Table of Contents

1- Introduction ---------------------------------------- 1 2- Warehouse ---------------------------------------------2 3- Office layout ------------------------------------------ 6 4- Retail layout -------------------------------------------9

History

Warehouse A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns They often have cranes and forklifts for moving goods, which are usually placed on ISO standard pallets loaded into pallet racks. Stored goods can include any raw materials, packing materials, spare parts, components, or finished goods associated with agriculture, manufacturing, or commerce. Warehouse layout The layout of a warehouse may need to be changed to accommodate new product lines or to add greater flexibility to the warehouse operations. When a new warehouse layout is proposed a detailed planning process should be followed to ensure the success of the project. The planning process should include the following six steps. Planning process of warehouse layout Define Objectives When deciding on the layout for a warehouse, the objectives should clearly be defined. The objectives should be aligned with the overall warehousing strategy of the company. Objectives can be defined at a high level such as to reduce warehousing costs or to provide maximum customer service. Equally the objectives can be more specific, such as maximizing warehousing space, provide maximum flexibility in the warehouse or to increase warehousing efficiency without increasing resources. Collect Information The specific information of the proposed warehouse should be collected. This includes the specifications of the warehouse from the architectural drawings that can affect storage and material handling. The details should include a physical map of the warehouse space to show columns, doors, height restrictions, docks and storage racks. External features that can affect the receiving, storage and shipment of materials should also be noted. Analysis After the specific information about the warehouse has been collected the analysis can commence with respect to the objectives that have been defined for the warehouse layout. The analysis should determine if the overall objectives can be met and if not how the objectives can be modified. At this point in the planning process decisions need to be made by warehouse management to determine what actions need to be taken if the overall objectives cannot be met or will need substantial changes. If the objectives can be met based on the analysis of the information, the detailed implementation plan can be created. Create Plan The detailed implementation plan should show all the steps that are required to create the warehouse layout. The objectives and the analysis of the information gathered should be used in creating the plan. The plan should first be at a high level showing the major tasks and then each of those should be sub-divided into the individual tasks that are required. 3

Implementation Sometimes the warehouse layout that is implemented is not the one that is in the plan. This can occur due to unrealistic timelines in the plan, lack of resources, unavailability of outside contractors or poor analysis of the information that was gathered. To ensure that the plan for the warehouse layout is achieved the implementation should be timed so that there is little or no movements of materials in the warehouse. An ideal time for this would be during a plant shutdown or at a weekend, if the implementation was of a smaller size. However in modern warehouses, this is not always possible so often additional warehouse resources are needed to keep shipping products during the implementation. If this is the case then this will need to be factored into the plan. The implementation should ensure that all changes made in the warehouse are replicated in the warehouse management system that is operated so that each item can be found. A physical inventory of the products in the warehouse after implementation should be carried out to ensure that the system accurately reflects the warehouse. Post Implementation After the layout has been implemented, there should be a series of checks to ensure that the layout is exactly as defined by the approved drawings. Every item should be stored according to the overall plan and this should be checked to ensure the layout is correct. If there are errors, this could lead to picking errors or lost material within the warehouse. Shipping could be disrupted if the warehouse systems have not been updated accurately with the correct layout information or if items have been stored in the wrong locations. For a period of time after the new layout has been implemented, regular checks should be made to ensure that the layout is working and that there are no operational problems that have occurred due to the new layout. Example of warehouse layout

Principles When considering the layout and operation of any warehouse system, there are fundamental principles that embody a general philosophy of good practice. The principles are: 1) Using the most suitable unit load 2) Making the best use of space 3) Minimizing movement 4) Controlling movement and location 5) Providing safe, secure and environmentally sound conditions 6) Maintaining at minimum overall operating cost Successful warehouse layouts must adhere to the principles, regardless of material being stored to: i) maximize the use of space ii) maximize the use of equipment iii) maximize the use of labor iv) maximize accessibility to all items v) and maximize protection of all items

Office layout Systematic and scientific arrangement of different departments and equipments on a well-defined plan, so as to get the maximum benefit from the space available can be called as office layout. Office productivity is influenced by a number of factors, one of which is office layout. Because office layout influences the entire white-collar-employee segment of the organization, its importance to organizational productivity should never be underestimated. Office layout is based on the interrelationships among three primary factors: employees, flow of work through the various work units, and equipment. Efficient office layout results in a number of benefits to the organization, including the following: It affects how much satisfaction employees derive from their jobs. It affects the impression individuals get of the organization's work areas. It provides effective allocation and use of the building's floor space. It provides employees with efficient, productive work areas. It facilitates the expansion and/or rearrangement of work areas when the need arises. Planning of the office layout Planning the layout tends to occur in two steps, a preliminary stage and a final stage. PRELIMINARY PLANNING When designing office layout, a number of factors need to be taken into consideration during the preliminary planning stage, which is generally carried out by administrative office managers, employees, or consultants. Among the factors to consider during preliminary planning are these: Work flow: Studying the flow of work vertically and horizontally between individuals and work units is critical in designing office layout. The goal is to design a layout pattern in which work moves in a straight-line direction with minimal (if any) backtracking or crisscrossing pat terns. The major source documents found within the various work areas are often considered in analyzing work flow. Organization chart: Studying the organization chart, which visually depicts who reports to whom as well as the relationships among and between employees, is also considered in the preliminary planning stages. Generally, the organization chart helps determine which units should be physically located near one another. Projection of number of employees needed in the future: Having a good understanding of the possibility of expansion helps assure that layout is designed to accommodate future growth. Among the factors to be considered are the potential need 6

for additional work units as well as the number of additional employees likely to be needed in both existing work units and new work units. Communication network: Studying the organization's communication network identifies who within the organization has considerable contact (either face-to-face or by phone) with whom. The more contact employees have, the greater is the likelihood that they or their work units need to be physically located near one another. Ratio of private to general offices: Increasingly, many organizations are opting for more general offices and fewer private offices. A number of advantages result from using general offices rather than with private offices. General offices are more economical to build than private offices; general offices make it easier to accommodate change in office layout; and it is easier to design efficient heating, cooling, and lighting systems for general offices. Space requirements: The total amount of needed space is determined by the amount of space needed for each employee (including projections for growth) in each work unit as well as the amount of space needed for various specialized areas. The amount of space each employee needs is determined by the employee's furniture/equipment requirements, the location of such structural features as windows and pillars, and the employee's job functions and hierarchical position. Specialized areas: Many organizations have a number of specialized areas that must be taken into consideration in the preliminary planning of office layout. Included are such needs as a reception area, board or conference rooms, a computer center, a mailroom, a printing/duplicating room, a central records area, and a storage area. Safety considerations: A number of safety considerations play an important role in the preliminary planning of layout, including aisles/corridors of sufficient width, door openings, stairwells, and exits. Providing for quick evacuation of the premises in case of an emergency is a critical aspect of the preliminary planning of office layout. Barrier-free construction: A number of federal laws require that office layout accomodate individuals with disabilities. The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act requires "reasonable accommodation" of individuals with disabilities. Perhaps most significant in office layout is designing office/work areas in which individuals can easily maneuver wheelchairs. Expansion: To stay abreast of developing space needs, many organizations undertake a yearly space analysis, just as they prepare a yearly budget. Doing so enables these organizations to be proactive rather than reactive in anticipating future space needs. Equipment and furniture needs: The amount of equipment and furniture that needs to be accommodated in an organization must be taken into consideration during the preliminary planning of office layout. Failure to take these needs into consideration often results in inefficient office layout.

Principles There are many principles of office layout that can be adhered to ensure the best environment for the staff. These principles include making sure there is plenty of light, break out areas are supplied equally and workstations are comfortable and spacious. Light Making sure that there is plenty of light within a work space is essential for keeping staff morale high and healthy. A dark working environment is more likely to make staff few low and, in extreme cases, unhealthy. A light environment will encourage employees to have a more positive attitude towards their work. Break out areas Having break out areas designated within the office layout is important as it gives employees somewhere to spend their lunch break that feels separate to their work area. Well decorated, and again light, break out areas allow staff to feel like they have a place where they can relax and spend their lunch hour in a slightly different environment. Comfortable and spacious workstations If the workstations and desks that employees are working at are not comfortable and spacious, it will have a negative impact on their work ethic. Small, cluttered desks will make workers feel unorganized and stressed. Clean, comfortable and tidy desks allow for a more organized and calmer approach to work. The layout within the office is important to the morale of staff. A good office layout can help employees feel more organized, comfortable and less stressed within the working environment. 8

.Example of office layout

Retail Store Layout When setting up a retail store layout it is imperative to remember that the situation is much like it is in Hollywood; namely, image is absolutely everything. Atmosphere and irresistible visual merchandising displays are what attract customers. The store fixtures for your setting as well as special lighting techniques to accent products can make the all the difference between a purchase and a pass-by (like a drive by, but without guns). Like most worthwhile endeavors, planning the right retail store layout boils down to doing your homework. Take the time to view different floor plans and retail store designs. As a retailer, no one can afford to turn off a customer, and a well-planned retail store layout allows a retailer to maximize the sales for each foot of the allocated selling space within the store while at the same time reducing the opportunity for theft.

What are some of the different retail store layouts? Retail store layouts generally indicate the size and location of each department, any 9

permanent structures, fixture locations and customer traffic patterns. Each floor plan and retail store layout will depend on the type of products sold, the building location and how much the business can afford to put into the overall store design. Below are some floor plans to consider.

1-Straight Floor Plan This is one of the most economical retail store layouts for almost any type of retail store. It deftly utilizes the walls and store fixtures to create small spaces within the retail store. The straight floor plan is one of the most economical store designs. 2-Diagonal Floor Plan This plan is best suited for self-service types of retail stores. It offers excellent visibility for cashiers and customers and encourages movement and traffic flow throughout the store. 3- Angular Floor Plan This particular retail store layout works best in high-end specialty stores. The curves and angles of store fixtures and walls are more costly, but worth it because the resulting soft angles create better traffic flow.

4-Geometric Floor Plan This is a suitable retail store layout for most clothing and apparel shops because it combines display racks and fixtures to create an interesting and unusual type of store design that is not too costly.
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5- Mixed This floor plan incorporates several elements of other plans; namely the straight, diagonal and angular varieties to create a highly functional and unique store design. This retail store layout by its very nature propels traffic towards the walls and back of the store.

So whichever retail store layout you choose, pick wisely and focus on the particular needs of the store when coming to a decision. Also, remember to always keep your business space clean and order. All of these plans are effective in their own particular 10

way, depending on the products and/or services being offered for sale. Take your time in making up your mind as the success of your retail enterprise whatever it may be, depends on your selection. Example

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