Improve your warehouse storage. If you want to achieve peak efficiency, here’s a list of mistakes to avoid. Knowing what to side-step will help you design your warehouse spaces to achieve maximum efficiency.
Not Designing Around Product Mixes and Loads
Not all warehouse racking systems are equal. Look at your product first. You’ll want to choose a racking system that affords you the greatest mix of selectivity and density applied to your unique product mix. It’s just as important to then design that rack solution around your product loads. Leaving too much extra room in a bay of racking for instance will equate to wasted space that could otherwise be used for storage.
Not Designing Around Material Handling Equipment
As aforementioned, space utilization is a priority in many warehouse facilities. But that doesn’t mean you should skimp on all the spaces. For instance, creating narrow aisles can seem cost-effective. But if your forklift can’t even enter those aisles, that’s not a viable long-term solution. Consequently it is just as important to design your rack system around your material handling equipment as it is to design around your products.
Skipping Inspections
Do you have pallet racking inspections scheduled? This even includes simple self inspections by means of a system walkthrough at the end of the day. Don’t try to skip them, thinking you need to play catch-up with other tasks. Inspections are used to check for any damage to the system. Failure to catch damage can lead to more expensive repairs and replacements down the line, or worse, warehouse accidents.
Overloading the Racks
Never put more than the loading capacity limit on the racks. Rack systems are designed to hold a specific load tolerance. Exceeding this can result in total system failure and rack collapse. This in turn can open you up to liabilities such as harm to employees, products and the facility itself. Overloading the racks will always lead to trouble.
Climbing the Racks
If your employees often climb the racks to grab inventory, this creates unsafe scenarios where the chances of injury skyrocket. This habit can lead to expensive worker’s compensation claims.It also presents the opportunity for damage to the racking via misuse.
Not Securing Your Inventory
Keep your products secure. Unsecured items often fall and injure staff, which also helps give create a safer environment for your staff. If you are storing product like this on your racks, consider an accessory like wire decking or netting to help keep operations safe.
With over 75 years of experience, Frazier is an expert in the proper design and use of racking systems. Contact us today at frazier@frazier.com or (800) 859-1342, Option 8 to learn more.