CPL Warehouse Design & Operations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which slotting strategy places the fastest-moving SKUs closest to the shipping dock to minimize travel time?
- Random slotting
- Velocity-based slotting (Correct answer)
- Alphabetical slotting
- Family-group slotting
Correct answer: Velocity-based slotting
Velocity-based slotting assigns high-turnover (A-items) to locations nearest the outbound dock, reducing picker travel distance.
Question 2: A warehouse uses a 'fishbone' aisle layout. What is the primary advantage over a traditional straight-aisle design?
- Lower construction cost
- Reduced average travel distance for order pickers (Correct answer)
- Easier forklift navigation
- Higher storage density
Correct answer: Reduced average travel distance for order pickers
Fishbone (herringbone) layouts create diagonal cross-aisles that cut average picker travel distance by roughly 10–20% compared to straight-aisle grids.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a 'golden zone' in pick-face design?
- A reserved area for hazardous materials
- The ergonomic height range (waist-to-shoulder) where the most active SKUs are stored (Correct answer)
- A high-security cage for valuable inventory
- The zone nearest the receiving dock
Correct answer: The ergonomic height range (waist-to-shoulder) where the most active SKUs are stored
The golden zone (approximately knee-to-shoulder height) minimizes bending and reaching, so placing fast movers there reduces pick time and injury risk.
Question 4: In warehouse layout planning, what does 'clear height' refer to?
- The width of the main traffic aisle
- The usable vertical space from floor to the lowest overhead obstruction (Correct answer)
- The height of dock levelers
- The clearance between pallet rack uprights
Correct answer: The usable vertical space from floor to the lowest overhead obstruction
Clear height is the unobstructed vertical dimension inside the building, which determines the maximum rack height and cubic storage capacity.
Question 5: Which type of racking system is best suited for storing products that require strict first-in, first-out (FIFO) rotation without a pallet-mover entering the rack?
- Drive-in rack
- Push-back rack
- Pallet flow (gravity flow) rack (Correct answer)
- Cantilever rack
Correct answer: Pallet flow (gravity flow) rack
Pallet flow rack uses gravity rollers so pallets load from the rear and automatically advance to the pick face, ensuring FIFO without forklifts entering the lane.
Question 6: A distribution center is evaluating dock door requirements. Which calculation method is most appropriate for sizing the number of inbound doors?
- Total SKU count divided by average pallet height
- Peak daily trailer volume multiplied by average unload time divided by available dock hours (Correct answer)
- Annual throughput divided by warehouse square footage
- Number of employees divided by shift length
Correct answer: Peak daily trailer volume multiplied by average unload time divided by available dock hours
Dock door count is determined by peak volume and dwell time: (peak trailers × avg unload hours) ÷ available dock hours gives the doors needed to avoid queuing.
Question 7: What is 'slotting optimization' in a warehouse context?
- Scheduling forklift maintenance windows
- The process of assigning SKUs to storage locations to minimize labor and improve throughput (Correct answer)
- Balancing employee headcount across shifts
- Designing the dock scheduling board
Correct answer: The process of assigning SKUs to storage locations to minimize labor and improve throughput
Slotting optimization uses sales velocity, cube, weight, and ergonomic data to assign products to the storage locations that minimize total picker travel and handling cost.
CPL Warehouse Design & Operations 2
Which slotting strategy places the fastest-moving SKUs closest to the shipping dock to minimize travel time?