Layout evaluation of large capacity warehouses

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to present a model to estimate and evaluate the operational costs of alternative layouts for large capacity warehouses or distribution centers with a large variety of goods.Design/methodology/approach – The proposed model is based on time and resources studies per each of the basic activities on a warehouse operation. For validation purposes, the proposed model was applied on a perishable goods warehouse in Mexico. The output data was compared to actual data. Performance measures were operational costs and average picking time.Findings – It was found that the proposed model is robust, flexible, simple and easy to be implemented. The model was used to evaluate two new alternatives of layout and operations of the same warehouse. It was found that the option with the layout with docks on long opposite sides of the warehouse and the operation without a separate picking zone minimizes operational costs.Research limitations/implications – The richness of the model is str...