How a Line Plan Can Benefit your Warehouse

Here at Boplan, we understand that things move fast in your warehouse. There’s pedestrian workers alongside vehicle and machine operators, simultaneously working their individual roles. In order to maximise the capabilities of your warehouse, you’ve probably put together a dedicated employee workforce alongside expensive machinery and a fleet of vehicles regularly operating in the same shared space. How do you control so much traffic in a tight space? With a line plan of course!

Increase Efficiency and Momentum

Different line plans exist with different suitability’s, with the option to create customised plans if necessary. Commonly, ‘U Flow’ and ‘Through Flow’ are used in warehouses across the world. Both plans feature fast and slow lanes, for maximised efficiency. There a few things you need to consider, before choosing which plan is right for you.

For example, a ‘U Flow’ plan is designed for warehouses in which products are dispatched and received in a close range, usually a single loading bay. A ‘Through Flow’ plan differs and features two different loading bays at opposite sides of the warehouse, usually with outbound and inbound shipments separated for convenience.

You should use a ‘Through Flow’ plan if your warehouse operates using a production plan or regularly deals with different sized and shaped stock. Usually you will find ‘U Flow’ plans function better than ‘Through Flow’ plans, requiring less resources and the ability to dock and store goods at a quicker rate.

There’s also the benefit of only having to secure a single pair of dock doors with guards and CCTV. With less hindrance to operations caused by waiting for employees to finish their tasks or move their vehicle, warehouses are able to function more smoothly by introducing either of these line plan examples.

Safety and Protection of Vehicles, Machines and Stock

By designing and putting a line plan into practice you are able to clearly mark the routes for your vehicles. By doing so, vehicle operators know where they’re safely able to drive and pedestrian workers know where they shouldn’t trespass. Using a bold coloured floortape to clearly mark the line plan on the surface of the floor makes everyone aware of the various zones of the warehouse and their purposes.

You should ensure there is enough space for vehicles to pass through their dedicated lanes effortlessly, with a perimeter large enough to safeguard pedestrian employees from having to get to close to traffic. Lanes should be clearly marked, or it made well known to employees which lanes are for fast and which are for slow moving vehicles. By doing so, when combined with a physical barrier system, you can be assured you are lessening the risk of injury to your employees and giving additional protection to your machinery and stock as well as lowering the risk of collisions with your vehicles.

Mutual Understanding Between Colleagues

By stringently organising how materials will be transported in and around your warehouse via their designated line plans, each of your staff members are able to undergo their role without inconveniencing one another. They’re given an understanding of what their colleagues do and where they operate as well as how they’re individual roles come together to make a team. Despite not necessarily coming into contact with each other. At Boplan, we believe learning this is an important aspect for progression enabling employees to rise up the ranks to supervisor and managerial positions.

When designing your line plan, you must remember to accommodate pedestrian walkways so that access can be made if necessary. This can be achieved by using one of our Flex Impact Safety Barrier Gates. The various markings of the line plan detail the different zones employees should approach with caution. Everything from storage spaces, lorry and forklift parking spaces and loading zones should be outlined.

So there you have it, three key reasons detailing the importance of a warehouse line plan. A sure way to create a successful and safe warehouse environment!