Using our warehouse design and optimization experience, we help our customers improve their business in quality, efficiency, and cost. When customizing solutions, our starting point is always the defined and verified business needs – both those known today and those expected within the short- to mid-term horizons.
We have successfully carried out more than 100 warehouse design and redesign projects. Our client portfolio covers a wide range of sectors – from dry, fresh and frozen food to consumer packaged goods (CPG / FMCG), automotive and industrial goods, manufacturers, as well as brick and mortar and online retailers.Â
Our capabilities include the green-field design of the whole building and site, the interior layout of existing empty buildings and re-work of operational warehouses.
Technology is making an increasing impact on warehouse operations. Whether this is RFID or PbV replacing scan events, automation replacing forklifts for full pallet movements, automated case picking or put to light systems, our operational experience ensures that you have access to the latest possibilities while ensuring there is real ROI from the solution being considered.Â
Our engagement in the process includes:
Express Audit
The Express Audit focuses on examining the process and the situation in general, understanding the current and future requirements and addressing existing limitations and inefficiencies. At this stage, we identify the feasible and actionable elements that can lead to quick wins and generic optimization (“work better”), and where applicable, we present the opportunities laying in more in-depth process reorganization (“work differently”).
Master Planning
If the Express Audit indicates sizable opportunities in the area of “work differently, ” we proceed to Master Planning. This phase is driven by the analysis of historical data from warehouse movements and their assumed growth forecasts. These analyses allow us to create and parameterize the “material flow” model. This model serves as a tool for assessing the application of alternative solutions, their capacity and cost-effectiveness.
Each alternative solution is quantified in terms of predicted implementation costs and internal return rate (IRR), allowing our client to make an initial decision on the solution and move on to the next phase.
Supplier Preselection
After the successful completion of Master Planning, we support our customers in preparing tender(s) for warehouse equipment and systems and help them reach the list of appropriate suppliers. We assist in analysing and negotiating suppliers’ offers, both in the purchase and subsequent maintenance costs.
Our approach is based on “Supplier Scorecard” with a clearly defined weight of elements such as investment value, IRR, reliability, flexibility and adaptability of the solution and other relevant criteria specified during the process.
Detailed Design/Supplier Contract Award
Depending on the solution’s complexity and scale, we often recommend that our customers carry out a Detailed Design of the solution with the pre-selected vendor(s) before the main implementation contract(s) is signed.
Such an approach avoids the risk of “scope creep” from the very beginning. After our client shortlists the suppliers and then signs a letter of intent with the preferred one(s), we help proceed with the Detailed Design.
Throughout this phase, we rigorously follow the initial design assumptions, including detailed capital expenditure plan and IRR, to ensure that the supplier adheres to the promised parameters. Once the project meets expectations, the contract is awarded to the supplier(s).
We also support our clients in preparing and signing contracts for both the implementation and maintenance SLA.
Implementation and Post-go Live Support
We have skilled resources to support implementation at every level, including responsibility for the overall Programme Management. Our associates have participated and are involved in developing many warehouse solutions, handling tens of thousands of orders daily. We have had the opportunity to participate in many of these ventures from an early stage, which allows us to understand better the transformation they have undergone.
Our customers regularly express their appreciation for our continuous support in improving and adapting their warehouses to the growing and rapidly-changing business environment. In many cases, our initial “Express Audit” led to a long-term support relationship.
Typical Considerations During Warehouse Design
- Historical data and growth plans to understand requirements as well as to detect current/future bottlenecks and inefficiency areas
- The capacity of the building/layout (storage, processing goods and supplementary areas)
- The capacity of throughput - the flow of the product through the building, bottlenecks
- The potential variety of process (the storage conditions, e.g. temperature control, product characteristics or order size and type)
- Flexibility for seasonality, growth and new products
- Productivity/efficiency of the potential solutions and resultant costs
- Labour dependency - manual vs mechanical handling and resultant IRR
- IT solutions (warehouse management and supporting systems, e.g. EDI, returns and claims management)
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Case Studies
Selected Projects
Comprehensive 3PL audit and improvement programme for warehouse and transportation
Reconstruction of dry food and non food supply chain of leading Polish retailer. It included: planning, ordering, stock management warehouse location, tender management for new 3PL partner (DC and transportation) plus implementation support
Establish automation programme of key warehouse facilities in five European countries using external financing.
Select and contract 3PL for omnichannel DC (70.000 m2), select and contract automation vendor, implement selected solution.
Process improvement and cost reduction of the central retail and e-com warehouse.
Consolidation and streamlining of warehouse processes.. Select and contract new warehouse.
Redesign warehouse and picking strategy, identify gaps in stock management. Overall reduction of the warehouse space do to stock optimization initiatives
Graphene Partners is supporting a mid-sized regional 3PL to optimise their warehousing and transport operations and design a plan for profitable mid- and long-term growth, including support for Client relationship management and organisational re-design
Graphene Partners redesigned warehouse processes and transport network design for a leading garden products producer and distributor, to deliver over 10% annual cost savings.
Reconstruction of dry food and non food supply chain of leading Polish retailer. Scope includes: planning, ordering, stock management warehouse location, tender management for new 3PL partner (DC and transportation) and implementation.
We were designing and executing a competitive tender process and developing an ‘in house logistics’ cost model to prepare a fair and objective comparative business case for the stakeholders
Negotiations, contracting 3PL responsible for warehousing and distribution transport, 3PL tender leading and contracting
3PL tender leading (DC and transportartion domestic and international), negotiations and contracting, plus stock optimisation.
3PL tender leading (warehouse and transportation), negotiations and contracting
3PL tender leading, negotiations and contracting (warehouse and transportation).
3PL processes audit and improvement (warehouse and transportation)
Supply chain business processes modeling and standardization. Implementation of different IT solutions (SAP, JDA, real time inventory control systems, voice picking) in different countries and locations (EMEA)