When it comes to retrofitting or building new logistics facilities, shelving systems play an important role. The market offers a wide range of different shelving systems. If you want to invest in optimally tailored storage technology, you have to choose from a constantly growing wealth of information to find those that meet your future requirements. With this in mind, the German Association for Storage and Retrieval Systems (VLB) began more than 50 years ago to compile this information and provide the market with an easy-to-understand overview. It was first published in 1971 as the specialist manual "Lagertechnik & Betriebseinrichtungen", which has been continuously updated since then.

The VLB has now made the specialist manual available on a digital platform as a modern planning assistant. The web tool is designed to provide a quick overview of which shelving system or operating equipment is best suited to the individual application. The planning assistant is divided into three areas: Storage, Shelving Systems and Operating Equipment. The storage section provides users with answers to basic questions. Among other things, it explains what storage means, what types of storage there are and what options are available. When it comes to shelving systems, the planning assistant first lists all the standard systems on the market. The systems are described and illustrated with pictures. In addition to the complete overview, filter functions can be used to determine suitable shelving systems for specific applications. Further information on the subject is divided into the sections "Planning aids and checklists", "Building law and fire protection" and "Safe operation of the warehouse". They have been compiled by members of the association and external experts. In the area of factory equipment, the focus is on safe storage solutions for clothing and tools and ergonomic workplace design.

It also provides an overview of all relevant standards and regulations. The results can be output as a PDF file in an "individual specialist manual". This provides the user with a specialist manual that is now tailored to their individual needs and contains all the information they need, from the checklist for preparing the planning, to information on building regulations, depreciation and the rack inspection.

The editors of materialfluss, the intralogistics trade journal, say: "An excellent tool!