Services
Services
Factory planning, warehouse planning and production logistics — three fields, one method.
In brief
Bross Consulting plans production and logistics systems in three fields: factory planning arranges the entire factory structure, warehouse planning dimensions storage and order picking, and production logistics plans material flow and supply. All three follow the same data-based procedure — from analysis through assessed variants to an implementation-ready concept.
Factory planning
Factory planning arranges the entire production spatially and structurally: which areas belong together, how large they must be, how material flows through the plant, and what layout reconciles capacity, routes and future expansion. It starts from objectives and data and ends with an implementation-ready detail layout, including approval and tender documents.
Where the boundary runs. Factory planning is the overarching discipline: it defines where production, storage and traffic routes sit and how they interact. Warehouse planning and production logistics are sub-fields that fill in this frame — factory planning sets the frame in which both have to work.
How to recognise the need. A new build, a relocation, a capacity increase, a change of product — or a layout that has grown into its space and flow limits.
More on the factory planning page; workstation-level assembly planning is one aspect of it.
Warehouse planning
Warehouse planning dimensions storage and order-picking areas and selects the right technology: capacity and coverage, storage and conveyor technology, picking strategy, floor space and staffing. The aim is a warehouse that delivers the required put-away and retrieval performance at a reasonable investment and footprint.
Where the boundary runs. While factory planning fixes the warehouse's location and size within the plant, warehouse planning designs its interior in detail. What sets it apart from production logistics is the focus: warehouse planning organises storage and picking, production logistics the flow from there to production.
How to recognise the need. Full warehouses despite falling stock, long picking routes, an open technology decision — or the planning of a standalone distribution centre.
More on the warehouse planning page.
Production logistics
Production logistics plans material flow and supply within production: material provision at the workstation, transport concepts such as tugger train systems, staging and buffer areas, and the analysis and optimisation of material flows. Its basis is the material flow analysis, which makes sources, sinks and flow intensities visible.
Where the boundary runs. Production logistics connects what factory and warehouse planning arrange: it plans neither the structure (that is factory planning) nor the stock-keeping (that is warehouse planning), but the flow in between — getting the right material in the right quantity to the point of use at the right time.
How to recognise the need. Supply bottlenecks at the line, high internal transport effort, a switch to cycle-timed assembly, or a growing number of variants.
More in the logistics concept and the material flow analysis.
How a project runs
Whatever the field, a project follows the phase structure of VDI 5200 — from setting objectives through project basis, concept and detail to realization and ramp-up. Each phase produces a reviewable result before the next begins. How the seven phases are structured in detail is set out in our account of factory planning to VDI 5200.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does factory planning cost?
Planning services are usually charged by effort; VDI 5200 contains no fee model. The order of magnitude depends on project scope, level of detail and where the service boundary is drawn — above all whether the mandate ends at concept planning or runs through to implementation. A reliable figure emerges after the first phase, when the work-package plan is fixed.
How long does a planning project take?
From a few weeks for a single segment to several years for a greenfield plant. The early phases up to the assessed variant usually account for the smaller part of the calendar time, but the largest part of the planning value created.
From what size is external planning worthwhile?
Scale matters less than consequence: as soon as conflicting objectives arise between capacity, floor space, investment and ongoing operations, or an independent, transparently assessed variant decision is needed, external planning is worthwhile — including for mid-sized projects.
What is the difference between factory planning and warehouse planning?
Factory planning arranges the entire production, including its logistics, spatially and structurally. Warehouse planning is a sub-field of it: the detailed design of the storage and picking areas. A pure distribution centre can also be planned on its own as warehouse planning.
When do you need production logistics rather than factory planning alone?
As soon as the question is not the structure but the flow: how the line is supplied, with which transport equipment, in which provision form. Production logistics starts where the layout is set and supply has to work in cycle.
About the source
These services are provided by Bross Consulting, an engineering and management consultancy for factory, warehouse and logistics planning with offices in Munich, Berlin and Stuttgart. The planning methodology is the responsibility of Dr.-Ing. Florian Bross, Managing Partner.