Slotting and Warehouse Layout
How slotting decisions drive travel, productivity and picking accuracy.
By SupplyChain.management · Last updated
Definition
Slotting is the assignment of items to storage locations based on velocity, size, weight and pick affinity.
Why it matters
Travel is typically over half of picking labour, and slotting is the cheapest lever available to reduce it.
Example
Moving the top 200 movers to golden-zone locations raised picking rates 14% with no new equipment.
How to interpret it
If pickers walk long distances for common items, the layout, not the workforce, is the constraint.
How to improve it
Re-slot on a schedule using recent velocity, separate lookalike items, and place heavy or bulky items to suit ergonomics and packing sequence.
Common mistakes
Slotting once at go-live and never revisiting it as the product mix shifts.