Labeling and Signage Checklist for Opening a New Warehouse or Plant

Phase 1. Lock the location plan

Every label, sign, and WMS location comes from the same plan. Change the plan after printing and you pay for the labels twice.

Pick a naming convention and write it down

Decide the order of the fields: zone, aisle, bay, level, position. Use fixed-width fields with leading zeros, so aisle 1 is 01 and every code is the same length. Decide which side of each aisle is odd and which is even, and which way numbers run along the direction of travel. Put all of it in a one-page document your team and your suppliers work from. Our warehouse rack labeling best practices guide goes deeper on naming.

Leave room to grow

Reserve aisle and bay numbers for rack you plan to add later. Expansion is much easier when the new aisles already have numbers waiting for them.

Confirm the barcode format with your WMS

Ask your WMS team which barcode symbology to use, which characters are allowed, the maximum code length, and whether you will use check digits. Get the answer in writing before the label design starts.

• Naming convention documented
• Barcode format confirmed with the WMS team
• Check digit decision made

Phase 2. Build the location file and check it before printing

The location file is a list of every location code you will label. It usually comes from a WMS export, a slotting tool, or the rack drawings. If you don't have a file yet, CIS can build it from your rack drawings, as described in our warehouse label installation guide.

Before anything prints, check the file for the usual problems: duplicate codes, gaps in the sequence, inconsistent formats, lost leading zeros, and arrows or levels that don't match the rack. Our guide on how to check warehouse label data before printing walks through each one.

CIS can run your location file through the CIS Label Data Validator, which runs 16+ automated checks before production. For Zion Solutions Group, a supply chain automation integrator, running their location data through the CIS Label Data Validator before print caught errors that would have meant about $15,000 in reprints.

• One master location file
• File checked for errors
• Proof approved
• Pilot labels printed and scanned

Phase 3. Rack labels

Rack labels take the most abuse in the building. Pick them zone by zone, not as one order for the whole site.

Match material and adhesive to each zone

Ambient, freezer, outdoor, and wash-down areas each need the right face stock and adhesive. Freezer zones need a freezer-grade adhesive or a magnetic backing. The Warehouse Label and Sign Selection Matrix shows which label goes where.

Size labels for scan distance

Put long-range retro-reflective labels on upper beams, where operators scan from the floor or a lift. Plan on 10+ feet scan distance (typical for a long-range scanner). They are built for long service life. Standard labels work at pick level and on shelving, where scans happen at close range.

Write a placement standard

Choose one mounting height and position for each beam type and write it down for the installers. Labels that sit in the same spot on every beam are faster to find and faster to scan.

• Material and adhesive chosen for each zone
• Label size chosen for each level
• Placement standard written

Phase 4. Aisle signs and overhead signage

Signs tell people where they are before they ever scan a label, so plan them alongside the rack labels.

Plan aisle end signs that show the aisle number and bay range, hanging signs for bulk floor storage, dock door signs, and zone signs for receiving, staging, returns, and quarantine. Make the signs and labels follow one visual scheme, with the same numbering, colors, and fonts, so the building reads as one system.

• Sign schedule built by location
• Mounting method chosen
• Sign scheme matches the rack labels

Phase 5. Floor marking and safety lines

Floor marking keeps forklifts and people apart and shows where product belongs.

Mark aisles and pedestrian walkways, forklift lanes, staging areas, keep-clear zones, and bulk floor locations. OSHA requires permanent aisles and passageways to be appropriately marked. It does not require one specific color, and an OSHA interpretation letter says marking lines should be at least 2 inches wide. Check current OSHA guidance for your facility.

Choose tape or paint based on forklift traffic, and prep the floor before anything goes down. Marking applied to a dirty or sealed floor won't last.

CIS supplies floor labels and floor marking materials as part of a labeling project. Tell us what your floor plan calls for and we will quote it.

• Traffic plan drawn
• Color legend documented
• Floor prepped
• Markings applied

Phase 6. Coordinate with the rack install and WMS go-live

Labels go on last, but they have to be planned first.

Rack labels go on after the beams are set, inspected, and safety-cleared. Work back from your go-live date: data, proof, production, install, scan test. Agree who owns each step: operations, IT or the WMS team, the rack integrator, and the labeling supplier. Load the WMS locations from the same checked file the labels were printed from.

CIS offers project-managed installation. Share your go-live date and we will lay out an install plan for your building.

• Install window booked after rack sign-off
• WMS locations loaded from the same checked file

Phase 7. Scan-test before inventory arrives

The last step is to prove every location works before product moves in.

Scan every location with the scanners your team will actually use, or start with one full aisle, and confirm each scan matches the WMS record. Then run a full receive, putaway, pick, and ship dry run. If you need scanners for the test, see our barcoding equipment.

• Every location scanned
• Mismatches fixed
• Signs and floor marking walked

The full checklist (printable)

Opening a facility in Atlanta or North Georgia?

New industrial buildings keep coming online across metro Atlanta and along the I-85 and I-75 corridors. CIS is based in Winder and works with facilities across metro Atlanta and North Georgia. One team covers rack labels, signs, floor marking materials, and the data check. See warehouse rack labels in Atlanta and Georgia, or browse our warehouse barcode labels and material handling supplies.

15+ years in business | 500+ clients | 10K+ products delivered

Already operating? Audit your labeling.

What to send CIS for a new facility quote

• Floor plan
• Rack drawings or a location file
• Approximate number of rack locations
• Freezer, cold, or outdoor zones
• WMS and scanner type
• Target go-live date

Our pre-quote questionnaires cover the details. Send what you have now and the rest later.

Frequently asked questions