Warehouse space is expensive and one of the most important things to look at when optimizing your warehouse is storage efficiency.
Retail e-commerce sales climbed 27.6% in 2020, according to eMarketer, and are expected to grow another 14.3% in 2021. As a result of this growth in demand, warehouses are already scrambling to keep up.
The warehouse storage space is the heart of any company. You may have thousands of dollars of inventory and equipment stored there, and your employees rely on you to keep it safe and running without a hitch. The problem is that if you don’t have the right logistics system, then you could be making a high-risk situation even worse.
Improperly managed warehouse storage can cause serious injuries, break equipment and products, and waste thousands of dollars of inventory. For small businesses, a few simple changes can make the difference between an efficient inventory system and a warehouse disaster.
Here are a few action items on how to further optimize your warehouse storage and save money in the process.
Utilize All Available Space
Consider using vertical space rather than expanding your warehouse’s area. For example, rather than incurring additional costs, larger storage containers and the appropriate technology for picking and storing items can allow you to maintain more in the same square area.
Consider the type and quantity of shelving that will be used. For example, do not store small objects on pallet racks since they eat space and it’s easy to lose them.
You can use different types of storage for various commodities rather than using the same racks throughout your warehouse. Also, to keep shelves nice and ordered, use standardized bins.
Declutter Your Floor To Acquire Necessary Space
Whether you utilize a racking system or floor stacking, your floor space is precious because it is among the most accessible areas in your warehouse and should only be used to store active inventories.
Remove debris because these should not be filling up the most precious area in your warehouse, not simply because it is a safety threat. Sweep the warehouse regularly and transfer junk to appropriate trash cans.
If you have underutilized equipment in your warehouse, assess its condition and evaluate whether it can be resold. Consider storing the equipment in a different area if it can be used later but isn’t needed right now.
Pallets that haven’t been used are treated the same way, so examine their condition to see if they may be repurposed. Many boxes can be recycled rather than blocking up your warehouse if this is not the case.
Install A Mezzanine
The construction of mezzanine flooring is one of the most practical ways to utilize warehouse space without expanding.
A mezzanine can be a little pricey, but it’s simple to set up and lasts a long time, giving you access to the underused height of a warehouse facility, thereby doubling your warehouse storage space.
This deck can be made of steel, wood, or a more substantial material like concrete, depending on the weight of the things held. An extra level provided by a mezzanine is unquestionably one of the most effective methods for optimizing warehouse space.
Organize Your Workstations
Organizing workstations increases efficiency by mitigating the need for workers to look for tools or equipment. Use the “5S” (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain) concept from lean manufacturing to keep your workstations as organized as possible.
These are all approaches for reducing clutter, reducing errors, and improving safety and organization.
Use & Adapt Technology
Technology is regarded as a backbone in warehouse management for controlling a chaotic warehouse. Warehouse management systems, clever robotics technology, and tailored software make it possible to control warehouse inventory movement, sorting, and storage.
Automated cars can help firms increase efficiency and safety by reassigning people who were previously performing manual chores to more critical jobs.
In addition, having the proper material-handling equipment aids in goods movement, saves time, and lowers the risk of goods damage and safety hazards and injury caused by human handling procedures.
Warehouse space must be organized to enable appropriate space for maneuvering weight-bearing machines like forklifts, so warehouse staff may move around the warehouse smoothly and efficiently while carrying goods.
Use Of Revamping Racks
The first thing to think about is racking when it comes to warehouse space optimization. However, before embarking on a rack overhaul, it’s crucial to analyze the aspects that will indicate whether it’ll be efficient enough to supply the extra space required.
Loaders can function with a gap of 4 to 6 inches between the top pallet and the base region of the beam. If your racks have more room than that, you’ve discovered your potential for more space, etc.
A Final Word on How to Improve Warehouse Storage Efficiency
An efficient warehouse can address both long-term and short-term projection needs.
It takes more than having an effective business operation and increasing profits to run a successful business. You could save thousands of dollars by optimizing your warehouse space, and you can secure the safety of your employees.
It’s worth noting that any one of these warehouse space optimization approaches, or a combination of them, can help improve the warehouse’s performance.
We take pleasure in the level of service we deliver to our customers at Wholesale Industrial Parts, and you can contact us at (844) 588-8455 to assist you and help you with your warehouse services needs.