It may sound obvious, but it is worth reminding ourselves that the efficiency of a business has a direct effect on a business’s profit margin. If you can reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to perform a task, there will be less waste and therefore productivity will increase. Warehouses are usually big buildings and are used for mass storage but that doesn’t mean that the operations carried out in them can’t be refined and transformed into a smoother, more productive system. Below are some tips on how to do this.
One of the first aspects of your warehouse that you will want to ensure is right is the floorplan. In an ideal scenario this should be done before the business is up and running. However, rearranging your layout is definitely worth considering even if you are fully operational because the time that can be saved in the long term could be hugely beneficial. Although changing the floorplan of your warehouse when you are up and running can cause some disruption to your business in the short term, the long term benefits greatly outweigh this, and it is also less disruptive than having to move to new premises.
Businesses tend to start small with a natural focus on generating sales and growing the business quickly. This often leads to the warehouse being forgotten about and before anyone realises it is bursting at the seams with the directors looking at bigger premises so that the business can continue to expand. If your business has got to this stage, you might be surprised to find that there actually is a lot of wasted space within the warehouse and if it was rearranged to be more efficient than the current premises would still be able to sustain the business perfectly.
So, by using the warehouse’s space more efficiently, your employees will be able to get more tasks done in the day as they will be able to complete them quicker. The business will also benefit from not relocating to larger premises unnecessarily.
Logical Storage Solutions specialise in both industrial and commercial storage equipment who offer a wide range of innovative products that can both increase your available storage space and improve productivity. Our experienced team can help your business transform your warehouse into an efficient environment that looks after your bottom line. For more information please click here to visit our website or alternatively, please call us on 0845 689 1300.
Posted on: December 22nd, 2015 by admin No Comments
Christmas will arrive and be over before we know, but it offers an important time for reflection with an opportunity to think about how you can push your business forward in the year to come. One easy way that you can do this is by making sure that your warehouse is as efficient as possible.
You can start by thinking about which areas of the warehouse are operating efficiently and which could do with better organisation. The best place to start is by talking to your employees to find out what day to day problems they actually encounter. For example if staff are finding that one item is very popular could you utilize push back racking to allow easy access or could you install double-deep racking to increase your storage capacity for said item.
Identifying overstock is also very important. Items which are not needed, aren’t selling or are just overstocked should be cleared out or moved elsewhere so that you can use that space for more profitable stock. General housekeeping should also never be overlooked, as time spent searching for wrongly placed items or clearing boxes from aisles is wasted time.
A mezzanine floor could also make a big difference to your warehouse, allowing you to arrange your stock more efficiently, increase your storage capacity or even provide you with a dedicated picking and packing area, simply by utilising the upper areas of your building that would normally be wasted. There are infinite design possibilities with a mezzanine floor and they are always tailored towards the requirements of the business having them installed.
Office partitions are another way to improve productivity. They can be set up as admin areas providing you with a distraction free space to complete paperwork, conduct meetings and take phone calls, or alternatively they could be used as a space for staff to take their lunch.
Logical Storage’s experienced team can help your warehouse to perform to its maximum potential. For more information on our racking solutions, mezzanine floors and office partitions please visit http://www.logicalstorage.co.uk/. Alternatively, please call us on 0845 689 1300 for a tailored proposal.
Posted on: November 26th, 2015 by admin No Comments
One of the most important factors affecting warehouse productivity is the way that products are stored and retrieved. Taking the time to consider a different form of storage could help to improve your overall efficiency and give you a competitive edge over your rivals. One such racking system which can make a big difference to your operations is dynamic push back racking.
With this type of racking, you can hold up to six pallets and quickly retrieve them. Dynamic push back racking uses trolleys and steel guide channels to hold pallets, and loads them on a slight incline which means that when you remove one pallet, the other pallets move forward by themselves filling the remaining space.
This means that the fork-lift operator can quickly retrieve pallets, as they come to them rather than the other way round. Push back racking is quick and easy to install and is estimated to improve warehouse efficiency by up to 25% when compared with Drive-in racking.
Push back racking is a great solution for your business if you have high density storage, particularly if you are stocking high quantities of the same item. Push back racking uses a Last-In First-Out principle (LIFO) which means that each time you remove a pallet or load one in it will always remain at the front of your racking allowing you quick and easy access with no unnecessary handling.
Logical Storage’s experienced team can help your warehouse to perform to its maximum potential. For more information on our racking solutions please visit http://www.logicalstorage.co.uk/services/racking-solutions/. Alternatively, please call us on 0845 689 1300 for a tailored proposal.
Posted on: October 29th, 2015 by admin No Comments
Growing businesses are always on the lookout for ways that they can strengthen and build upon their existing operations, and for those businesses that operate in warehouses and distribution centres, a mezzanine floor can be the perfect solution.
Warehouses and storage environments can be filled very quickly and this happens not only in busy periods but also during slower times of the year.
While space can sometimes be freed up by regular checks and removing build-ups of unwanted stock, you can make a significant impact by installing a mezzanine floor.
Mezzanine floors free up space by utilizing the upper areas of your building, so called ‘wasted’ space. This means that you can store products above head height and free up space below to be used for new stock, or in other creative ways.
As well as allowing you to fit more stock, they could also be put to other uses, for example by creating a space for packing operations, administrative duties or even simply as a staff room for your employees to give them space to eat their lunch and relax in privacy.
With rising rental costs it makes sense to look at ways in which you can develop your existing premises and continue your operations with minimum disruption rather than relocate. The entire process of installing a mezzanine floor can sometimes take only a few weeks which is in stark contrast to the time it takes to find a new warehouse and complete all the logistical hurdles involved in uprooting your business.
Of course mezzanine floors aren’t the right solution for everyone and here at Logical Storage we know that not every business is the same and rarely has the same requirements. Another alternative to mezzanine floors which could greatly improve the efficiency of your warehouse is to review your racking. Here at Logical Storage we offer a wide range of racking solutions from wide aisle racking, very narrow aisle racking and cantilever racking to drive-in racking and dynamic push back racking, and it could be that your business may benefit from trying something new.
Logical Storage’s experienced team can help your warehouse to perform to its maximum potential. For more information on mezzanine floors please visit http://www.logicalstorage.co.uk/services/mezzanine-flooring/ or click here to learn more about our racking options. Alternatively, please call us on 0845 689 1300 for a tailored proposal.
Logical Storage has been praised by one of their clients for doing a fantastic job when installing a state of the art new pallet racking system into their brand new warehouse.
Based in Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, Stiller Warehousing and Distribution is a regional third party logistics provider with over 50 years of experience in the sector. Established in 1954, this family-owned business has a wealth of experience in transport, distribution and warehousing and has worked with some of the best known manufacturers and resellers in the country. They provide cost-effective warehousing and distribution services to businesses in the North East region as well as commercial property lettings, and currently employ 140 people.
Stiller recently opened a brand new state-of-the-art £1.1million warehouse as they look to expand into new markets. This new warehouse has increased by nearly 50% the family firm’s warehousing capacity at its premises in the heart of Aycliffe Business Park. Logical Storage Solutions was responsible for the design, supply and installation of the new 21st century VNA (Very Narrow Aisle) pallet racking system. The racking system fills the 40,000 sq ft warehouse and will hold up to 5,000-pallets. VNA pallet racking means that each and every pallet is 100% accessible and the system makes excellent use of both the building height and the floor space. As well as fantastic space utilisation, VNA pallet racking also results in very fast throughput speeds and hassle-free loading and unloading. It is straight forward and quick to install and conforms to all European and British Standards.
Stiller’s Managing Director Paul Stiller said: “The new warehouse offers excellent space utilisation thanks to the fantastic racking system that was designed, supplied and installed by Logical Storage Solutions. The racking system has helped to make our warehousing and distribution process much more efficient, which in turn makes us more competitive and with that brings the prospect of more jobs. Also, because of the new racking equipment we will now be able to target different types of businesses, including food-based clients and pharmaceutical companies, because the new facility is a very clean and efficient working environment. We are absolutely delighted with the work that Logical Storage carried out for us – the quality of their work and their performance from the conceptual stage right through to the completion of the project was second to none, and we would happily recommend them to anyone.”
For more information about Stiller Warehousing and Distribution, please visit http://www.stiller.co.uk/
Logical Storage Solutions is an innovative provider of storage equipment and interior workspaces for both industrial and commercial environments, including pallet racking systems. As no two problems are the same, Logical Storage offers a consultative approach to understand business’s operational priorities. With their head office in the Midlands, they are able to offer a nationwide service for all single or multi site operations, and are a one stop provider of solutions to all storage, workspace and maintenance problems.
1974 saw the implementation of strict legislation regarding health and safety that all businesses must now adhere to, but in the pursuit of faster, more profitable and more efficient methods of production and distribution, businesses often view these guidelines as an unwanted burden. Frequently, we find examples of businesses implementing the bare minimum when it comes to meeting these standards. However, it is important that they change their attitudes and start to see that health and safety is not a burden, but is, amongst other things, an opportunity to improve their profitability. This article explains how.
Staff turnover
Going above and beyond health and safety requirements can help to create a work environment that workers not only feel comfortable in, but also in which they feel assured they are getting the best protection possible from occupational dangers. This is likely to increase job satisfaction and encourage them to stay at your company for longer; not only saving your business time and money that would have normally been spent on advertising, recruiting, interviewing and training up new staff, but also keeping hold of their valuable expertise.
Lessened threat of legal action
Many high profile law cases over the years have been found to be rooted firmly in poor health and safety practises. You should not put yourself in a position where you can be placed in the firing line because of poor health and safety standards, or better, you should aim to prevent accidents from happening all together. Going above and beyond your health and safety requirements not only protects employees from accidents, but also protects the business from exposure to litigation and negative media attention. Occupational accidents can not only be expensive, but also catastrophic to the company’s brand image, and can lead to a lot of negative PR. It’s therefore much more sensible to ensure these accidents don’t happen, even if it involves enforcing a few more rules.
Reduced risk of failure
In any case, the regular inspection and repair of machines, storage systems and other equipment, such as racking is likely to reduce the chance that it will break all together. Not only can this be extremely expensive to replace, but it also has the potential to cause harm to harm to your workers as well. Therefore, it pays to perform regular inspections for any potential faults, catching them early before them become a big problem. Cars are regularly checked for any issues and so too should workplaces, as just like cars they pick up wear and tear over the years.
At Logical Storage we believe that health and safety should be at the core of a modern business strategy. We pride ourselves on delivering a service where safety is considered paramount, not just because of health and safety legislation, but because it makes good business sense. For more information on how Logical Storage might bolster your health and safety efforts, please visit http://www.logicalstorage.co.uk/services/rack-inspection/ or call us on 0845 689 1300.
The safety enjoyed by those working today is generally expected and to some degree taken for granted by many, but the truth is the relative safety we now experience within the workplace is over 200 years in the making.
You don’t have to look far back into history to see examples of catastrophic failures of health and safety, but these same disasters have paved the way for reforms that now put worker safety at the forefront of the modern business strategy. This blog will take a brief look at some of the legislation that has helped shape the modern workplace.
Today, legal requirements are in place to protect individuals, but if you take a look back to the start of the industrial revolution there were far less of these stipulations present. As a result, industries such as the cotton trade were typified by long hours of labour, and the nature of the work being done meant that the workplace was extremely hot, with steam engines further contributing to the heat in this and other industries. Machinery was not always fenced off and workers would be exposed to the moving parts of the machines constantly, often loosing limbs whilst working for very little money. Children were often employed to move between these dangerous machines as they were small enough to fit between tightly packed machinery. All these different factors led to workers being placed in a great deal of danger, facing serious injuries and often death.
In 1833, the Factories Act led to the creation of the first factory inspectors and the first real commitment to improving workplace safety. Initially charged with preventing injury amongst child labourers, they came to exercise considerable legislative influence on factories around the UK. By 1860 their sphere of influence had greatly increased. No longer simply observers, they became well respected advisors in their own right, and as this culture of inspection grew others came to respect the minimum standards that were acceptable. These inspectors played an important part in laying the foundations for the further legislation that was to follow.
The introduction of the Quarries Act in 1884 and the Agriculture (Safety, Health and Welfare Provisions) Act in 1956 were signs of this same commitment spreading to other parts of UK industry. They marked a nationwide commitment to safer working conditions and gave inspectors the necessary regulatory clout to enter premises and enforce legislation, ultimately improving working conditions.
1974 saw the implementation one of the most recognisable pieces of legislation used in today’s industry, the Health and Safety at Work Act, and also marked the departure of prescriptive and detailed regulations put in place by previous act; which were often hard to follow and difficult to adapt to different contexts. In its place a much less prescriptive and more goal based regulatory system was established that, for the first time, involved both employers and employees in the designing of a modern health and safety system.
Since this time, a number of different industry specific acts have been formed and implemented such as the Asbestos Licensing Regulations (1993) and the Noise at Work Regulations (1989) that have all helped to contribute to a working environment where individuals can be sure that they are protected.
Here at Logical Storage, health and safety is central to all the work we do, and we pride ourselves on going above and beyond industry standards. To find out what Logical Storage can offer you, call us on 0845 689 1300 or visit our website for more information.
Warehouses face a constant battle with space, and this can cause a headache for even the most experienced of managers. As businesses grow, so too does their need for storage space, and many businesses might find their current facilities are unable to deal with the demands placed on it. Of course there is the option to move location, but this can be costly, disruptive and time consuming.
Perhaps the answer instead might lie with utilising the full potential of current facilities, and making the most of the space you already have. Pallet racking systems can prove extremely useful when looking for ways to do this. These systems can be configured in a variety of ways, and each one serves a different purpose.
In a drive in drive through racking system, units are stored one behind the other along continuous beams. This is particularly suitable for large volumes of products, and proves to be a good alternative to block stacking for loads which are far too fragile to be stacked on top of each other.
As a result of being able to stack units behind one another, this eliminates the need for traditional loading aisles, and in doing so greatly increases space within the warehouse compared to standard pallet racking which would require different aisles for accessing individual units.
All businesses are subjected to change at some point; drive in/drive through racking systems offer a great deal of flexibility when it comes to dealing with these changes. Easy to install and highly adjustable, these systems offer a good solution to the uncertainties placed on demand. It’s easy to adjust the beam positions, allowing for firms to make alterations depending on the size or shape of different units that might need to be stored. In addition, these systems provide warehouses the opportunity to quickly expand their capacity, as new racks can be easily installed alongside existing ones as storage demands increase.
If you are interested in finding out more about our drive in – drive through racking systems, or other styles of racking solutions, then please call us on 0845 689 1300 to discuss your needs in more detail.
Dynamic pallet flow is a first-in / first-out (FIFO) automated storage system that allows you to efficiently maintain a high density of storage. This system allows you to save up to 60% of floor space compared to conventional racking systems and the automated aspect ensures that the picking aisle is constantly stocked.
Dynamic pallet flow systems use a roller conveyor track set at a slight incline which allows pallets to move freely from deposit to collection. The roller conveyor track is supported by a racking system and wheels and brakes are used to control the speed of the pallets’ movement.
Operating these systems is simple: pallets are loaded from the rear (the highest point) and off-loaded at the front. When a pallet is removed from the front the pallet directly behind it moves into the picking position to become first in the queue. This gravity assisted roller system allows for quick and efficient inventory turnover.
This dynamic racking system is ideal for food distribution, freezer warehouses or in any situation where a high-volume of customer goods is present. As well as being quick to install, one of the main benefits of this system is that it allows loading and unloading to be performed in different aisles. This allows operators to carry out their duties without the hassle of congestion issues or interruptions.
When tailoring a dynamic pallet flow system to your business requirements, Logical Storage Solutions will need to know the amount of space available and the size and weight of the items being stored. This information will then be used to calculate:
When it comes to storage, many businesses find themselves at a loss as how to make the most of the space that they have available. Logical Storage provides a wide range of storage solutions to help make the most of the space that businesses have to work with; one of these solutions comes in the form of Carton Flow racking.
Carton Flow racking is an innovative shelving system which utilises wheels and rollers to move products from one end of a rack to another – saving the operator and the business valuable time, reducing travel time and saving up to 30% floor space.
The picking system that Carton Flow racking uses is made up of wheels and roller shelves which are slightly tilted in order to gravitate products towards the person who is picking them which decreases picking times and maximises efficiency. The operator hand loads the product into the back of the system and can stand back as it is automatically moved to the front of the system ready to be retrieved by another operator. This reduces distribution times and helps to reduce the risk of accidents which might occur during normal transit.
Carton Flow racking is a high performance dynamic storage system and as you might expect, the initial investment costs are higher compared with static solutions like office shelving, To discuss Carton Flow racking or to find out more about our other storage options please call us on 0845 689 1300.
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