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Warehouse Slotting and Pick Path Calculator
Upload three files, a location master, WMS transaction history, and an inventory snapshot, to velocity-slot your SKUs. The tool derives true pick velocity from line-level history, maps every slot (including empties) from the master, then assigns the fastest movers to the best open locations under your chosen approach and golden-face limit. Calculations run server-side; your files are never stored.
Every slot incl. empties (one pick face per row). Map aisle/bay/level, or leave them blank to parse the location code. Face dimensions are optional, stored now for the upcoming dimensional-fit check, not yet used.
One row per pick line. We count lines/day to find true fastest movers.
Where each SKU sits today. For Cube-velocity / COI, give a unit cube, or map product Length/Width/Height and the tool computes cube = L×W×H (WMS export dimensions, not a pre-computed cube). Use consistent units.
Ranks by pick frequency (lines/day), your fastest-picked items get the closest slots. The default; cuts total walking.
Leave golden faces blank to allow all physical golden slots. Ranking: Velocity = lines/day · Cube-velocity = units/day × cube · COI = cube ÷ lines/day.
Upload the location master, transaction history, and inventory snapshot, choose an approach, and run.
What this calculator does
This tool velocity-slots a warehouse. You upload three CSV files: a location master, WMS transaction history and an inventory snapshot. It derives pick velocity for each SKU from line-level history, builds every slot from the master including empty ones, assigns the fastest movers to the best open locations and reports the travel and labor saved along with the list of moves.
Inputs that matter
- Location master: a location code, or aisle, bay and level columns, with optional zone and dimensions.
- Transaction history: SKU and date, with optional quantity, location and order.
- Inventory snapshot: SKU and current location, with optional on-hand, cube, zone and a locked flag.
- Settings: slotting approach, travel speed, fixed handling time, aisle and bay spacing, a time penalty per level above the golden zone, the golden level limit and an optional golden face cap, working days per year and the fully burdened wage.
How it works
Velocity is each SKU's pick lines divided by the days in the history. A slot's travel distance is its aisle rank times aisle spacing plus the bays beyond the first times bay spacing. Pick time is the fixed handling time plus travel time at your speed plus the level penalty.
Slots at or below the golden level, and within the bay limit if you set one, form the golden band. The rest are split into forward and reserve at the median travel distance. SKUs are ranked by the chosen approach and assigned to the best open slot in their zone, respecting any golden cap. Locked SKUs stay put, and dead-stock SKUs (at or below the dead-stock threshold) are handled after the live ones.
Savings are the pick time difference between the current and recommended slot, times the SKU's pick lines, scaled from the history period to working days per year. Hours are priced at the wage to give dollars per year. The tool runs all three approaches and shows them side by side.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a golden zone?
- It is the set of best picking positions: slots at or below the golden level limit (level 2 by default) and, if you set a bay limit, close to the aisle front. The fastest-moving SKUs are assigned there first, up to the golden face cap.
- Which slotting approaches does it support?
- Velocity ranks SKUs by pick lines per day. Cube-velocity ranks by units per day times cube. COI ranks by cube divided by pick lines per day, with lower values placed closer. The tool computes all three and compares savings, travel and moves.
- How are the savings estimated?
- Only SKUs with a current location in the master are compared, and dead-stock SKUs and zone corrections are excluded. For each one the tool takes the pick time saved per line, multiplies by its pick lines, annualizes using working days per year and prices the hours at your wage.