
  • Balancing space required to space available

FACILITY PLANNING ISSUES

  • Adjusting for physical features of the facility
  • The impact of utilities, lighting, HVAC, and other specialized requirements
  • Rack and aisle orientations

WAREHOUSE LAYOUT AND MATERIALS HANDLING CASE EXERCISE

  • Team exercise to improve an existing layout
  • Rearrange to reduce material handling effort
  • Layout considerations other than material flow

EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE PLANS

  • Costs and intangibles
  • How to select the best overall layout

DETAILED LAYOUTS

  • Rack storage areas
  • Shelving arrangements and slotting
  • Dock areas
  • Application of SLP to equipment layout

DISTRIBUTION CENTER PLANNING CASE PROBLEM

  • Application of techniques from days 1 and 2 to a distribution center expansion
  • Organizing the project
  • Developing a preliminary arrangement
  • Integrating storage and handling methods
  • Improving the preliminary plan
  • Responding to changing and unforeseen requirements

ORGANIZING YOUR LAYOUT PROJECT

  • Recap of phases, steps, and planning documents
  • Working forms and templates for your next project

Session Details

  • Special Discounts: Register and pay for all required courses in a Supply Chain & Logistics certificate and receive a discount of 17% off per course. Enter coupon code SCL-Cert at checkout. Returning students of the Supply Chain & Logistics Institute (SCL) courses or alumni of GT EMIL and MSSCE programs are eligible to receive a 10% discount. Enter coupon code SCL-Alum at checkout. Members of certain organizations are eligible to receive a 10% discount. Enter coupon code SCL-Org at checkout. Review coupon instructions for more information.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for industrial engineers and systems analysts, warehouse supervisors and team leaders, warehouse/distribution center managers, logistics and supply chain planners, planning teams for new or expanded facilities, and leaders of supply chain and lean initiatives.

Supply chain and logistics professionals learning in classroom

What You Will Learn

  • Systematic Layout Planning (SLP)
  • Profiling and inventory analysis
  • Handling and storing equipment
  • Flow of materials analysis
  • Estimating space requirements
  • Material handling methods
Supply chain professionals collaborating in warehouse

How You Will Benefit

  • Improve throughput with systematic layout planning.
  • Reduce handling costs in storage and order picking.
  • Group materials for efficient handling and storage.
  • Plan for expansions and new facilities.
  • Improve the performance of warehouse and distribution facilities.
  • Increase layout planning productivity and effectiveness.
  • Offer practical approaches to storage, order picking, packing, material movement, and physical control.
  • Streamline material flow in warehouses/distribution centers.
  • Grow Your Professional Network icon
    Grow Your Professional Network
  • Taught by Experts in the Field icon
    Taught by Experts in the Field

I am really impressed with the scope of subjects covered and the practical case studies in diverse sectors from health, education, and other public sector projects.

- Kenny Onasanya
Team Lead

TRAIN AT YOUR LOCATION

We enable employers to provide specialized, on-location training on their own timetables. Our world-renowned experts can create unique content that meets your employees' specific needs. We also have the ability to deliver courses via web conferencing or on-demand online videos. For 15 or more students, it is more cost-effective for us to come to you.

  • Save Money
  • Flexible Schedule
  • Group Training
  • Customize Content
  • On-Site Training
  • Earn a Certificate
Learn More