General Criteria for Layout of Stares

The general criteria considered for the layout of stores are as follows : 

1. The stores function must be organised so as to meet the primary objective of serving the user by easy identification. 
2. Within the constraints of location of the physical facility, the materials must be so located to enable quick and easy retrieval. 
3. Layout should ensure easy movement of materials, good housekeeping, sufficient space for men and materials, optimum use of storage space and judicious use of equipment such as shelves, racks, pallets etc. 
4. Proper preservation to protect the materials from rain, sun, humidity, moisture, insects, white ants and other biological, physical and natural sources of deterioration should be ensured. 
5. Clear and adequate lighting should be there to ensure better and safe working environment. 
6. Safe working conditions and adequate fire-fighting arrangements should be made. 
7. Provision for toilets, smoking areas, routine maintenance of equipment and its repair bays, safe electrical wiring etc. should be provided. 
8. Adequate space for moving material around, fork truck movements should be created. 
9. Balance between the cost of investment, cost of moving the material should be made before arriving at the optimum layout plan. The aisle widths have to be properly determined and marked. 
10. The available floor area should be clearly demarcated as receiving bay, inspection area, bulk storage area, storage space, issue area, scrap yard etc. 
11. Items handled frequently must be the most conveniently located compared to others. 
12. Store space should be optimized for cubic space and not just floor area to economies. 
13. In block stacking, it is difficult to access if a particular required item is lying in between. Thus, the type of method of issue of material (FIFO, LIFO etc.) determines the layout pattern. 
14. For individual item, the storage racks, bins, pigeon holes built into wooden or metallic structures are easy and preferred. 
15. The racks can be stacked against the wall or back to back. The size of each compartment can be determined according to the size of the equipment being stored. Revolving racks with castors may also be used. 
16. Small but costly items should have adequate special locking and security arrangement. 
17. To facilitate loading and unloading, trucks and wagons are parked against a wall. Ramps with sufficient maneuvering space should be provided. 
18. Normally, warehouses are designed for standard loading conditions. These ' should be seen or determined beforehand and heavier loading should have added support. 
19. Doors should be built large enough for the worst case situations. Columns in stores should be sufficiently apart. Storage of bulk commodities can create plenty of wastage of space. ' 
20. Security is a prime consideration. Security devices and personnel need should be adequately planned and nearest police station availability should be gown beforehand. 
21. Good Communication is a must for receiving indents, informing of supply or inventory status and security considerations. Access to storage issue areas must be restricted and confined only to authorised stores personnels to prevent pilferage, theft, accident or damage. 
22. Fire-fighting equipment should be available and all personnel should be trained to use it properly.