Archive for the ‘storage’ Category

Top Tips for Food Storage Warehouses

There are thousands of warehouses in the UK which store millions of products. Different warehouses have different rules and regulations, but none are more stringent than those in food storage warehouses.
Although it is important that good hygiene practices are maintained in any warehouse, it is especially important in food storage warehouses.

These warehouses require more than just regular cleaning and maintenance to comply with the additional health and safety standards that come with storing and distributing food. Food storage warehouses must be properly maintained to prevent contamination and foodborne illnesses.

Here are some tips to help ensure the smooth operation and compliance with health and safety standards in food storage warehouses.

Choose the Correct Storage Solution

Having correct and effective storage systems in any warehouse helps to ensure its smooth operation. This is particularly important in food storage warehouses as you need to reduce the risk of spoiling or contaminating food.

Invest in a Good Pallet Racking System

Pallet racking is the best choice for palletised inventory, particularly in a cold room or freezer storage. It is also ideal for maximising capacity in areas where space is limited.
We recommend that you invest in a sealed compartment pallet racking system for a food storage warehouse.

Sealed beams will mean that there is a lack of crevasses for any dust, insects, and food to build up. This makes this type of racking system easy to clean and maintain and reducing the risk of contamination.

Properly Maintain the Storage Systems

You should always practice good hygiene in food storage warehouses, and ensure they are regularly and properly cleaned, sanitised, and maintained.

Having storage systems that are fully galvanised will allow for thorough sanitisation of the systems without causing them to rust or the paint to flake off and contaminate the food stored in the area.

Avoid Storing Food on the Floor

Food stock should never be stored on the ground. This makes it easily accessible to rodents and increases the risk of it becoming damaged and contaminated.

It is important you get a pallet racking system that enables you to store food stock safely above the floor.

Practice Efficient Product Rotation

Most food items typically have a much shorter shelf life, which is why efficient product rotation is so important. This will help to reduce shrinkage caused by stored products going out of date.

First-in, first-out (FIFO) racking systems make it easy to carry out efficient product rotation. Load new stock onto the back of the system with older stock at the front where pallets are unloaded.

This ensures that the oldest pallets are always at the front of the picking line. Therefore, implementing automatic product rotation, and saving you both time and money.

For tailored storage solutions that are fit for purpose, trust Logical Storage Solutions. With over 10 years of experience, we can engineer a bespoke racking solution that meets the requirements of your food storage warehouse.

To find out more about our storage solutions, call 0845 689 1300 to discuss your requirements with a member of our expert team.

Tips to Optimise Warehouse Storage

It can be difficult to determine when a warehouse has reached its maximum capacity. However, once 80- 85% of the space is being utilised, a warehouse may start to notice a decline in efficiency and productivity. If there is not sufficient space, the pallet movement around the warehouse can slow down significantly. Some warehouses have to resort to temporary floor pallets which can reduce aisle movement and even cause hazards. Here we share the benefits of an optimised warehouse and tips to improve warehouse storage space.

Why Optimising Warehouse Space is important

Although it can take time to optimise the space in a warehouse, the benefits that can be gained from doing this tend to outweigh the time and effort. Here are just some of the benefits.

Save money

Once you have optimised your warehouse space, the available space will be larger. Therefore you are in a great position to store more items in your warehouse and order more products from your suppliers in a single transaction. This bulk buying can help lower the cost per unit, saving you substantial money over time.

Increase employee productivity

Once a warehouse is optimised, employees will be able to carry out their jobs more efficiently. Not only will this create an increase in productivity, but you will also probably find your employees more satisfied with their work. Having your staff work efficiently and effectively will improve your service and increase the number of orders you can fulfil.

Avoid missing sales

A risk of not having a warehouse large enough or optimised can be running out of stock. If this happens regularly, you will be missing out on sales. This can hopefully be avoided by having a warehouse optimised and an increase in storage capacity. Although the stock may still run out, the warehouse should encounter fewer issues and avoid backorders.

Ways to improve warehouse storage space

The benefits of an optimised warehouse are clear however, the difficulty is creating an action plan to optimise your warehouse. Here are some of the ways you can improve your warehouse storage.

Analyse your inventory

Before redesigning your warehouse and floor plan, take stock of your inventory first. This is a great way to quickly free up space. If you have old inventory that you don’t think will sell, you may want to consider liquidating overstock, if this is financially viable.

Understand the flow of production

Again, before making any changes, understand your warehouse processes in detail. Does your current warehouse layout facilitate the flow of your process? Is there a lot of unnecessary travel. Once you have the process mapped out, you can plan your warehouse around this process to make it more efficient.

Check if you have multiple locations

Do you have any multiple locations for storing the same item? If you do, consider combining these. Not only will it use space more effectively, but it will also help employees find items and keep track of stock quicker if they are all together.

Go vertical

Many warehouses do not use their vertical space as efficiently as they could. Calculate how much vertical space is not being used. Ensure you are always within the health and safety guidelines, however, there are many ways you can successfully increase your vertical storage space, freeing up precious floor space.

Install mezzanine flooring

An effective way to use vertical space is by installing mezzanine flooring. If you have the correct permits to do so, mezannine flooring can be used to house functions that do not require tall storage. Although there is an investment with installing mezzanine flooring, when used correctly they can really help maximise the space available.

Use off-site storage

For items that are out of season, or for overstock, an offsite location can be considered. These facilities allow you to free up a lot of space in your warehouse and is ideal for items you do not need for the near future.

Measure your aisle width

How wide are your aisles? You need to ensure they are wide enough for machinery and equipment to go through but you could also be wasting space if they are too wide. Aim for the minimum width required to do an efficient job.

Consider deeper storage

You should not only take into account the height of your storage, but also the depth. In some places in your warehouse, you may want to consider double-depth racking for certain items.

Match storage slots with size of the product

Make sure you match items with their storage space. For example, keep the shallower racking for small items and deeper storage for bulkier items. Ensuring the slots match helps keep wasted space to a minimum but also makes picking products a lot easier for staff.

As the list above proves, there are many ways a warehouse can optimise its space. Although moving to a new warehouse is always an option, it is an expensive investment that can also be disruptive Therefore, a business should ensure their current warehouse is optimised before exploring new premises. Doing so can save a lot of money and time.

Here at Logical Storage, we can offer high-quality mezzanine flooring for your business and are ready to discuss your warehouse storage requirements. For more information visit our website or call us on 0845 689 1300.

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.

Fitting Out a New Warehouse- Warehouse Storage Options

When planning a new warehouse, storage solutions will be high on the list of priorities. However, there are many options to choose from, which can be overwhelming and a daunting task. The type of storage solution is dependent on a variety of factors including the type of stock, the turnaround speed of stock, and accessibility among others. To decide what will work best for your new warehouse, here is our guide to what storage options are available.

Pallet Racking

We begin with pallet racking as it is the go-to choice for many warehouses due to its fantastic ability to store large quantities of stock and the range of sizes and styles it is available in. Depending on your warehouses’ specific requirements, there will be a type of pallet racking that will suit your needs. For those needing to maximise their available floor space as much as possible, there are narrow aisle or double deep racking. Racking solutions are made specifically for pallet goods, so if you are not planning on having your stock stored in pallets, then you will have to opt for an alternative storage method. Discover more about our pallet racking options here.

Shelving

For those items that are not being stored as pallets, shelving will offer the most versatile option for you. Warehouse shelving systems are available in a range of sizes and configurations, allowing them to perfectly fit your needs. They are also easily adjustable once they have been installed as well which is vital for when you re-organise your warehouse or get new stock lines. Shelving provides storage that is practical and space-effective. They can also be used effectively alongside other storage solutions such as pallet racking.

Static shelving, as the name suggestions, involves storage that is designed to stay in one place. This type of shelving is commonly used to store inventory that has a quick turnaround and therefore needs restocking regularly. Mobile shelving, are designed to move around and are built for the purpose of holder more items when less space is available and are mounted onto guidance rails built into the floor. This system is great for those warehouses that are short of space and need to make the most of it.

Mezzanine Flooring

Installing a mezzanine floor is a popular way of expanding the storage capacity of a warehouse without relocation. They are highly versatile and effectively create an additional level to your warehouse. Although installing a mezzanine floor involves significant investment, it is an effective way of creating more space. However, a major benefit of mezzanine floors is the options to potentially add lift systems and conveyor belts to aid the warehouse processes even further.

As you can see from the list above, the storage options available are extremely versatile and can be made specifically to meet your requirements. All of the above are great options to choose, however it is imperative that before you decide which ones to go for you not only consider your current storage requirements, you also consider any future growth and try and plan for this in advance to aid the speed in which you can grow and have the storage capacity already set up to aid this process.

Storage solutions are key to ensure smooth logistics within the warehouse, so it is vital that the best options are chosen for your needs. Here at Logical Storage, we can offer high-quality storage solutions, racking inspections and mezzanine flooring for your business. Call us on 0845 689 1300 for more information.

Warehouse Relocation- 11 Tips For A Smooth Move

Warehouse relocation projects are complex to undertake and can be extremely time-consuming so there are many things you need to consider to ensure the move goes as smooth as possible. Here is a quick checklist to go through to ensure you have all the essential tasks completed in plenty of time.

1. Plan the Move

Having a checklist of all the tasks you need to complete before and after the move will help you ensure nothing is missed and everything remains on schedule. No task is too small to include on the list as it avoids something being missed. Delegate jobs to a group of trusted employees as it’s impossible to orchestrate a large warehouse relocation single-handed.

Be realistic with timeframes when you are organising a move. It will inevitably take longer than you originally anticipated, so ensure you plan for this.

2. Contact a Moving Company and Schedule the Move

Ensure everyone knows the move date. From suppliers to employees and contractors, keep them all abreast of the plans. Obtain a few quotes from different moving companies in order to secure the best quote from a reliable company.

3. Evaluate Your Space

Moving warehouse is a perfect time to analyse and review the new space you have available. Knowing your space in advance means you can optimise the layout. This is a great time to rearrange your supplies and organized your stock. Don’t be tempted to stick completely to how stock was organised before. Yes, this is what people are used to, but if there is a more logical option available that will make your process more efficient, saving time or space, then you should try it.

4. Consider Additional Storage

If you are moving to a warehouse that is high, do you have room for a mezzanine floor? This is a great opportunity to have one installed without interrupting production. Also consider getting additional racking if you have more available space than your previous warehouse.

5. Organise Your Inventory

Account for everything and organise it before you move it. Doing so will save you time later. It also means you can move the stock you do not need as urgently first, leaving you with vital equipment up until the last minute, reducing the amount of necessary downtime.

6. Tidy Up

It can be a challenge to keep a warehouse spotless all the time, however, ensure you tidy as you go to avoid have clutter around the warehouse and leaving items in places that could be a trip hazard. As you pack up to move, throw aware anything you do not use or anything that has aged and no longer needed. There is no point moving it to the new warehouse if you will not use it as it will take up valuable space.

7. Look For Damaged Items

As you pack away, ensure you check the quality of your equipment. Also check your pallet racking is in good condition and not damaged before you relocate it. Check again once you are at the new location in case something is broken during transit. If you do not have regular maintenance, you are at risk of a serious accident and repair work can lead to delays in productivity, so it is best to spot any damage early.

When pallet racks or shelving are moved or unloaded, there is a risk of spillages or damage to the stock. Always ensure this is being done carefully. Also ensure that when the pallets are being restocked, all items are safely secured, especially at the higher levels.

8. Ensure Safety Measures Are In Place

When you get the new warehouse, ensure you have implemented safety measures immediately. Check that all the floor markings are clearly visible and all safety signs are clear and correct. Having this all set up in advance will make the transition smoother.

9. Communicate Clearly With Employees

Ensure all employees are aware of the new layout of the warehouse, what their specific tasks are during the relocation and who they are reporting to. Knowing this in advance will hopefully avoid any chaos and confusion during the move.

10. Be Wary of Theft

Unfortunately, a warehouse move is an opportunistic time for something to be stolen due to the busy environment. Stay on top of this risk by assigning trusted employees different zones to manage during the move and keeping an accurate log of the inventory when it moved from the old location and again when it arrives at the new location.

12. Notify People of Your New Address

Whether they are your customers, suppliers, utility companies, banks or insurance company, make a list of everyone you need to update on your address in advance. Having the list at hand makes it easy to keep track of who you have notified and who else needs to know.

Although a warehouse relocation is always going to be a mammoth task to undertake, splitting the task up and organising as much in advance can make the process go smoothly. Although a warehouse relocation is a big change that can impact the company’s productivity whilst the move takes place, it is a great opportunity to install additional shelving, make the most of your space and improve the efficiency of your processes, which will ultimately increase your productivity and lead to more sales.

Here at Logical Storage, we can offer high-quality storage solutions, racking inspections and mezzanine flooring for your business. Call us on 0845 689 1300 for more information.

How to prepare your warehouse for the Christmas rush

Many warehouses experience a busy period over Christmas which is great for the business but can make keeping your warehouse organised during this period a difficult task. Here we discuss some of the things you can implement to make sure your warehouse is ready for the busier time and can run as efficiently as possible.

Signs
Signs are a cheap and effective method to ensure a safe and efficient warehouse environment. They are useful for both employees and any visitors to the warehouse. They can help locate stock, show designated routes and traffic flow as well as warn people about any potential hazards and the location of emergency exits and supplies. When planning your signs, ensure they are all clear, concise and up to date. Remove any conflicting or old signs to avoid confusion.

Shelving and Racks
Sufficient shelving and racking are more important than ever during busy times in your warehouse. They keep stock and inventories organised and also avoid cluttered floor creating trip hazards. It also makes everything easier to find which can improve productivity and efficiency.

Check to see if you have enough space for all your stock. If not, are you able to have more shelving or racking installed? Next, organise your stock to ensure bestsellers and fast-moving stock are easier to access. If you have seasonal stock, ensure out of season products are put further away to leave room for up-to-date stock.

Are you making the most of your storage space? Sometimes organisations can be reluctant to change the order of stock because employees are used to it being there. You should not worry about this and instead ensure your shelving is being used to its highest potential. If you think your shelving is organised effectively but you still do not have enough space, consider temporary shelving solutions which can be removed once the busy period is over.

Inspect your equipment
Maintenance schedules should always be in place for equipment but be prudent before the busy period. Check everything from printers and other IT equipment to forklifts, pallet trucks, sack trolleys and the shelving and racking itself. Identifying issues with equipment can save precious time and money and could even prevent serious injury occurring.

Wear protective clothing
Always ensure PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as hardhats, boots and hi-visibility vests are worn in warehouses if there are potential hazards. If you have high shelving and racking, ensure protective headwear is always worn as objects falling from a height is one of the most common causes of workplaces injuries.

Prepare for the unexpected
Not all situations are predictable, but you can still have procedures in place to accommodate the unexpected. For example, you cannot predict or control the weather, however you could have guidelines and preventive measures put in place to ensure the least amount of disruption is kept to a minimum. Ensuring transport is regularly maintained and that you have enough staff to cover any sicknesses or unexpected absences are two ways you can prepare for such scenarios.

Check breaks are being taken
Although everyone knows people need breaks, it’s not always easy to stop and have one when you are extremely busy. However, regular breaks must be enforced. Not only does it adversely affect the worker as they can become tired and less effective, it also has a knock-on effect on others and the productivity and efficiency of the overall warehouse.

Once the busy period hits, you won’t have time to spare to implement these into your warehouse so ensure you have prepared these in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient process throughout Christmas time.

Here at Logical Storage, we can offer high-quality mezzanine flooring for your business and are ready to discuss your warehouse storage requirements. For more information visit our website or call us on 0845 689 1300.

8 things to consider before investing in mezzanine flooring

A mezzanine floor is a partial floor that is added to premises that have high ceilings and provides extra space which can be used for office space, retail space or storage. Although a mezzanine floor can look amazing and provides vital space, there are some things you should consider before you make your purchase as it is a big financial decision that needs sufficient planning.

1. Check building regulations
Although the majority of mezzanine floors do not alter the exterior building and therefore do not require planning permission, this is not always the case. Check you do not require planning permission before moving ahead with the project. The rules vary significantly depending on your area and what type of building you have, for example, if your building is attached to someone else’s building or if it’s a listed building. If you do not ask first whether you need permission and it ends up having to be removed, it will be costly for your business in both time and money. If you are in doubt, check with your local authority.

2. Available height
The main measurement you must make is whether your ceiling is high enough to accommodate a mezzanine floor.

3. Size
Take into account the size of the floor you want to install, the size of the room and the size of the items you want to place on the mezzanine flooring. If you do not consider all of these measurements now, you will not be creating a mezzanine floor that matches your exact needs and makes the most of the additional space you could be creating.

4. Purpose
Before you start your mezzanine project, make sure you know exactly what its purpose is going to be. If its office space or storage, it will have an impact on its design and also how much weight the flooring has to support. These are all key considerations at the design stage.

5. Design
There are many interesting things you can do when designing a mezzanine floor so ensure you make the most of the space available. For example, if you are using the floor as office space, you could incorporate storage or bookcases into the balustrade that prevents people from falling over the edge.

6. Fire Safety
If adding a mezzanine level makes your business a three story premises, you will need to consider additional fire doors which again need to be factored in at design stage.

7. Temperature
As heat rises, the mezzanine flooring is at risk of becoming very hot. This will potentially have an impact on what you are storing if it is temperature sensitive. Also, if you are using it as office or retail space, you will need to consider what additional measures you will have to invest in in order to ensure people do not get too warm. This includes fans or an air conditioning unit.

8. Accessibility
If you are using the mezzanine floor as storage, you need to ensure people can access the items with ease and without compromising their safety. You need to ensure a secure handrail is provided and people are not carrying big or heavy items down the stairs.

This checklist should not deter you from getting mezzanine flooring as it can provide amazing additional space. However, by considering the list above, you will ensure that you have considered exactly what you want to gain from the flooring, meaning you are getting the most value from your investment.

Here at Logical Storage, we can offer high quality mezzanine flooring for your business and can discuss your warehouse storage requirements. For more information visit our website or call us on 0845 689 1300.