A key element to changing your rack and pallets space is by identifying underutilized space. There is often space in your warehouse that is currently taken up by slow-moving materials, unprocessed inventory, or products that can't be placed. Taking care of this material is an easy way to increase storage capacity, but you should also consider taking an analytical look at the layout of your entire warehouse to improve efficiency.
In order to optimize your warehouse storage process, it's essential to first analyze the way your space is used. This can be completed in four steps:
If you have completed these steps and are still finding that your storage space doesn't have the right room, it may be time to build up instead.
Ensuring you are using the right racks for your warehouse may seem like a no-brainer, but as your warehouse gets more and more cluttered with little space for product, it can lead to simple fixes being overlooked. There are several different types of racks used in common warehouse setups:
Adding more racks to your storage space can also have some pitfalls. For example, before expanding, take the time to be aware of your building's fire code and ensure that you aren't breaking any coding rules by extending racks. Additionally, consider that your employees may need extra equipment to reach higher levels of inventory.
If your inventory is coming into you shipped on half-pallets, consider adding a dedicated half-pallet section of storage space in your warehouse. This can not only section off one specific area of your warehouse for optimized organization but also can help your fluid inventory move faster. If you condense your pallets into halves, you can put more pallets (and product) in the same area.
Bulk storage may be the solution if your storage constraints don't align with your inventory purchases. When you make bulk purchases of inventory, you are creating opportunities to manage within a bulk format. Bulk containers can reduce the number of physical storage bins, and may not even need to be located in your warehouse. Example containers include:
Ideally, these bulk containers will be stored at another warehouse that allows you to rent only the space you need to manage your inventory overflow. On-demand warehousing offers the agility and flexibility you may not get inside your limited warehouse space.
Insight into your inventory starts with robust and accurate warehouse management software. Our cloud-based technology updates your inventory in real time and supports long-term fulfillment. Materialogic's team of experts provides this, along with customized solutions, to give your operation exactly the tools it needs to succeed in the supply chain.
Schedule a discovery call with our team to see what custom solutions we can provide for your operation.