Free course · Warehousing + SAP EWM
Warehouse Management & Layout Design
Warehouse layout, zoning, slotting, storage types, material handling equipment, space utilisation and warehouse KPIs such as dock-to-stock time.
What you must take away
- Layout follows flow: receive → store → pick → pack → dispatch, with no backtracking.
- Slot fast movers closest to dispatch at waist height.
- Zone by handling need: bulk, rack, small parts, quarantine, hazardous.
- Track dock-to-stock time and space utilisation weekly.
In the SAP process
- Review storage types and sections in SAP EWM/WM.
- Run a movement (ABC) report for the last 90 days.
- Reassign fixed bins for A items near dispatch.
- Update putaway strategy and test with one receipt.
Case study
Cutting picker walking time
Setting. A spare-parts warehouse with 4,000 SKUs.
Problem. Pickers walked across the whole building for the most-ordered items.
How it was investigated
- Ran an ABC report on pick lines.
- Mapped where A items were stored.
- Timed 20 pick routes.
What was changed
- Moved top 300 items to a forward pick zone.
- Relabelled bins and updated the putaway strategy.
Outcome. Average pick time dropped noticeably and late dispatches reduced.
Lesson: Store by movement, not by part number order.
Illustrative composite of common shop-floor situations — no client names or confidential figures.
Practical template
Slotting review sheet
Decide which items move to the forward pick zone.
| Material | Pick lines (90d) | ABC class | Current bin | Proposed bin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRG-6204 | 412 | A | R12-05-04 | F01-01-02 |
How to use it
- Export 90 days of pick lines.
- Sort high to low and mark A/B/C.
- Propose new bins for A items near dispatch.
Quick quiz — check your understanding
The quiz questions stay hidden until you have spent at least one minute reading this lesson — answer from what you learned, not from clues in the options.