Of all the areas under the control of distribution management the structure of the distribution system is arguably the most important. The siting of depots has a major influence on costs and other factors, and a critical look at the depot situations can lead to a re‐appraisal of a network. Scientific methods have their place but management judgment is invaluable in order to produce practical and acceptable solutions. The second part of this feature, which takes the form of a case study, will be published in our next issue.