Work through this in order. No calculator anywhere on this page. Draw the flow first, then separate the four flows, then classify the assumptions, then Riverside.
In your own words, name the difference between a layout and a design. Then give one specific decision a layout-first approach produces, and say where a flow-first approach would land instead.
Here's the skeleton of an outbound flow. Fill each block with a process step or functional area, in the order material moves. Then read it out loud. If a transition has no arrow into it, you found a gap.
Every material flow has its own origin, destination, and handling. For each one, write its start, its end, and one thing about it that differs from the outbound flow.
Every flow diagram rides on assumptions. Mark each one safe (being wrong is cheap to fix) or unsafe (being wrong forces a redesign). Then circle the ones you'd confirm in writing before the design goes any further.
| Assumption on the diagram | Your call |
|---|---|
| Peak volume will hold near the number the customer gave verbally | SafeUnsafe |
| The label print station takes about the same time whether the order is one line or five | SafeUnsafe |
| Product dimensions match the spec sheet the customer emailed | SafeUnsafe |
| The empty-tote return can share the outbound lane during a lull | SafeUnsafe |