PART I | LESSON 2: THE WAREHOUSE ECOSYSTEM MATERIAL HANDLING ACADEMY
DRIVING QUESTION How does a warehouse actually work?
Warehouse flow diagram: receiving and verification, storage, order prep, consolidation, and dispatch in sequence, with arrows for internal transport and an information flow line returning beneath from dispatch to receiving.

The five core tasks as a single flow. Product moves forward; information flows back.

Flow Type

Simple

Pallet in, pallet out. No picking, no repackaging, no splitting.

Medium

Pallets broken down and assembled into mixed orders.

Complex

Multiple areas, multiple product types, systems that must cooperate.

ABC Rotation

A: High Rotation

Moves constantly. Belongs closest to dispatch. Carries the most throughput demand.

B: Regular

Moves regularly but not constantly. Reliable access, no urgency.

C: Low Rotation

Moves rarely. Lives in the far corners. Usually the last thing worth automating.

DESIGN PRINCIPLE See the system, not the building.