Warehouses,
factories and other industrial buildings play a huge part in the workings of
many businesses, whether it seems like it or not. From manufacturing and retail
to office work, there is often a factory somewhere in the background playing an
important role. Between 2008 and 2017, the number of warehouses in
the UK has shot up.
The backbone of any efficient warehouse or factory is the way it is organised.
From industrial shelving to storage cabinets, there are several ways to
organise a warehouse.
A properly
organised warehouse will save time and money for businesses using their storage
facilities. If you can locate inventory quickly and then get it where it needs
to be, you’re speeding up processes which can increase revenue and customer
satisfaction. Having an organised warehouse increases productivity in the
warehouse and allows those using the warehouse to concentrate on other
profit-increasing priorities. To give you some guidance, we’ve listed just a
few ways to organise your warehouse.
Choose Appropriate
Industrial
Shelving Solutions For Your
Warehouse
Storage
By choosing
the appropriate industrial shelving solutions for your warehouse, you can
better organise processes and inventory management. Take note of the type of
inventory that is stored at the warehouse and choose industrial shelving
options to match. You should choose your industrial shelving depending on the
space available and the nature of your operations. It’s always wise to choose
high-quality and high-quantity of industrial shelving solutions. By choosing
robust shelving options which can take the weight required, as well as enough
so that you won’t soon run out of space, you can future-proof your
organisation.
Lining the
walls and walkways with industrial shelving solutions in an organised manner
means that workers will be able to access the relevant shelves easily and
transport goods to their location.
Install
Storage
Cabinets As Well As Industrial Shelving
As well as
industrial shelving options, storage cabinets are another excellent
organisational tool for warehouses. By having a planned network of industrial
shelves and storage cabinets as part of your warehouse storage options, you can
ensure that you remain organised. Having properly defined areas for certain
types of inventory will improve processes and productivity. For the best
warehouse storage, install a mix of options including industrial shelving and
storage cabinets.
Label All Racks, Shelves and Containers
Properly
Before you
think about putting anything into your new industrial shelving and storage
cabinets, it’s important to ensure that everything is accurately labelled. If
in doubt, label it anyway. Labelling your warehouse storage solutions will make
the identifying of inventory far easier for workers. This, again, will improve
processes and productivity. Having an easy way to navigate a large warehouse
through proper warehouse storage labelling will improve the experience for the
customer on the other end. Investing in a comprehensive warehouse storage
labelling will pay off in the end through better productivity and efficiency.
Create an Optimised Floor Plan
Creating an
optimised floor plan should be one of your first steps when organising
warehouse storage. Taking accurate measurements of your space will shine a
light on any potential limitations to the space you have available and how best
to use it. Having a detailed plan in place before you begin fitting out or
changing a warehouse will help you speed up the process. Doing so will also
help you visualise the space available and plan the most efficient form of
warehouse storage solutions.
Depending on
the operation of a warehouse, you can create a different floor plan. If the
warehouse in question stores office supplies, there could be a secure section
for high-value equipment like computers and other areas for pens and mouse
pads. Understanding the quantity of inventory and the size will give you an
idea of how much you can fit in which sections to ensure you are using the
maximum amount of space available. Using forethought for your warehouse storage
will make every step of the process simpler.
Partition Walls To Clearly Define Sections
You can
optimise and maximise your space effectively by creating defined partitions.
Doing so, and labelling each section visibly, will make navigation even easier.
Partition walls work well with warehouse storage solutions to create new rooms
without having to buy a new location. For warehouses which store inventory for
a range of industries, this is a great way to keep things organised.
By
partitioning off a section for one type of inventory, and another section for a
different type of inventory, you can maximise the potential space of your
property. Whether these partitions are simply made from meshed fences or an
industrial wall, this helps to organise space and, therefore, improve
productivity and efficiency. As already mentioned, this improvement in
efficiency often leads to a better experience for customers.
Plan Maintenance Schedules So There Are Few
Surprises
Whether you
operate a factory or a warehouse, there is always the risk of things not going
quite to plan. If your electrics fail, machinery stops working or computer
systems fail, it can cause damaging downtime. As well as this, it can hamper
efficiency and organisation.
To reduce
potentially revenue-damaging downtime, it’s worth being organised about your
maintenance. Instead of waiting for things to break before having them
repaired, organised a maintenance schedule with your chosen repair workers.
Taking this measure and being proactive about maintenance will organise other
areas of the business. If you have less downtime, you can ensure that the rest
of the operation goes smoothly and that the efficiencies are passed on to
customers.
Perform Stock Checks, Reviews and Audits
All of these
measures are an excellent first few steps, however, the progress shouldn’t stop
there. It’s important to continue reviewing inventory management systems and
warehouse storage solutions. If something isn’t quite working for you, don’t be
afraid to continue optimisation to increase efficiency. On a semi-regular
basis, take stock checks and audits and talk with members of staff about ways
they might improve processes. Listening to the people doing the work is vital
for the success of the processes.
Keep a keen
eye out for any risks to safety and security within the warehouse as a priority
during an audit. If the layout of your warehouse has created safety concerns,
these should be addressed straight away.
Ensure All Staff Are Clued Up
Finally,
it’s important to ensure that all members of staff are trained properly on the
organisational structures you’ve put in place. With a fully-trained staff and
an organised warehouse, you can optimise the efficiency of your operations.
Looking For Industrial Shelving In Northern
Ireland? Contact Racking & Shelving
Here at
Racking & Shelving, we supply industrial shelving and storage cabinets for
warehouses and factories. If you require help to keep your industrial property
organised and tidy, we can help. We have a range of industrial shelving options
to choose from.
If your
business is going through a period of growth, or you’re just starting to get
your business off the ground, it can be difficult to know where to start when
it comes to organisation. Using efficient and effective storage solutions means
you won’t have to change locations. With effective warehouse storage, like
industrial shelving and storage cabinets, you can make the most of your
warehouse space. We provide the products, services and advice you require to
keep your warehouse organised at all times.
To find out more about our services, please feel
free to
contact us today. You can find us at 10 Fergusons Way,
Kilbegs Business Park, Kilbegs Road, Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT41 4LZ.
Alternatively, call us on 028 9442 9037 or email us at info@rslni.com
