Warehouse Assessment Checklist: What to Prep Before Day 1
Most assessments waste the first half-day hunting for files and floor details. Prep this short list and we’ll spend time fixing flow—not doing archaeology. This is exactly what we need to find 3–5 high-impact fixes in 2–3 days, without buying software.
Who this is for
Ops/SC leaders at 3PLs, manufacturers, and retail/wholesale DCs (150–300k sq ft typical)
Teams considering a WMS change but willing to fix flow first
Sites hitting volume peaks where bottlenecks multiply
What to gather before Day 1
1) Facility & layout
Latest floor plan (CAD/PDF) with scale, aisle widths, pack/ship areas, door numbers
Aisle/Bay/Level schema (e.g.,
A01-B12-L03) used in WMS and on labelsDoor list + capabilities: reefer, clamp, crossdock, blackout windows, maintenance status
Staging map: inbound/outbound/returns lanes, capacities, time-boxing rules
MHE list: forklifts, reach, order pickers, pallet jacks; any constraints (battery, attachments)
2) Volumes & profile (last 60 days)
Orders & lines per day, peak week, cutoff times
SKU velocity: top 50 by lines and units, with weight/cube
Order profile: lines/order, units/line, % singles vs multis, service level mix
3) WMS/ERP extracts (CSV is fine)
Order headers & lines:
order_id, order_date, ship_date, service_level; sku, qty, uomInventory snapshot:
sku, lot/expiry, uom, on_hand, available, locationLocation master:
location_id, aisle, bay, level, zone, type (pick/bulk), temp_zone, capacityReplen/move history:
timestamp, sku, qty, source_loc, dest_loc, userReceipts & putaway:
asn_id, supplier, pallets, check_in, docked, start, end, check_out, doorDock appointments log:
appt_id, date/time, carrier, door, live/drop, reefer/clamp, pallets, est_minutes
4) Labor, devices, labels
Headcount by shift (FTE, temps) by function (receive, putaway, pick, pack, ship)
Picker productivity (if tracked): lines/hr or picks/hr by shift
RF devices & OS versions, printer models and label templates (ZPL)
5) Policies & compliance
Returns/quarantine SOP (how/where exceptions flow)
Cycle count policy (ABC classes, tolerances, triggers, schedule)
Dock rules (slot lengths, buffers, blackout windows, door constraints)
Safety/QA constraints (hazmat, food safety, temp logs)
Baselines we’ll use (so the ROI is provable)
Throughput (lines/day): sum of shipped lines ÷ days
Pick travel proxy (mins): time/motion sample or cart route timing on two normal runs
Dock dwell: avg
check_out − docked— target ≤ 60 minYard dwell: avg
docked − check_in— target ≤ 20 minReplen on-time %: replens done ≥10 min before wave — target ≥ 95%
Cycle count compliance: completed/planned — target ≥ 95%
Inventory accuracy: count-based — target ≥ 98%
Order cycle time: reduce 10–25%
These numbers let us rank fixes by impact and close the loop after changes roll in.
What we actually do with your prep
Slotting & path: place A-items near pack; enforce one-way flow; remove U-turns/dead ends
Dock & staging: rules for slot lengths, buffers, door constraints; door map
Replen windows: scheduled replen for fast movers; kill reactive starvation
Scan/label stations: duplicate or re-sequence to break choke points
Control: ABC + trigger counts to keep numbers honest
Day-0 internal email (paste this)
Subject: Day-1 Prep for Warehouse Assessment
Team—We’re assembling a short set of files and exports for the warehouse assessment.
Due EOD [date]:
Latest floor plan (PDF) and door list/capabilities
60-day exports: order headers/lines, inventory, location master, replen/moves, receipts/putaway, dock appts
Headcount by shift; device/printer lists; returns/cycle count/dock SOPs
Drop everything here: [Share link].
Questions → [Ops lead]. Thanks.
Common blockers (and fast workarounds)
No steps/travel data? Time two normal pick runs; we’ll extrapolate.
Old floor plan? Print and annotate; we’ll dimension on-site.
No dock log? Start today: guard records check-in/out; ship clerk logs docked/start/end.