Efficiency is an economic advantage within all business operations, no matter what kind of industry you’re in. These days, establishing an optimal warehouse strategy is crucial, with every element contributing towards your ability to utilise the storage space you have on hand.
In this post, we show you 25 ways that your business can benefit from successful storage strategies, and increase output in your company.
Establishing a high-efficiency warehouse
- Start with minimal stock
Strategising warehouse storage starts with understanding the stock your business carries. Consider what’s necessary to be kept in your warehouse, and how you can best utilise your space across the board.
- Strategically source your space
Your business model, clients, distribution, and products are all factors requiring consideration when you’re looking for room to move. Carefully assess your location, logistics, and turnover rate when selecting your space, to best maximise your margins and operations.
- Work with your building’s features
Any obstacles or characteristics of your building should be factored in wherever possible. For example: is a split-storey warehouse the right fit for your stock? Or are your items height-heavy and require taller ceilings? You can also maximise the area you have to work with by installing systems like pallet racking.
- Streamline all objects
Unnecessary objects and clutter detract from a well-run warehouse. They can also hinder your workers and halt stock flow. Because of this, it’s best to eliminate clutter or excess inventory.
- Install a ‘false floor’ to store flat stock
If you have flat or low-lying stock, a ‘false floor’ in sections of your space may be a space-saviour. Like mezzanines, the gap can enable you to place storage shelves over it, and keep less frequently accessed items, like packaging, beneath them.
- Section your vertical space
Having a dividing ‘floor’ installed in a way that makes your goods accessible means that your vertical space is fully maximised wherever possible.
- How high can you stack your products?
Warehouses often have high ceilings. Our storage solutions stack vertically, allowing you to free up room on your warehouse floor, allowing for more volume and better organisation.
- Match your packaging with your product
If your products are stored alongside your packaging, ensure that they’re well paired. Excess packaging makes for an inefficiently managed space, which could be better utilised.
- Store non-priority items off-site
Storage is a precious, accessible commodity. If your inventory is being transported efficiently, it’s essential to have fast-selling items on hand. This may mean moving seasonal items off-site, along with any non-vital stock.
- Manage excess items
If your business has excess inventory in immediately accessible locations, relocating these items could prove to be valuable. This means strategically sorting through your current stock and seeing where slower-selling or excess items lie. You may want to store these in another, off-site location, where they can be accessed as required.
- Minimise negative space
In many ways, efficient warehousing is like a game of Tetris. Some pieces need to fit together within a set area, and the better the fit, the more that can be packed in. This means paying attention to the small details, like the proximity of shelves to walls, doors, and other building features.
- Match your storage slots
Ensuring that you have matching spots within your pallets that ‘click’ together, is a smart strategy. Although seemingly a small matter, any gaps add up to better-utilised space as a whole.
- Excess aisle width is useful – make the most of it
Aisles are a necessity in warehouses, both for the movement of your goods and for orientation purposes. Make sure that vehicles, people, and stock can freely flow within the allocated area.
- Use the area above and below pallet racking
Pallets are designed with function, strength, and utility in mind. Like those that we carry in our range, these solutions offer negative space where items like packaging can be stored alongside products, all for easy access.
- Plan the arrangement around your staff
Your warehouse floor space and storage is a vital element to your business – and so are your employees. An efficiently-run area like this has not only well-planned items in mind but also logic inbuilt into it. In the end, this all allows for easily located goods.
- Group similar items together
When orders come through, it’s useful to analyse which items are commonly bought together, and arrange them accordingly. Think about how easy it is to go from order to delivery, and do your best to make the most direct A to B connection.
- Section your stock
Having clear, logically thought-out stock sections is a clear factor for successful space. With pickers moving throughout the day, it’s best to minimise trips to maximise margins.
- Place high turnover inventory within easy reach
The time it takes for your employees to reach stock is valuable. Placing high-turnover stock in easily accessible areas where little movement is required is a crucial move for efficient operations.
- Streamline foot traffic
The aisles of your space are comparable to streets. Planning the flow of your employees – whether on foot or wheels – minimises interferences along routes, and increases output.
- Have several sizes of pick slots of hand
Pickers are crucial for streamlined operations. The slots in which products are held can be various sizes, for multiple items. With the correct pick size, your stock can be secured and maximally transported, making your operations streamlined and safe.
- Consider how your whole business uses the area
Each business has sections of space for specific activities. Upon examining your own business, you might discover that there are roomy locations in other areas that could be used maximally for storage.
- Move unnecessary operations to other places
For example, if your packing and shipping department is located within your warehouse, yet your business needs that space for stock, it may prove beneficial to relocate this section elsewhere.
- Group scattered goods
If you have several warehouses with the same item in each, it may be advantageous to hold these items under one roof instead.
- Prioritise stock flow
Prioritising this process is the basis for a successful storage strategy. With a clear insight into how often your items sell, you’ll have a clear indicator of what your warehouse needs to hold, and what it doesn’t.
- Ensure that your shelves fit your stock
The size of your items is best matched with the size of their respective storage solution. Consider the type of objects you stock, their size and height, and fit shelving that matches closely to allow for smart space use.
Our range of designs offers a variety of solutions for your business. To find out more about how we can help you with installation, or to request a consultation, contact our friendly team members now.