Archive for April, 2020

How to Optimise Your Warehouse

Customer expectations continue to grow. An increase in online shopping makes people want access to a huge range of products quickly and easily. With many retailers offering next day delivery and free returns to match these high expectations, the need for warehouses to be optimised has never been greater. Here we discuss how to optimise a warehouse.

Are your products placed on racks correctly?

This may seem simple but it is surprising how many warehouses may not be placing their items correctly on the racking. The opening heights in your racks should get smaller or bigger depending on the load it is holding. As a rule of thumb, openings should be more than 6-inches taller than the load itself, allowing easy removal using a forklift.

Adjusting the rack height accordingly allows warehouse owners to completely customise the layout to specifically suit their products.

Consider the popularity of each SKU in your warehouse. An effective strategy can be to place slower-moving products in shorter rack locations. This can work well as the SKUs will not be picked as regularly, meaning that they do not need as much space.

Have you chosen the right racking system?

There are many racking systems to choose from and it’s important that you match the racking system to your individual business needs. You need to consider both the weight and size of your inventory and ensure the racking systems are optimised for this. The higher the number of beams in the racking system, the more weight it can carry. However, it also means there is less space between each one. It is, therefore, a balancing act to figure out the ideal racking system for your goods.

Are you optimising your space?

Warehouses have plenty of space. However, usually, this space is height and many warehouses do not make the most of this. A large proportion of your spare space will be higher up. Therefore, mezzanine flooring should be considered for those seeking more space to smooth their operations. They are great places to have additional storage or even office space, saving the floor level space for inventory only.

Are your aisles correct?

It can be tempting to narrow your aisles in order to fit more in, however, you need to consider this carefully. By doing so, you are limiting the space between the aisles. This can have a negative impact on efficiency if people struggle to manoeuvre through the aisles. Although you need to fit all your stock in the warehouse, you also need to ensure that the process is smooth and the warehouse remains a safe environment for all employees.

If you are struggling to make the most out of the space you have, then consider the points discussed above. Asking yourself these points may reduce the need to relocate or expand your warehouse by ensuring you are using all your current space to its greatest potential. Optimising your warehouse takes some planning, however, when done correctly you will end up with much more efficient operations which in turn can help you increase your revenue and output.