The Material flow warehouse describes the entirety of all movements of goods, materials and goods within a warehouse — from incoming goods to storage, picking and internal transportation to outgoing goods. A well-planned material flow is a key success factor in logistics, as it directly influences throughput times, the error rate and the utilization of personnel and warehouse technology. The aim of an optimized warehouse material flow is to minimize routes, times and costs while increasing transparency, speed and efficiency in warehouse operations.
The material flow warehouse includes:
These processes can be manual, partially automated or fully automated.
In an e-commerce warehouse, incoming products are first recorded as incoming goods and posted directly to a warehouse management system. Storage is then carried out according to the principle of short distances. When an order is placed, the articles are removed via defined picking paths, automatically transported to the packing station and then handed over to dispatch. This clear structure accelerates the flow of materials and reduces errors.
Important optimization measures include well-thought-out warehouse layout planning, clear routing, the use of conveyor technology and digital warehouse management systems. Methods such as FIFO, zone picking or cross-docking also contribute to an efficient material flow.
