5 Steps to Effective Warehouse Location Mapping

You might be distributing the best product in the world, but you can easily sabotage its success by implementing a thoughtless warehouse location mapping strategy. Because speedy fulfillment is currently the name of the game, devising a plan that takes a range of important considerations into effect is key.

But, before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s first focus in on defining the basics of warehouse location mapping.

What is Warehouse Location Mapping?

Warehouse location mapping is a systematic approach to identifying, organizing, and labeling all storage areas, product positions, work zones, and travel paths within a warehouse facility. It creates a structured system that assigns unique “addresses” to each location, much like a street address for a home.

This mapping system typically involves:

1. Creating a coded system for aisles, shelves, and individual storage units
2. Assigning unique identifiers to different areas of the warehouse
3. Implementing a logical numbering or naming convention for easy navigation
4. Using labels, barcodes, or RFID tags to mark locations

The primary purpose of location mapping is to enhance inventory management, streamline picking and packing processes, and improve overall warehouse efficiency. It provides a clear, visual representation of the warehouse layout, allowing staff to quickly locate items and optimize storage space.

A well-implemented warehouse location mapping system offers several benefits:

• Improved accuracy in inventory tracking
• Reduced time spent searching for items
• Enhanced productivity in picking and restocking operations
• Better space utilization
• Easier training for new employees

Modern location mapping often utilizes specialized software that provides interactive, visual representations of the warehouse layout. These digital tools can offer real-time inventory tracking, threshold alerts for stock levels, and integration with other warehouse management systems.

While location mapping in a warehouse is a process that takes time for planning and implementation, there are a series of steps that all operations can take to get things moving on the right foot.

1. Pre-label the Locations

While select warehouse managers may know their layouts and operational flows well enough to begin a plan without their boots touching the floor, most experts suggest commencing the warehouse location mapping process by walking through the warehouse to better inform the assessment. Carry a pen and a pad of sticky notes with you, labeling highly-trafficked and trouble areas as you go.

Take note of the travel paths that constitute the most streamlined routes and compare the shelving unit locations to your current picking strategy. These preliminary notes will act as the groundwork for your latest location plan.

2. Speak with Your Associates

Whether you are implementing a warehouse location mapping plan in a brand new operation, or you are in the midst of performing an overhaul on an established facility, it’s important that you gain first-hand knowledge from those who work on the floor and with your inventory. These are the associates who will be able to challenge the theoretical by providing you with the direct input that you need to formulate a well-researched plan.

Get a particularly keen sense of the movements of your pickers, taking note as to the lengths of their routes, whether or not they double back many times to retrieve products, and if the most popular SKUs are placed in the most accessible zones available.

3. Create Smart Location Names 

Now that you have gained a clearer sense of strategic location mapping for your warehouse, create location names for your various inventory and equipment that fits well into your overarching organizational structure.

Here’s what should be included in the plan:

• A unique location name, using a manner of serialization that corresponds to the warehouse layout
• Denote zone or room names for inventory and equipment that exists in closed spaces within the warehouse
• Don’t worry about “over-labeling”– every location, no matter how inconsequential it might seem, should be assigned a unique label
• Assign labels to empty areas so that no additional labeling procedures are needed once filled
• Location names should be assigned from top to bottom, and left to right
• Break departments into zones – i.e., ‘Shipping and Receiving’, ‘Office’, ‘Restroom’, etc.

4. Select and Order Warehouse Location Labels

Once all locations are strategically named and mapped, it’s time to add durable, scannable, and easy-to-read labels to each location.

Camcode offers a range of warehouse label options that are designed to work within even the harshest of warehouse environments. To determine the warehouse location labels that are best of your operation, consider the temperature, climate, and wear and tear to which your infrastructure is exposed.

For a heavy-duty permanent option, opt for the Premium Polyester, and for temporary options to be used on transitional racks, consider the Magnetic label option. Proper labeling of aisles, docks, and other areas is essential for warehouse efficiency.

5. Integrate your Warehouse Location Mapping Plan into Your Choice of Software

Don’t put in all of this hard work only to track your warehouse location mapping plan with an Excel spreadsheet, or worse yet, an archaic paper and pen system. Instead, take the time to integrate your locations into your current software solution. Most warehouses use, at the very least, a rudimentary WMS (warehouse management system) to track their inventory, procedures, orders, and to gain end-to-end visibility within their supply chains.

Now that all locations are effectively mapped for optimized efficiency, it’s important that all software systems reflect the changes before the new mapping plan goes live.

Final Thoughts

Implementing an effective warehouse location mapping strategy is a crucial step towards optimizing warehouse operations and enhancing overall efficiency. While the process may seem daunting at first, the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial investment of time and resources.A well-executed warehouse location mapping plan offers numerous advantages:

1. Improved Inventory Accuracy: By assigning specific locations to each item, you significantly reduce the risk of misplaced inventory and improve stock count accuracy.
2. Enhanced Productivity: With clear location identifiers, warehouse staff can locate and retrieve items more quickly, leading to faster order fulfillment and increased productivity.
3. Optimized Space Utilization: A strategic mapping approach helps identify underutilized areas and opportunities for better space allocation.
4. Streamlined Onboarding: New employees can navigate the warehouse more easily with a logical mapping system in place, reducing training time and errors.
5. Data-Driven Decision Making: When integrated with a Warehouse Management System (WMS), location mapping provides valuable data on inventory movement and storage patterns, enabling informed decisions on inventory management and warehouse layout.
6. Reduced Operational Costs: By minimizing time spent searching for items and optimizing pick paths, you can significantly reduce labor costs and improve operational efficiency.
7. Scalability: A well-designed location mapping system can easily accommodate warehouse growth and changes in inventory composition.

Remember that warehouse location mapping is not a one-time task but an ongoing process. Regular reviews and updates are essential to ensure the system continues to meet the evolving needs of your operation. As your business grows and changes, be prepared to reassess and refine your mapping strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions