How to Make the Most of Limited Warehouse Space
Warehouse space is in high demand, along with workers to pick, pack, and ship. Yet, even as developers scour the regions for sites to develop, warehouses can’t be built quickly enough. Companies need space and they need it now.
If your warehouse is like most, maximizing space is more important than ever before. Here are some tips that may help reduce congestion.
- Use Directed Putaway – Rather than allowing workers to put away pallets wherever they want, use a directed putaway process so that your staff knows exactly where to put a pallet to optimize space and layout.
- Find Underutilized Space – Seek out space and use it like you never have before. For example, check above shipping and receiving doors. Oftentimes there is space here that can be used to store pallet racks or slow-moving products.
- Store by Size – Separate products by size and store the with similarly sized items. Perhaps most of your products fit on 48 x 40 pallets, but if there are some that are smaller or larger, store those items in separate areas of racking.
- Switch to Higher-Density Storage – It may make sense to move from a single-deep rack to a double-deep rack. With this method, a reach truck is required to load pallets. Push-back or drive-in racks are also options that can help add storage. With push-back racking, pallets are placed on a series of nested, mobile carts that glide on rails. When a new pallet is loaded, it pushes the other carts back. With drive-in racking, pallets are stored on rails rather than shelf beams. Forklifts drive into the structure for pallet placement and removal. The only drawback with these methods is limited accessibility to first-in pallets.
- De-Clutter – Don’t stockpile broken pallets or boards. This, of course, takes up valuable floor space and it can pose a safety hazard. Instead, contact your supplier who will happily collect and recycle scrap wood or buy back any pallets that are no longer safe for use.
While we can’t magically create more warehouse space, Rose Pallet can advise on space-saving strategies, especially concerning pallets. We’re here to help; call us today!