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ST-04 · Project dossier

Layout of a storage area

MaFoder · Casablanca · second-year internshipJuly 2024

Optimise the layout of a storage area, taking into account the physical constraints of the available space.

Loading the 3D…

  1. D
  2. M
  3. A
  4. I
  5. C
Locations
120
Access
Non-selective

Scroll: the area changes action by action

  1. D-01Define

    Frame the problem

    The finished-goods storage area of MaFoder Fonderie is poorly organised: as the activity grows, the space is badly used and products are hard to locate and to take out quickly for delivery.

    • DMAIC
    • 5W2H
    • Project charter
    • Make better use of the storage space
    • Reach every finished product quickly
    • Reduce stock and delivery management errors
    • Make handling safer
    • Make customer deliveries more reliable
  2. M-02MeasureFloor storage

    Measure the area and its floor capacity

    Survey of the surface and calculation of the current capacity: Euro pallets are placed on the floor, at random. To take out a given pallet, several others often have to be moved.

    • Shop-floor survey
    • Euro pallet
    • Storage capacity
    • Area surface: 15 m × 13 m
    • Euro pallet 1,200 × 800 mm, footprint taken as 1.2 × 1.2 m each
    • 12 × 10 = 120 floor locations
    • No selectivity: pallets must be moved to reach the right one
  3. A-03AnalyzeFloor storage

    Trace back to the root cause

    After an Ishikawa diagram, the 5 whys method goes from the symptom back to the root cause.

    • Ishikawa (5M)
    • 5 whys
    5 whys
    1. 1

      Why are the finished products poorly organised?

      They are stored at random on the floor.

    2. 2

      Why are they stored on the floor, at random?

      There is no dedicated storage system.

    3. 3

      Why is there no storage system?

      No investment was made in racking.

    4. 4

      Why no investment?

      The need had not been identified as a priority.

    5. 5

      Why was the need not identified?

      Root causeThere was no formal inventory management process.

  4. A-04Analyze

    Know which products to serve first

    A Pareto chart ranks the most produced product families: they are also the most delivered, so they get priority in the new storage.

    • Pareto chart
    • ABC classification
    Pareto

    Real order of the families · schematic heights, volumes not published

  5. I-05ImprovePallet racks

    Choose single-deep storage

    Single-deep pallet racks: every pallet can be reached directly by the forklift, without moving another one.

    • Pallet rack
    • Selectivity
  6. I-06ImprovePallet racks

    Size a rack

    Every dimension is calculated: height of a level (pallet, load, clearance), number of levels from the forklift’s lift height, length for three pallets with their clearances and uprights.

    • Adjusted pallet ratio
    • Forklift load plate
    Sizing a rack
    Height of a level
    pallet 0.145 m + load 1 m + clearance 0.1 m = 1.245 m
    Levels
    forklift lift 5 m ÷ (level + beam 0.2 m) → 3 levels
    Length of a rack
    3 pallets of 0.8 m + clearances + uprights = 3.2 m
    Depth of a rack
    pallet 1.2 m − 0.2 m = 1 m
  7. I-07ImproveForklift aisles

    Lay out the new area

    Four racks per row across the 13 m, five rows and three 3.1 m forklift aisles across the 15 m: the area holds 20 three-level racks.

    • Warehouse layout
    • Layout plan
    • 13 m ÷ 3.2 m → 4 racks per row
    • 3 aisles of 3.1 m for the forklift
    • 5 rows of racks: 20 racks
    • 20 racks × 3 pallets × 3 levels = 180 locations
  8. I-08ImproveMost requested products

    Place the most requested products

    Quarry products, the most produced and the most delivered, go in the first aisle and on the bottom level: they are the fastest to take out.

    • ABC classification
    • Location addressing
  9. C-09Control

    Sustain the organisation

    Staff training and awareness, follow-up indicators, and a comparison between in-house and external installation to choose the investment.

    • KPI
    • Training
    • Investment analysis
    Station control sheetWeekly
    Sustain the organisation
    CheckpointOKNOK
    Rack occupancy rate✓□
    Unnecessary pallet movements✓□
    Products damaged in storage✓□
    Staff trained in the new rules✓□
    Investment choice: in-house installation✓□
RESULTS

What the project delivers

Storage capacity
+50 %
120 → 180 pallet locations
Access
Direct
every pallet reachable without moving another
Layout
20 racks
3 levels, 3 forklift aisles
Priority
ABC
most requested products closest
Status
Proposed
solution sized and costed
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