In the warehousing industry, space is money. You might think you’ve already maximized your warehouse storage capacity, but you might be surprised by amount you still have left over. Increasing your storage capacity boosts your ability to house more goods and streamline your warehousing processes.
Use Vertical Space
Considering that they are a commercial space, most warehouses will have above-average ceiling height. This leaves a lot of unused space. When you analyze the cubic footage of your warehouse you will realize just how much space you are wasting. Using your vertical space is easy with custom pallet racking or a structural mezzanine. These options essentially expand the usable square footage of your space. If you don’t have enough vertical space to make use of these options, you should also consider expanding your existing shelving to reach near-ceiling height.
Practice Lean Inventory
Lean inventory refers to an inventory management system that is carefully monitored to avoid stagnant inventory for extended periods of time. The best way to do this is by analyzing the amount of inventory that comes in and is shipped out from your warehouse. You want to reach an inventory level that eliminates the need for a large safety stock. One way of doing this is by getting suppliers to deliver in smaller quantities on a more frequent basis.
Organize Workstations
Creating an effective workspace starts by having an organized work environment. Workstations should only contain necessary tools and materials. Try labeling where every item should be placed to prevent clutter. An organized workstation requires less space and improves the efficiency of the picker and other warehouse employees. The Material Handler offers a unique LED Label solution to organize and monitor items moving in and out of storage.
Improve Racking Storage Density
This can be done in a number of ways. To start, you will want to measure your aisle width. Conventional aisles are 12’ or wider. Narrow aisle racking is considered to be an aisle width of 8’-10’. Although it does seem like a small difference on an individual level, when it’s applied to all warehouse racking, it makes a large impact. When making this change it’s important to consider how you use your warehouse aisles. A narrower aisle will require a specialized forklift and may lead to congestion. To prevent this, you could always just apply the changes to aisles that are used less frequently.
Install Automated Systems
An automated fulfillment or storage system will naturally choose the most efficient option in terms of warehouse storage. This helps move items more quickly and reduces the need to expand storage space. Automated systems exist in many forms, but include picking technologies and conveyors.
At The Material Handler, we design custom warehouse storage solutions so you can maximize your warehouse’s capacity. Our services include lift tables, pallet racking, mezzanines, conveyors, and more! Discover how we can benefit your business by calling 1-800-857-1315 today!
Recent Comments