Many warehouses are re-opening as the lockdown eases. Warehouses are reorganising their storage areas to accommodate social distancing and increased hygiene procedures. This is a good time to optimise racking and shelving systems.
According to Logistics Manager, author Michelle Mooney states a fresh approach is needed to warehouse racking and shelving:
“Investing in proper raking and shelving solutions can save costs for a warehouse if the materials used can effectively promote efficiency.”
Mooney believes that shelving and racking systems are often overlooked. Changing the layout or purchasing completely new equipment from a warehouse racks manufacturer can dramatically improve capacity and picking operations.
Multi-tier installations can keep the whole inventory in one area instead of different locations. This reduces picking times. Shelving systems need to be flexible with sections having different load capacities, widths and depths. Adjustable shelving easily adjusts to a variety of items.
Organising shelving is about increasing capacity and making picking easier. High demand items should be placed on a bottom tier that is easily reached, with less needed items on higher locations. Lifts, shutes, forklifts and conveyors can make it easier to move items between levels.
If warehouse racking or shelving needs moving to accommodate social distancing, it is a good time to look at how the shelving is arranged or whether to add extra tiers.
Companies run marketing campaigns to bring back their customers; optimising storage helps warehouses deal with the expected increase in orders.
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