Lagerplanung
Also: Lagerkonzeption, Lagerauslegung, Warehouse Planning, Lager-Planung, Lagergestaltung
AI-generated
Warehouse planning refers to the systematic design of a warehouse with regard to layout, capacity, technology, processes, and IT, in order to sustainably meet defined volume frameworks and service levels.
Key facts
- Warehouse planning defines layout, technology, processes, and IT requirements before a warehouse is built or converted.
- Clean movement and article data are a prerequisite for reliable planning – inaccurate data leads directly to under- or overcapacity.
- Peak scenarios and growth paths must be explicitly incorporated into the dimensioning, not just average operations.
- The completion of a warehouse plan provides the basis for tendering, offer comparisons, and contractual acceptance criteria.
What is warehouse planning?
Warehouse planning is the structured method by which a warehouse is conceived from the ground up or fundamentally redesigned. The starting point is always the operational requirements: What article and order structures need to be handled, what throughput volumes apply during normal operations and at peak times, and what service levels have been committed to for customers or internal recipients? All further decisions are derived from these parameters – from the floor area to the racking systems, conveyor technology, and IT systems. Warehouse planning is therefore a conceptual process that precedes operational activity. WMS, control systems, and automation controls subsequently implement the results of the planning, but do not replace it.
How does warehouse planning work in practice?
A warehouse planning project typically proceeds through successive phases, each dependent on the other:
- Data analysis and volume framework: Movement data, article master data, ABC classification, and order profiles are evaluated. Without a solid data foundation, systematic planning errors arise that are difficult to correct later.
- Concept and layout design: Based on the analysis, alternative layouts and technology concepts are developed. Space requirements, racking systems, picking methods, material flow, packing processes, and fire safety and security requirements are all taken into account.
- Simulation and business case: Critical scenarios – particularly peak loads and growth paths – are simulated. A business case evaluates CapEx, OpEx, and the cost-effectiveness of the chosen solution compared to alternatives.
- Tendering and award: The planning provides the specification for tender processes. Only when requirements are clearly defined can offers be meaningfully compared and contracts concluded with measurable acceptance criteria.
- Implementation support: Many planning firms and internal teams also accompany construction, commissioning, and acceptance testing to ensure that the completed warehouse conforms to the planning specifications.
What matters when selecting a planning approach?
Whether warehouse planning is carried out internally or with external support depends on the project size, the available expertise, and the level of independence desired in technology selection. External planning firms are often vendor-neutral and can objectively compare different automation concepts – this varies by vendor and should be verified on a case-by-case basis. In any case, it is essential that the planning foundation – i.e., article, movement, and order data – is sufficiently robust and up to date. Plans based on outdated or incomplete data generate overcapacities or bottlenecks that prove costly in operations. Furthermore, scalability should be built in from the outset: a warehouse that is already operating at capacity upon commissioning is not a plan – it is a risk.
Related terms
- ABC-Analyse
ABC analysis is a method for classifying items, vendors, or processes into three priority classes (A, B, C) based on their economic significance. It forms the basis for differentiated decision-making in warehousing, inventory management, and procurement.
- Ausschreibungsmanagement Logistik
Logistics tender management refers to the structured overall process by which companies solicit bids for logistics services or systems on the market, make offers comparable, and prepare a well-founded award decision.
- Automatiklager
An automated warehouse is a fully or partially automated storage system in which the receipt, retrieval, transport and management of storage units are carried out without manual intervention, using conveyor technology, storage and retrieval machines, and a higher-level control software.
- Automatisches Kleinteilelager (AKL)
The Automated Small Parts Warehouse (AKL) is a fully automated storage system for totes, trays and small parts, in which storage and retrieval operations are performed without manual intervention by stacker cranes or shuttle systems.
- Blocklager
A block storage system is a storage method in which load units — typically pallets — are stacked directly on the floor in rows and blocks without any racking structure.
- Bodenlagerung
Floor storage refers to the storage of goods directly on the floor, without the use of racking systems. Pallets, stacks, or marked floor positions serve as the basic structure for area organization.
- Business Case Automatisierung
The Business Case Automation evaluates, from an economic and operational perspective, whether an investment in warehouse or intralogistics automation is justified. It summarizes costs, benefits, risks, and assumptions in a structured way, forming the basis for management approval decisions.
- CapEx
CapEx (Capital Expenditures) refers to investment expenditures for long-term assets such as plant, machinery, or IT infrastructure. These expenditures are capitalized and depreciated over their useful life, rather than being recorded immediately as an expense.
- Chaotische Lagerhaltung
Chaotic storage is a warehousing principle in which items are not stored in fixed, pre-assigned locations, but are instead dynamically placed in any available, suitable slot in the warehouse. A warehouse management system handles the control and tracking of all storage locations.
- Dimensionierung
Dimensioning refers to the systematic design of warehouse capacities, material handling equipment, and logistics systems based on volume frameworks, throughput requirements, and peak loads. It forms the planning foundation for investment decisions in intralogistics.
- Distributionslager
A distribution center is a type of warehouse that consolidates goods and prepares them for targeted delivery to customers, branches, or downstream locations.