Warehouse layout and efficient flow

Even the best team works slowly and makes errors if the warehouse is poorly organised. Where goods are stored how aisles run and where processes are located have a major impact on how quickly and safely work can be done. Good flow is something you design — not something that happens by itself.

Think of the warehouse as a flow of goods: in at receipt, to placement, to picking, to packing and out at dispatch. When the layout follows this flow, you avoid goods and people crossing unnecessarily. Short, logical paths save time and reduce the risk of collisions.

Not all goods are picked equally often. Fast-moving goods are placed close to the packing area and at good working height, so they are quick and easy to reach. Rarely picked goods can be farther away or higher up. This simple prioritisation — often called ABC thinking — can significantly reduce the walking distance in picking.

• 01Fixed zones for receiving, warehouse, picking, packing, and shipping.
• 02Clear labelling of aisles, shelves and locations so placements are unambiguous.
• 03Separate routes for trucks and pedestrians where possible.
• 04Space to clarify deviations and space for returns and scrapped items.

Layout and safety go together. The Danish Working Environment Authority's guideline on the design of workplaces (VEJ no. 10132 of 01/10/2026) describes how the Authority administers the rules in practice:

• 01Vehicle and pedestrian traffic must as a rule be separated, and crossing traffic must as a rule be avoided.
• 02Avoid sharp corners that create blind spots — or make the traffic one-way.
• 03Flexible doors and gates must as a rule be transparent where forklift trucks drive through.
• 04Walkways with a lot of traffic in both directions must be wide enough for two people to pass each other freely.
• 05If goods are transported at a height of more than 2 metres, it must be clearly marked where pedestrians can move safely — e.g. with a roof over the walkway.
• 06Floor separations, mezzanines, ramps and driving plates must carry information on — and where relevant be marked with — the maximum permitted load.

The layout must also ensure free escape routes, and that heavy unit loads are handled low and stable and are not stacked higher than racks and equipment are designed for.

The chart shows Denmark's warehouse buildings by size, according to the BBR. Notice that most warehouses are small. The large terminals are few, but that is where rack driving at height, narrow-aisle trucks and separated traffic really matter.

The area is the building's total area in the BBR, and the chart only counts code 323, «warehouse building».

A well-organized warehouse with a thoughtful flow makes every workday faster, safer, and with fewer errors—that's logistics that works in practice.