Warehouse map builder
A warehouse map builder lets users define the physical structure of a site (zones, aisles, racks, levels and bins) so every stock location has an address.
It is configured less often than it is used by people who did not build it.
Key facts
- A tree of locations comes first. A visual map can be added later as a view of that tree.
- Locations should be generated in bulk from a naming pattern.
- Putaway and replenishment suggestions depend on location attributes.
- Redbrix keeps a stable internal location identity. Changes to visible codes or names need coordinated updates to labels, references and operating instructions.
What it covers
- Zones, aisles, racks, levels and bins as a hierarchy
- Bulk creation: a rack with six levels and twenty bins has 120 locations, generated from a pattern
- Attributes per location: capacity, allowed item types, temperature class, pick face or reserve
- A visual view of the hierarchy that people can navigate the way they move through the building
Who uses it
| Role | Use |
|---|---|
| Warehouse manager or administrator | Builds and maintains the structure |
| Pickers, receivers, counters | Find and record locations every day |
| Planners and system logic | Use attributes for putaway and replenishment suggestions |
The builder is used rarely and the map daily. The builder can be detailed. The map has to be readable at a glance by someone new to the site.
What makes it hard to design
Hierarchy first. A tree of locations comes first. A visual map can be added later as a view of that tree.
Naming. Location codes appear on rack labels, pick lists and scanners. A naming pattern that people can read aloud and scan reliably matters more than the drawing.
Racks move, sites expand and zones are reorganised. The structure has to change without breaking codes that are already printed on labels.
Trade-offs
- A drawn floor plan helps new staff find their way, but someone has to redraw it whenever racks move. A plain hierarchy costs little to maintain and shows nothing of the building’s layout.
Common mistakes
- Renaming locations after stock is stored. Physical rack labels stop matching system codes.
- Creating locations one by one
- A detailed drawing with no hierarchy behind it
- Attributes missing, so putaway suggestions cannot work
Where Redbrix has worked on this