Designing Warehouse Layouts, Workflows, and WMS Configurations

Designing a warehouse operation that runs smoothly involves dozens of decisions about layout, equipment, workflows, and Warehouse Management System configuration. The choices you make at the start shape years of daily work, and small inefficiencies compound quickly across thousands of orders. This course walks through that design work in a structured way. You will work through written exercises that mirror how an operations team would design or redesign a warehouse for specific volumes, product mixes, and service expectations. The emphasis is on the practical tradeoffs that decide whether the operation hums or struggles. What you'll learn: - Plan warehouse layouts that match product velocity, packaging, and order patterns - Choose material handling equipment appropriate to volume, mix, and labor availability - Design daily workflows including receiving, putaway, replenishment, picking, packing, and shipping - Configure Warehouse Management System rules for slotting, picking, and replenishment - Plan labor management including productivity standards, scheduling, and continuous improvement - Design safety and quality routines that protect both workers and product The course progresses from layout through equipment, workflows, WMS configuration, labor, and safety. A capstone written exercise asks you to draft a complete operational design for a specific warehouse scenario. This course is designed for operations professionals, e-commerce operators handling fulfillment, and students of supply chain with some practical exposure. No prior WMS experience is required. The course treats warehouse design as a structured practice you can develop through written exercises before any equipment is purchased.