This is a comprehensive explanatory document regarding facility investments and hub planning for distribution centers, including the useful life and lease estimation for automated pallet warehouses, comparison between in-house construction and renting, bank loan repayment simulations, and construction cost examples in Sagamihara City.
Because an automated warehouse combines elements such as "building," "racks (shelving)," "cranes (mechanical equipment)," and "control systems (software)," the useful life differs depending on the asset classification for tax purposes.
| Asset Classification | Main Targets | Statutory Useful Life (Approx.) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machinery and Equipment | Stacker cranes, transport conveyors, storage/retrieval control units | 10 Years | Applied as "Logistics Machinery/Equipment" or "Warehouse Industry Equipment" |
| Tools, Furniture and Fixtures | Steel racks (shelving), pallets, etc. | 8 - 12 Years | Depends on rack structure and fixation method |
| Software | WMS / WCS (Warehouse Control System) | 5 Years | Intangible fixed asset (software for internal use) |
| Building Attachments | Integrated automated warehouse building, fire prevention/electrical equipment | 15 - 31 Years | In the case of building-integrated automated warehouses (rack-built) |
In accounting practice, it is common to either lump the entire facility together as "Machinery and Equipment (10-year useful life)" or to proportionally divide and depreciate it into the "Rack part (12 years)" and the "Control part (5 to 10 years)."
When you do not purchase equipment with your own funds or bank loans but instead use a finance lease, the monthly lease fee is composed of the following elements.
| Estimation Item | Calculation Formula | Amount (Excl. Tax) |
|---|---|---|
| Property Main Body Price | — | 200,000,000 Yen |
| Monthly Lease Fee | 200 Million Yen × 0.95% | 1,900,000 Yen / Month |
| Annual Lease Fee | 1.90 Million Yen/month × 12 months | 22,800,000 Yen / Year |
| Total Lease Fee for 10 Years | 1.90 Million Yen/month × 120 months | 228,000,000 Yen |
| (Recalculation: Total Interest, Tax, Insurance) | Total 228 Million Yen - Main Body 200 Million Yen | 28,000,000 Yen (+14% relative to main body) |
* In addition to the above, daily manufacturer maintenance costs (OPEX: approx. 6 to 10 million yen annually) will be incurred separately.
| Comparison Item | Purchase (10-Year Straight-Line Depreciation) | 10-Year Finance Lease |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Cash Outflow | 200 Million Yen (or execution of borrowing) | 0 Yen (Only the first monthly fee) |
| 1st Year Expensing (P/L) | Depreciation Expense 20 Million Yen / Year | Lease Fee 22.8 Million Yen / Year |
| Interest & Total Cost | Bank borrowing interest only (Low total cost) | Includes fees, taxes, and insurance (Total cost slightly higher) |
| Fixed Asset Tax & Payment Administration | Requires in-house declaration, payment, and management | Handled by the lease company (No administrative burden) |
| Ownership After Period Ends | Self-ownership (Can be used for free from the 11th year onwards) | Return or Re-lease (Continue at e.g., 1/10 of the annual amount) |
| Comparison Item | Floor Stacking / Pallet Racks + Lift | PL Automated Warehouse (Pallet AS/RS) |
|---|---|---|
| Main Overview | Install racks in existing warehouse, lift operators travel to handle cargo | Stacker cranes travel automatically in high-rise 3D racks |
| Initial Investment (CAPEX) | Low (Approx. 10 - 20 Million Yen) | High (Approx. 200 Million Yen) |
| Required Tsubo Area (Assuming 1,000 PL) | Approx. 350 - 500 Tsubo | Approx. 100 - 150 Tsubo (Max 70% area reduction) |
| Effective Use of Ceiling Height | Low (Up to about 5-6m) | Extremely High (Utilizes space of 10-20m or more) |
| Required Labor Costs (Workers) | High (3-5 resident lift operators) | Extremely Low (About 1 person for input) |
[Warehouses that should choose Floor Stacking / Pallet Rack operation]
[Warehouses that should choose a PL Automated Warehouse (200 Million Yen scale)]
・Storage Efficiency Improvement: 250 tsubo reduction × 6,000 yen = 1.50 Million Yen / Month
・Labor Saving Effect: Reduction of 3 lift operators = 1.20 Million Yen / Month
・[Total Effect] 2.70 Million Yen / Month (Monthly Balance: +200,000 Yen/Month Surplus)
・Storage Efficiency Improvement: 200 tsubo reduction × 10,000 yen = 2.00 Million Yen / Month
・Labor Saving Effect: Reduction of 1.5 lift operators = 600,000 Yen / Month
・[Total Effect] 2.60 Million Yen / Month (Monthly Balance: +100,000 Yen/Month Surplus)
・Storage Efficiency Improvement: 150 tsubo reduction × 5,000 yen = 750,000 Yen / Month
・Labor Saving Effect: Reduction of 4 lift operators = 1.80 Million Yen / Month
・Mis-shipment / Accident Reduction: 100,000 Yen / Month
・[Total Effect] 2.65 Million Yen / Month (Monthly Balance: +150,000 Yen/Month Surplus)
| Item | [Standard / Low-cost Specifications] | [High-spec / Prime Location Specifications] |
|---|---|---|
| Land Purchase Cost (3,000 tsubo) | 1.20 billion yen (400k yen/tsubo) | 1.80 billion yen (600k yen/tsubo) |
| Building Main Body Construction Cost (1,800 tsubo) | 1.17 billion yen (650k yen/tsubo) | 1.53 billion yen (850k yen/tsubo) |
| Exterior and Civil Engineering Construction Cost | 0.08 billion yen | 0.12 billion yen |
| Design, Application, and Incidental Costs | 0.05 billion yen | 0.08 billion yen |
| [Total Cost (excluding tax)] | 2.50 billion yen | 3.53 billion yen |
| Cost Item | ① In-house Construction (Ownership) | ② Leased Property (10-year use) | Remarks / Supplementary Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Investment (CAPEX) | 3.00 Billion Yen | 0.12 Billion Yen | ① Land 1.5B + Building 1.5B / ② Deposit + Cat. C works |
| Monthly Fixed Payments (10-year cumulative) | 0 Yen (Excluding loan repayment) | 1.08 Billion Yen | Rent + CAM (9 million yen/month × 120 months) |
| [Total Expenditure over 10 years] | 3.43 Billion Yen | 1.26 Billion Yen | Cumulative pure cash out |
| Retained Residual Value after 10 years | ▲ 2.20 Billion Yen (Asset) | 0 Yen | Land 1.5B + Building remaining depreciation approx. 0.7B |
| [Actual Retention Cost over 10 years] | 1.23 Billion Yen | 1.26 Billion Yen | Total expenditure - Asset value after 10 years (Roughly equal at year 10) |
| Cash Outflow / Cost Item | ① In-house Construction (3 Billion loan, 20-year repayment) | ② Leased Property (10-year use) | Difference / Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Total Cash Out over 10 years] | 2.168 Billion Yen | 1.260 Billion Yen | ① is +0.908 Billion Yen more |
| Net Asset Impact after 10 years | ▲ 0.118 Billion Yen | 0 Yen | Assets 1.5B - Liabilities 1.618B |
| [Actual Burden Amount over 10 years] | 2.286 Billion Yen | 1.260 Billion Yen | Actual burden including net asset movements |
・ Focus on Capital Efficiency & Expansion Speed: It is advantageous to choose "Leasing," where the initial cash out is over 900 million yen less, and invest those funds in material handling equipment or business expansion.
・ Focus on Ultra-long-term Fixed Cost Reduction & Asset Formation: "In-house Construction (Financing)" holds a long-term advantage, as the annual fixed costs plummet to about 35 million yen (taxes and maintenance only) after the loan is paid off (from the 21st year onwards).