Analytic Methods for Estimating Labor Requirements at a Parts Distribution Center

Picking and put-away operations must be executed quickly and eeciently in warehouses within multi-echelon supply chains. The ability to perform these picking and put-away tasks in a timely fashion is a function of the distance the workers must travel within the warehouse. Two analytic methods for estimating the labor requirements associated with these activities are presented. The rst method is a stochastic model in which demand at each location is described by a random variable. The second method is based on the assumption that demand is always equal to its expected value.