Ensuring the highest levels of efficiency at your warehouse is dependent upon having an effective storage system. Better material handling equipment such as racking solutions help you organize your products with greater efficiency and make the best use of your space. However, every warehouse and business is unique. Here are top tips with racking to help you improve your results.
Optimize the Space
Planning everything is a key step. Start with your layout. Talk to your racking manufacturer. Do they have the engineering experience and expertise to help you? Tell them what you need out of that space and they can help you design your system layout with an eye for full optimization.
Work on a Budget
Before you start ordering industrial storage racks , consider the cost of new racking solutions. Long term costs must be factored into this as well. For instance, a roll-formed system with a lower upfront cost may be plagued with costly repairs and replacement overtime. On the other hand a structural solution might cost more upfront, but will yield the better long term savings due to its durability.
Organize Your Products
What are your high and low throughput products? You will want to allocate most of your high and low throughput inventory into different types of racking that are designed to accommodate each. It’s about striking a balance between density and productivity that works for your application. That’s one way for your warehouse to stay efficient.
Use Your Vertical Space
Many companies waste their vertical space by floor stacking. The right racking solution can make better use of that wasted space. Investing in storage racks that you can scale too, as your operation grows, might be a wise decision. This is especially ideal if you plan to expand your operations down the line. With storage rack storing product at additional levels, you are making the best use of your warehouse space. Instead of adding on another building, why not work with what you have by trying to find a way to use the vertical spaces in your distribution center?
Keep Improving
You might have found the best possible layout for your warehouse floor right now. But that’s not going to work forever. Remember, as your business grows, so will its demands. You need to keep looking for ways to optimize your space and resources, which includes racking. Consider systems that offer you the opportunity to integrate additional technologies in the future. By recognizing that the needs of your business and teams will often change, you’ll always be one step ahead of them.
