In a conventional warehouse, material movement is performed by people and mobile equipment. In a mechanized environment, material movement is assisted by mechanized, conveyance and sortation systems. And in the automated warehouse, material movement is performed in part or in full by machines or robotics. Regardless of the type of warehouse operation being designed, the basic building block of any material handling system is typically the pallet. It is critical to document the size, dimensions, type, variety, and quality of pallets being stored and handled.

Similarly, it is important to develop accurate operational profile information including product variety, movement and inventory projections to a design year time horizon (usually 5 to 7 years into the future). This information is required to determine the type of racking systems, material handling systems, and order picking technologies that will be the most cost effective for the new distribution center.

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Keywords: inventory management, inventory control, warehouse management, warehouse management systems, wms warehouse management, distribution center design