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Why so many warehouses sit west of downtown
Salt Lake City is a crossroads. I-15 runs north and south, I-80 runs east and west, Union Pacific rail lines meet here, and Salt Lake City International Airport carries air freight as well as passengers. Much of the land between the airport and the Great Salt Lake has filled with distribution centers, and the state has set up an inland port authority to develop logistics in that northwest area.
Beyond warehousing, the city is home to financial services firms, including several industrial banks, along with regional health systems and the University of Utah, which support a steady stream of medical, lab and research suppliers. Headquarters of outdoor and consumer brands are here too, many running their fulfillment from the same valley.
For a Business Central project, this mix means the warehouse design usually carries more weight than the chart of accounts. Receiving, put-away, picking and shipping must be quick and accurate, because customers downstream judge the business by whether the right carton arrives. Finance feels that accuracy directly in inventory value and customer credits.
Designing warehouse flow in Business Central, one decision at a time
- 1
Choose the level of warehouse control
Business Central can run simple locations, bins with basic receipts and shipments, or directed put-away and pick. We match the level to your volume instead of defaulting to the most complex.
- 2
Lay out bins the way people walk
Bin codes follow aisles, bays and shelves, and fast movers get zones near the dock. The setup mirrors the building so pickers trust it.
- 3
Pick a scanning approach
Barcode scanning usually comes from an AppSource mobile warehouse app. We compare a couple against your devices and workflows before you commit.
- 4
Decide how orders are released
Waves, single orders or batch picking by carrier cutoff: the release rule affects labor more than any other setting.
- 5
Prove it on the floor
We run real orders through a test environment with your leads holding the scanners, then fix what slows them down.
Salt Lake Valley operations we set up
Third-party logistics
3PLs storing goods for several clients need owner-level inventory, storage and handling charges, and billing that follows activity.
Ecommerce fulfillment
Brands shipping direct to consumers connect web stores, carriers and returns, with stock synced so oversells stay rare.
Medical and lab supply
Suppliers to hospitals and research labs track lots, expiry dates and temperature-controlled storage zones.
Financial services back office
Lenders and card issuers use Business Central for corporate accounting, vendor payments and intercompany allocations.
Warehouse details we settle before go-live
- ✓Units of measure for eaches, inner packs, cases and pallets
- ✓Which items need lot or serial capture at receiving
- ✓Cycle count frequency by item class
- ✓How damaged or returned goods are held and inspected
- ✓Carrier integration for labels and tracking numbers
- ✓Transfer rules between buildings in the valley
What Salt Lake City operators ask us
Can Business Central run a 3PL business?
It can run the accounting and inventory side, with some care. Business Central is not a dedicated 3PL warehouse system, so activity-based storage billing usually needs an extension or an integration with a 3PL platform. Smaller 3PLs often manage well with standard features and a billing routine. We look at your client count and billing model before recommending one path.
Do we need a separate warehouse management system?
Not always, and many distributors never do. Directed put-away and pick, bins and mobile scanning cover a lot of ground. Very high pick volumes, automation such as conveyors, or complex slotting may justify a specialist system connected to Business Central. We will tell you if you have reached that point.
How do you work with Utah teams from Arizona?
Mostly over video, with on-site visits planned for warehouse sessions. Utah observes daylight saving and Arizona does not, so in summer your day starts an hour before ours, and we book around that. Floor walks and scanner training are the usual reasons we travel. Those dates go into the written plan.
Can we connect Shopify and our carriers at the same time?
Yes, and it is a common setup here. Microsoft's Shopify connector brings in orders and pushes stock levels, and a shipping app handles labels and rates. The order of operations matters: pick, pack, label, then post the shipment. We test that sequence with real orders before go-live.
What happens during our peak season?
We avoid cutting over during it. Go-live is scheduled in a quieter period so the team learns the new system before volume climbs. Peak-season readiness is part of the test plan too. We simulate a heavy day in the sandbox before the real one arrives.
Talk to us about your project.
Tell us what you run today and what has to change. A senior consultant replies with a written next step.