Materialflussplanung
Also: Materialfluß-Planung, Materialfluss-Planung, MF-Planung, Intralogistikplanung, Innerbetriebliche Materialflussplanung
AI-generated
Material flow planning refers to the systematic design and dimensioning of all internal goods and material movements – from goods receipt through storage and production to goods dispatch.
Key facts
- Material flow planning defines the routes and means by which goods are moved within a facility – from analysis through to a coordinated concept.
- It covers layout, conveyor technology, buffer locations, source-destination relationships, and control interfaces.
- Simulation tools are used to compare different throughput and disruption scenarios before investment decisions are made.
- Material flow planning is conceptual and must be clearly distinguished from operational material flow control (real-time).
- The quality of movement data – particularly order profiles and peak loads – is critical to the robustness of the concept.
What is material flow planning?
Material flow planning is the conceptual discipline that defines the routes, means, and sequence by which goods and materials are moved within a facility. It typically begins with an analysis of the current state – including existing transport routes, throughput volumes, and bottlenecks – and concludes with a coordinated concept encompassing layout, conveyor technology, buffer locations, and control logic. Throughout, it is guided by logistical requirements: which quantities of which items need to be available where and when, and what capacities are required to achieve this?
How does material flow planning work in practice?
A planning project usually starts with the collection and evaluation of movement data – such as order profiles, item frequencies, and peak load scenarios. From this, planners derive throughput requirements for individual areas: goods receipt, picking, consolidation, and dispatch. Source-destination relationships are then defined, specifying which areas supply material and which receive it. On this basis, alternative solutions for conveyor technology, transport equipment, and buffer capacities are developed. Simulation tools help compare different scenarios before investment decisions are made. Typical components of a material flow concept include:
- Layout planning with defined transport axes and intersection points
- Selection and dimensioning of conveyor technology (conveyor belts, sorters, AGVs/AMRs)
- Definition of buffer locations and waiting strategies for disruptions
- Interfaces to WMS, material flow controllers, and control centers
- Safety and ergonomics requirements for manual areas
What are the key considerations in planning?
A central quality feature of good material flow planning is scalability: the concept should not only handle today's peak throughput, but also accommodate future growth or changes in product range structures. Equally important is disruption resilience – that is, what happens if a conveyor line fails or a buffer overflows. Planning approaches vary considerably in this regard, and there is no universally correct solution: the trade-off between redundancy and investment costs is always project-specific. In addition, the quality of the underlying data fundamentally determines how robust the outcome is. Material flow planning is conceptual in nature and must therefore be clearly distinguished from material flow control, which governs real-time operational processes.
Related terms
- AGV
AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) refers to driverless transport vehicles that automatically move goods in warehouses and production environments. They follow predefined or sensor-controlled routes without a human driver.
- AMR
AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) is a driverless, self-navigating transport robot that moves goods within a warehouse without any fixed installed infrastructure. It orientates itself independently using sensors and digital maps, and dynamically avoids obstacles.
- Automatisierung
Automation refers to the use of technologies and systems to execute processes fully or partially without human intervention. In intralogistics, the spectrum ranges from simple conveyor systems to fully automated high-bay warehouses with autonomous vehicles.
- Bedarfsplanung
Demand planning refers to the systematic process by which a company determines what quantities of materials, goods, or resources are needed and when. It forms the foundation for inventory management, procurement, and warehouse planning.
- Bottleneck Analyse
Bottleneck analysis identifies the process step with the lowest capacity in a logistics system, making the limiting factor for overall throughput visible.
- 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.
- Datenanalyse
Data analysis refers to the systematic evaluation of raw data from logistics and IT systems in order to measure performance indicators, identify the causes of deviations, and make well-informed decisions.
- 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.
- Disposition
Disposition refers to the operational planning and control of resources, quantities, and orders in logistics – for example in transport or materials disposition. It encompasses capacity assignment, scheduling, prioritization, and response to disruptions.
- Distributionskonzept
A distribution concept describes the overall structure through which goods move from the warehouse or plant to the customer – including location structure, storage tiers, transport network, service levels, and returns logic. It serves as the operational target picture for logistics processes and network decisions.