Modern solutions to ensure safety and efficiency in your warehouse
An efficient and sustainable warehouse is key to keeping a healthy business. While warehouse management systems have become more affordable and widely available, they simply can’t solve all of your storage problems. Fortunately, when it comes to maximising space and increasing productivity, you can count on some modern solutions for your warehouse facility.
How to redesign your warehouse and maximise space
A well-designed warehouse can help ensure that your business runs efficiently and seamlessly. This not only makes your customers happy, but it also improves your bottom line. These steps are geared towards helping you to optimise your warehouse space and make your operations more efficient.
1. Assess your available space.
If you are planning to redesign your inventory space, the first thing you should do is audit your available resources. Then, determine ways to put your current investments to best use. If your products do not take up most of the floor area and shelves, it is time to move them around.
Take a look at past reports from your employees. They are the ones who know how your business operates, having been on the warehouse floor first-hand. These people drive the forklifts and are best positioned to determine if hallways need to be wider or can be narrower. They can also recommend better routes for direct movement and where to place safety barriers on the warehouse floor.
2. Move your inventory up instead of out.
One of the best ways to maximise warehouse space is to go vertical. By stacking inventory up to the roof, you will not miss out on opportunities for practical storage.
Do this by investing in multi-level shelves or racks. However, because this calls for your employees to reach higher storage, you will also need to invest in forklifts, ladders, scaffolds, and other lifting equipment. If you are worried about their safety, you shouldn’t be. You can consider the safety storage solutions available in your area.
By making the most of the vertical space available, you can add extra storage space without adding a significant amount of time to pick walks. This will reduce your inventory carrying costs and increase the efficiency of picking and packing orders. As a result, you save significantly on operational costs.
3. Add mezzanine storage.
If your warehouse cannot support a vertical storage system, you might want to consider adding a second floor. Mezzanine floors can effectively increase your storage and workspace, allowing you to recapture any lost space in your warehouse facility. This modern solution entails building a platform above your current space, adding a whole new “floor” to your facility. The area beneath the mezzanine can also be used for storage and other purposes, thus, allowing you to maximise your warehouse space fully.
You can explore numerous mezzanine designs, such as free-standing systems. Models supported by existing racks are more functional than simply building up shelving. It is a good option to store products that don’t need to be picked up by a forklift.
If you are adding mezzanine storage, go for products that can ensure the safety of your employees as well as your entire facility. Some solutions include column protectors, modular handrail systems, and safety gates.
4. Adopt green business practice.
Going green is not just good for the environment – it helps with your bottom line in the long run as well. It is one of the modern solutions that is being employed by many businesses today. Redesigning warehouse spaces in such a way that they conserve heat and light can reduce costs related to day-to-day operations. Installing automatic or motion-sensing lighting systems and climate control air-conditioning systems is an excellent investment.
5. Remove dead stock.
Dead stock or dead inventory refers to products that are not expected to sell. Instead, they sit in the warehouse and take up valuable storage space. Lack of demand for the product or the rollout of a newer model are the most common causes of dead stock.
As a solution, hire employees whose task is to perform a full audit of inventory count stock using mobile data collection devices. They clear dead stock or dead inventory and create a data trail that helps prevent it from happening again. This makes sure that every storage space in your warehouse facility is used to its full potential while mitigating the threat to your business’s viability.
6. Optimise your shelf storage.
Some warehouse facilities have the space and storage systems needed to operate efficiently. However, they sometimes need to improve how they optimise their shelf storage. One way to do so is to use shelf storage bins to improve the number of stock keeping units (SKUs) that you can store on each shelf.
It may make sense to place items that are less frequently picked on the inner part of your shelves. This way, warehouse pickers don’t need to move items around while looking for the ones they need, thereby increasing productivity. Your warehouse employees are the most knowledgeable when it comes to day-to-day operations, and they can help you find the system that will work best.
7. Use barcode or RFID systems.
One of the best investments you can make is adopting a barcode or RFID system – or both. This will guarantee accurate inventory control and management of your warehouse. These systems significantly limit human error, especially when employees are picking items that look similar, such as electrical enclosures and auto parts.
Basic barcode systems and scanners are widely available. In addition, they are relatively cheaper than RFID systems.
Meanwhile, in an RFID system, RF (radio frequency) tags are embedded in labels, packaging or bins. One only has to point a small handheld scanner at the item to transmit it to the RFID management software. Although more expensive than barcode scanners, RFID systems are more efficient and allow greater speed in picking.
Don’t forget to create a safer work environment.
An efficient warehouse facility is only as good as the employees working in it. Therefore, it is important that you create a safer and better work environment for people who know your business well.
