Before you contact an architect or contractor, you should conduct a detailed analysis on what size the new facility or expansion should be. This includes office requirements, temperature controlled warehouse space needs, keg cooler size, dock unloading area, drive through size and other space needs such as POS, draft equipment, repack, dunnage storage, etc.
Once this information is compiled, then you can adjust for 5 to 10 year growth factors. Having this information will ensure that you have the right size facility when construction is completed. Most architects and contractors do not have the expertise to calculate warehouse and pick area size requirements which can result in a facility that is too large or too small.
Expansion requirement analysis.
We have developed mathematically based formulas that will calculate warehouse storage space requirements including aisles based on sales volume by SKU during the peak month. We can then project that forward based on a growth strategy that allows you to construct a facility that will be sufficient for your future needs.
Warehouse and pick area layout optimization.
Impact of # of SKU's on warehouse capacity need to be evaluated in determining the appropriate warehouse size.
The layout should include a compact pick area for optimum productivity. Number of rows and length are determined by the actual sales volume of each SKU during the peak month.
Example Layout w/ Storage in Red & Pick Area in Blue & Green
Productivity improvement engineering.
Be sure to look at what techniques or technology can be incorporated in a new facility design that will maximize productivity and let reduced operating costs help pay for the cost of a new facility.
Delivery cost reduction alternatives.
With most distributors moving from sideloaders to bulk or cart delivery, now is the time to incorporate future delivery strategies to ensure that the facility can handle the change.
Future strategy planning including automation and software alternatives.
If you are thinking of expanding or building a new facility, it is usually best to implement automation at this time if it can be justified. We can provide an unbiased evaluation of automation versus other alternatives such as voice picking, layer picking or continuing with manual picking if the volume is too low or your productivity is already at a level that would not justify an automated system in less than 5 years.
Rack specifications.
It is very important to provide appropriate rack specification to ensure that the installation is safe. There are many examples where vendors have provided inferior wire decking and the product fell through to the floor. It is also not unusual to see bids vary by a factor of 100% from the high to the low bid.
Critical design criteria.
We can provide some key input into the design process to make sure that your expansion or new facility is designed to improve productivity versus inhibit it. An example is pass through doors should be 12 feet wide so 2 forklifts can pass instead of 8-10 feet which builds in a choke point and reduces productivity.
a. # of doors required.
b. # of door openings and size.
c. Keg cooler size and location.
d. Drive through sizing.
e. Future delivery considerations.
f. Size of POS, repack, dunnage storage, etc.
Architect/contractor recommendations.
We can provide recommendations of architects and contractors who have experience in building beverage facilities. The wrong warehouse design such as insuffient ceiling height can reduce storage capacity by 20-35%.