Racks supplied by a storage racks manufacturer can help you organise your warehouse to increase productivity, reduce accidents and make your business more efficient. If you are planning a new warehouse or refitting an existing one, there are a few factors to consider:
Rack placement
Efficient warehouse layout is essential. There needs to be careful consideration of where to place the racks. There are three principles that guide the warehouse layout:
1. Flow – how materials and people flow uninterrupted within the warehouse.
2. Accessibility – how to access every pallet and every individual item stored.
3. Space – the maximum space racks can occupy after taking into consideration offices, packing stations, pallet storage and space for forklifts to work in.
After it has been decided where racks are placed, they should be fitted for vertical storage. You need to make the maximum use of the height of the building.
Organising inventory
Following installing racks, the next stage is deciding where each item is stored. One popular method is called ABC Analysis, where goods are classified according to demand.
A items are best selling ones, B items are mid-demand ones that have a regular demand, and C items are ones that sell but not in high volumes. A items should be stored near packing stations, with B items the next farthest away, and C items the furthest from the packing station. This arrangement will reduce the journey length to pick items and take them to the packing station. A items will be picked most and should travel the least distance.
Regularly review the warehouse organisation
It is a good idea to regularly review your warehouse organisation. If there are seasonal fluctuations in your sales, it could mean that some A items become B or C items, and it will be beneficial to move them to other storage racks.
Many retailers – such as Next, Jules and Crewe – are finding that their online orders are increasing and they need more storage racks. If the warehouse cannot hold the increased number of items, extra space may be found by adding a mezzanine floor.
Your storage racks manufacturer can help you by supplying more storage racks or they may be able to suggest more efficient ways of organising the warehouse space. If you need racks in custom sizes they will be able to supply them so that every rack fits in a way that wastes no space.
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