You cannot design a system for a problem you do not fully understand. Everything in Phase 1 feeds the flow diagram. If any of these items are incomplete when you start drawing, you are designing on assumptions.
Discovery Through Project Close. One checklist. Every project. Start to finish. Michael Collins, Sr. Solutions Engineer.
This checklist follows a project from the first customer conversation to the final folder close. Complete it in sequence. Items marked with ! are gates. Do not advance past a gate with open items unless you have a documented reason. File this completed checklist in the project folder.
The layered flow diagram is the spine of this checklist. Each of the four layers maps to a phase of engineering work. If a layer is incomplete, the work that depends on it is built on an assumption.
What you must know before you draw anything
You cannot design a system for a problem you do not fully understand. Everything in Phase 1 feeds the flow diagram. If any of these items are incomplete when you start drawing, you are designing on assumptions.
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| Customer operation is documented. You understand what they ship, how they ship it, and what the current process looks like. | ||
| The six discovery categories are answered: throughput, product, building, electrical, controls, and maintenance. | ||
| You understand the difference between what the customer asked for and what the operation actually requires. If there is a gap, it is documented. | ||
| Peak throughput requirement is confirmed in cartons per minute. Seasonal peaks are understood. | ||
| Volume split across destinations is confirmed. Percentages add to 100. | ||
| Building data is confirmed: clear height, floor condition, power availability, dock door locations, column grid. | ||
| Maintenance capability at the facility is understood. Who maintains it. What they can work on. What requires outside help. | ||
| ! | Any prior system history at the facility is documented. What was tried before and why it failed or succeeded. |
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| WMS product report or equivalent customer data has been received. Raw data is saved to the project folder. | ||
| ! | MTBH table is complete. Minimum, typical, and maximum for length, width, height, and weight are documented. | |
| ! | Product Spec Calc is filled out and saved to the project folder. Every input is traceable to customer data. | |
| Design envelope is defined. The products the system will be designed around are stated explicitly. | ||
| Easy way and hard way conveying dimensions are identified for the design envelope product. | ||
| Roller center requirement is calculated for the design envelope product on the main conveyor. | ||
| Roller center requirement is calculated for the after-sort takeaway, accounting for post-divert carton orientation. | ||
| Any product that is a candidate for exclusion from the design envelope is identified. Volume percentage and design impact are both documented. | ||
| For each outlier candidate: cost of inclusion is documented. Consequence of exclusion is documented. Recommendation is made but decision is deferred to customer. | ||
| Tall or top-heavy products are identified. Tumble risk on declines is flagged as a open item pending geometry confirmation. |
The foundation of everything that follows
The flow diagram is not a layout. It is the engineering logic of the system before any equipment is placed. A layout built without a complete flow diagram will have problems the equipment cannot fix. All four layers must be complete before the layout opens.
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| All pick zones or product induction points are identified as separate starting points on the diagram. | ||
| Every path a carton takes from induction to destination is traced on the diagram. | ||
| ! | Every merge point is shown. There are no places where two flows combine that are not on the diagram. | |
| Every sort decision point is shown. The diagram identifies where each routing decision is made. | ||
| Every destination is shown. Dock doors, takeaway lanes, and exception/hospital lanes are all on the diagram. | ||
| ! | The diagram has been narrated out loud. You can explain the flow as a clear logical story without stopping. |
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| Required output rate in CPM is shown at each destination. Rates are derived from the volume split percentages confirmed in discovery. | ||
| ! | Rate is worked backward through the sorter to every upstream section. Every segment of the system has a CPM value. | |
| Speed Gap calculator has been run for each conveyor section. Outputs are saved to the project folder. | ||
| Belt speeds are calculated with margin applied. The margin percentage is documented and the reason for it is stated. | ||
| Zone B and Zone A induction rates are calculated separately. The split between pick zones is documented as confirmed or estimated. | ||
| Any open item on volume split between pick zones is logged and flagged for confirmation with the customer. | ||
| ! | Required gap at the sorter induction point is calculated. The system can achieve that gap at the belt speeds specified. |
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| Every point in the system where a decision is made is labeled on the diagram. | ||
| ! | The WMS query trigger point is identified. It is shown relative to the scan point and the divert mechanism. | |
| ! | WMS response latency is confirmed in writing from the customer IT team. Estimated values are not used for design. | |
| ! | Scan-to-divert distance is calculated using confirmed WMS latency and specified belt speed. Math is shown and saved. | |
| The data exchange handshake is described: what the scanner reads, what goes to the WMS, what comes back, what the PLC does with it. | ||
| What happens on a no-read or WMS timeout is defined. The system has a documented exception path. | ||
| Anti-gridlock logic is identified. The condition that triggers induction throttling and the control response are both stated. | ||
| All five layers of the controls topology are mapped. Each system component is assigned to a layer. | ||
| All machine-level setpoints are listed: belt speeds by section, VFD ramp rates, PLC delays at transfers, accumulation zone release modes. |
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| Every operator work location is shown on the diagram. People are in the layout. | ||
| ! | Every forklift crossing or vehicle aisle intersection is identified. The crossing treatment is specified. | |
| The mezzanine decline or any elevated transition is identified. Landing zone and horizontal run constraints are documented. | ||
| Every accumulation point is marked. Upstream monitoring zones and release conditions are defined for each. | ||
| Maintenance access is evaluated at every drive location. A single technician can reach every energy isolation point without assistance. | ||
| ! | Pull cord E-stop path is shown on the diagram for every conveyor run with operator access, except a low-power MDR run with no diverting, lifting, or actuation hardware. Reset locations are marked. | |
| Underside belt cover requirement is evaluated for every elevated 480V section. Evaluation result is documented. | ||
| Bearing cover specification is confirmed as a factory order item. It is not left for field installation. | ||
| LOTO accessibility is confirmed for every disconnect and panel location. Anything requiring a ladder or second person is flagged. | ||
| ! | Layer 4 is complete. A knowledgeable person can read the diagram and understand the system intent, the rates, the control logic, and the physical constraints without asking a single question. |
Every selection is justified. Every calculation has margin.
Select technology after the flow is designed, not before. If you are selecting equipment before Layer 2 is complete, you are guessing at rates. If you are selecting before Layer 4 is complete, you are guessing at constraints.
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation vs accumulation is determined for every conveyor section. The decision is documented with justification. | ||
| Conveyor surface selection is justified relative to the product mix. Belt type is appropriate for all products in the design envelope. | ||
| ! | Pneumatic accumulation systems are not specified at any facility where pneumatic systems have previously failed. If specified, justification is documented. | |
| ! | Mezzanine decline angle is calculated from building geometry. Box Tumbling calculator has been run for all products in the design envelope. | |
| ! | Tumble angle is compared to available decline angle for every product. Any product at risk on the decline is flagged. | |
| ! | Curve width formula has been run before any conveyor width is committed. Curve width drives system width. | |
| Merge configuration is identified. Accumulation requirement upstream of the merge is designed and specified. | ||
| ! | Sorter technology is selected using the product handling matrix. Selection criteria applied in sequence: product type, throughput, footprint and destinations. | |
| ! | Divert angle of selected sorter is documented. Post-divert carton orientation is evaluated. Roller center requirement on takeaway is confirmed against this orientation. | |
| Takeaway spur speed is calculated using the Speed of Takeaway Spur calculator. Divert angle and spur speed relationship is shown. | ||
| Hospital lane is included. Size is appropriate for exception volume, not system volume. | ||
| ! | All Aux I/O module locations are listed. Each module location includes what it controls or monitors. |
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| ! | Safety scope is identified and priced into the quote. It is not left for final engineering. | |
| ! | Pull cord E-stop runs are dimensioned. Every run with operator access has pull cord in scope. | |
| Underside cover requirement is evaluated and result documented for every elevated 480V conveyor section. | ||
| Bearing covers are specified as factory options on the conveyor purchase order. | ||
| If robotic equipment is in scope: industrial vs collaborative robot type is confirmed. Guarding scope reflects the correct robot type. | ||
| Every safety gate on a robotic cell has an interlocked safety-rated switch. Standard limit switches are not used. | ||
| LOTO accessibility is confirmed for all isolation points. No point requires a second person or non-standard access. | ||
| ! | Customer safety specification has been reviewed. Any project requirement more stringent than this checklist governs. |
Do not send the proposal until every gate item is cleared
This is the gate. Every item marked with ! must be resolved or explicitly documented as a known open item with a plan to resolve it before the proposal is delivered. A gap you find here costs nothing. A gap the customer finds after award costs margin, relationships, or both.
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| ! | System layout is complete. Flow, equipment placement, dimensions, operator access points, and overall footprint are all shown. | |
| ! | MTBH table is in the proposal package. Product data that drove the design is visible to the customer. | |
| ! | Conveyor BOM is complete. Equipment list has quantities, models, and descriptions sufficient for the customer to understand what they are buying. | |
| ! | System limitations are documented. Weight limits, speed limits, throughput limits, product size boundaries. All of it. | |
| ! | Every assumption made during design is documented explicitly. | |
| ! | Every exception taken to the customer specification is documented explicitly. | |
| ! | Cost drivers are addressed. Every product or parameter that drove system size, speed, or cost above the base case is called out. | |
| ! | Outlier product options are presented. The proposal shows the system with and without each outlier. The customer has the information to decide. | |
| Maintenance requirements are addressed in the proposal. What the system requires to run. What the maintenance team needs to know. | ||
| Executive summary leads the proposal. Business outcomes are stated in the first two paragraphs. Technical detail follows. | ||
| ! | Supporting calculations from all sizing tools are included in the proposal package. |
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| ! | Electrical contractor RFQ includes: pull cord E-stop runs with dimensions, all VFD requirements, panel locations. | |
| ! | Mechanical installer RFQ includes: complete equipment list, access requirements, any special installation conditions. | |
| ! | Controls contractor RFQ includes: Aux I/O module list, WMS interface scope, machine-level setpoints, safety circuit requirements. | |
| ! | Every vendor received the same scope definition. No vendor is working from a different version of the design. | |
| ! | Vendor quotes are reviewed against the design scope. Any gap between what was specified and what was priced is documented. | |
| Schedule allows adequate review time for all vendors. Compressed schedules with elevated assumption risk are flagged. |
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| Project folder exists and is organized per the MHA Project Notes Template. | ||
| ! | MHA layered flow diagram, all four layers, are saved to the project folder. | |
| ! | Product Spec Calc file is saved to the project folder with all inputs documented. | |
| All calculator outputs used to size the system are saved and labeled in the project folder. | ||
| Customer spec and original RFQ are in the project folder with exceptions noted. | ||
| Vendor quotes are in the project folder. Scope gaps are flagged. | ||
| ! | The project folder is organized so another engineer can navigate it and understand the work without asking the engineer of record. |
All gate items are cleared or documented as known open items with a plan.
The drawing is the golden plan. Keep it current.
Once the project is awarded, the drawing becomes the instruction set for every trade on the job site. Every change that is not on the drawing is a problem waiting to happen. Every change that is on the drawing is under control.
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| ! | Pre-execution vendor call is complete. Electrical, mechanical, and controls contractors have all confirmed scope before work begins. | |
| ! | Machine-level setpoints are on the installation drawing. Belt speeds, VFD ramp rates, PLC delays, accumulation zone release modes. All of it. | |
| ! | Pull cord E-stop path is on the installation drawing. Not in field notes. On the drawing. | |
| Safety guarding scope is on the installation drawing. Underside covers, bearing covers, cage locations are specified. | ||
| Drawing revision history is maintained. Every change to the drawing is logged with a reason and a date. | ||
| ! | Change requests are evaluated for downstream impact before approval. Every element of the system the change touches is identified. | |
| ! | Any change that affects scope, cost, or schedule is documented as a formal change order. Verbal approvals are followed by written confirmation. |
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| Project folder is updated as the project progresses. Notes, decisions, and open items are logged in real time. | ||
| Every drawing revision is saved with its revision number. Prior revisions are not deleted. | ||
| Field notes from site visits are added to the project folder within 24 hours of the visit. | ||
| Open items log is current. Every open item has an owner and a target close date. | ||
| Vendor communications that affect scope or schedule are saved to the project folder. |
The as-built is a legal document. Close it correctly.
The project is not complete when the system runs. It is complete when the folder is closed. The as-built drawing and the complete project folder are what protect both the customer and the engineer on every conversation that happens after the project ends.
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| ! | All field redlines are collected from every trade. Electrical, mechanical, controls. | |
| ! | As-built drawing is updated to reflect all field changes. Every redline is incorporated. | |
| ! | As-built drawing is reviewed by the engineer of record before final delivery to customer. | |
| ! | As-built drawing is delivered to the customer and receipt is confirmed. | |
| ! | Machine-level setpoints on the as-built match what is programmed in the PLC. Discrepancies are resolved before close. | |
| ! | WMS handshake is confirmed in the field. The live system is producing correct routing decisions under real load conditions. |
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| ! | Maintenance documentation is delivered to the customer. Maintenance schedule, lubrication intervals, belt tension intervals, and filter replacement schedules are all included. | |
| ! | Maintenance team at the facility has been introduced to every serviceable component in the system and how to access it. | |
| System limitations from the proposal are confirmed in the as-built documentation. Nothing has changed without the customer's knowledge. | ||
| Any product or condition encountered during commissioning that was not in the original design scope is documented. | ||
| ! | Customer sign-off on system acceptance is received and saved to the project folder. |
| Done | Checklist Item | Notes / Open Items |
|---|---|---|
| ! | As-built drawing is in the project folder. | |
| ! | Final proposal as delivered is in the project folder. | |
| ! | Completed MHA Project Checklist is in the project folder. | |
| All calculator outputs are in the project folder and labeled. | ||
| ! | MHA layered flow diagram, all four layers, are in the project folder. | |
| ! | Product Spec Calc final version is in the project folder. | |
| All vendor quotes and final vendor invoices are in the project folder. | ||
| Change orders are in the project folder with customer approvals. | ||
| Lessons learned are documented. What would you do differently on the next project. | ||
| ! | The project folder is complete. Another engineer can open it and understand the full history of this project without asking the engineer of record a single question. |
Project folder is complete. As-built is delivered. Customer has accepted the system.