The
Newsletter of Lean Manufacturing & Factory Science
14
July
2004
www.strategosinc.com
Designing
A Warehouse
Transactions,
Inventory and Equipment
With
today's focus on lean-- elimination of waste and inventories,
manufacturers may neglect warehousing and distribution. But, Lean
Manufacturing may actually increase the need for effective warehousing.
This is particularly true for companies who have outsourced production and
must now become experts in supply chain management, warehousing and
distribution. Overseas sourcing also
increases the importance of warehousing and distribution.
It
is easy to overlook the complex and critical aspects of warehouse design. Companies
often lose up to 30% of their storage space and 40% of their productivity
through inadequate design.
There
are at least five goals for warehousing: Customer Service, Storage
Capacity, Flexibility, Lowest Investment and Operating Cost. These goals
often conflict and most companies are lucky to achieve 2 or 3 of them. The
"trick" is to learn what the tradeoffs
are, which are most critical,
and to how to achieve the best balance.
Warehouse
design is not easy or simple. Complex analysis,
coupled with experience, is required and a "shoot from the
hip," Kaizen approach does not work. Extensive knowledge and
experience is required to do it right.
As
an example of several of the tradeoffs involved see the web pages on Warehouse
Design and
Transaction-Inventory Analysis.
The U.S. Navy's "Warehouse Modernization and Layout Planning
Guide," NAVSUP 529; is also available for download.
this 700-page handbook contains detailed procedures, data and information.
Ed
Phillips
President
The
Sims Consulting Group
Strategos-International
sims968@aol.com
614-571-4252
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2004 Strategos, Inc. |
