Do you need to employ better organised and more effective storage techniques in your warehouse? This article will assist you to achieve a better understanding of the issues confronting your organisation, whilst offering sensible yet logical solutions to eradicate any shortcomings.
Nicole Pontius points out in Camcode.com (2017) that warehouses play a key role in the supply chain. A lean, efficient warehouse keeps businesses running efficiently; therefore, warehouse organisation can make or break a business’ bottom line.
Effective warehouse design certainly encompasses layout and space optimisation, but it also includes warehouse labelling and racking, warehouse management software systems and technology, and designated picking and receiving areas. Warehouses that are clean and well organised are ready to receive merchandise, prepare orders, load and ship containers, and keep customers happy.
Unfortunately, organising a warehouse efficiently is easier said than done. Each decision should support the organisation’s goals while being aimed at increasing productivity, optimising space, reducing costs, and delivering superior customer service.
Here are some pearls of wisdom from experts in the field.
Avon Roderick writing for Dear Systems (2018) advocates that one needs to:
Re-evaluate Your Warehouse Layout Design
Use Warehouse Vertical Racking Organisation
Use ABC Analysis to Set Up Warehouse Inventory
- A-Items – Best-selling items that don’t take up all your warehouse space or cost
- B-Items – Mid-range items that sell regularly but may cost more than A-items to hold
- C-Items – The rest of your inventory that makes up the bulk of your inventory costs while contributing the least to your bottom line
Keep Your Warehouse Clean
Label Warehouse Inventory
Make Receiving Inventory Easy
Regularly Review Your Warehouse Organisation System
Bonus Warehouse Organisation Tip: Use Cloud-Based Inventory Management
- Keep your warehouse organised automatically.
- You’ll be able to easily implement barcode technology, organise your inventory according to ABC categories or any other system, and know exactly where your items are for quick retrieval.
- Plus, if you’re managing multiple warehouses and you can’t oversee all of them all the time, a cloud-based inventory management system delivers a bird’s eye view of each warehouse and its activities right to your computer, wherever you are in the world.
Nicole Pontius’ article in Industry Resources (2017) amongst other good advice endorses, Audit – Review – Implement:
Creating a floor plan.
Selecting shelving and storage solutions.
Labelling racks, shelves, containers, and other warehouse organisation assets.
Maximising space utilisation.
Scheduling regular maintenance.
Conducting periodic audits and reviews.
This good advice reflects good practice across the industry.
Kyle Curtis from Student Assembly (2019) extols the benefits of a top down – bottom up approach, as follows:
Securing the merchandise
- In looking for a storage solutions facility, clients always look at how secure their products will be. By replacing the traditional wooden pallet with a much secure IBC containment pallet, the safety of the merchandise greatly increases, effectively reducing wastage. What’s more, this type of containment is explicitly designed for security.
Safety means more clients
- If clients can rely on you securing the storage and delivery of their merchandises, the increase in volume should follow soon. For one, a trusting client may very well have you store all their products instead of having to deal with multiple storage facilities.
Maximise storage space
- A vertical pallet racking system not only allows more room for storage; it also allows you to maximise your facility’s space. Remember, the pallet racking system was designed for easy access and efficient way of storing pallets using a forklift truck. And since it’s vertical, more merchandise can be stored on the same small floor space.
Employee safety
- In addition to increasing your clientele, organizing your storage facility properly helps decrease the risk of injuries to employees working on the storage and handling section. More and more warehouse storage systems are designed for extreme safety. A safer workplace environment not only is endearing to its workers but greatly increases productivity, making your revenues even higher.
Properly organised
- According to studies, an average of 1.5 hours a day is spent just by looking for things. Imagine, that’s a lot of wasted time if your facility is not properly organised! While there are many methods and ways to organise the merchandise inside the storage facility, investing in the right materials and equipment contributes greatly to making your operations even more cost-effective
Nicole’s mantra emphasises that each decision should support the organisation’s goals while being aimed at increasing productivity, optimising space, reducing costs, and delivering superior customer service. It makes good business sense to act now! Remember, Audit – Review – Implement.
Something else that makes good business sense is to contact Whichwarehouse, for all your storage and logistics solutions.
We specialise in sourcing warehouse space and logistics services within the UK and Ireland. Contact us for any requirements relating to storage, fulfilment and distribution. We have access to warehouses that are available for rent (short and long term) as well as office space on site (at some locations) so you can be close to your products but still being able to concentrate on other aspects of your business such as sales, marketing and procurement.
Whichwarehouse was originally set up to provide an online advertising directory for warehouse operators/warehouse owners/landlords etc. to advertise their properties on an industry-specific portal. We realised that there was a niche in the market whereby we could match manufacturers and suppliers requiring storage and distribution solutions to those warehouse owners/3PL providers who had the available space and value-added services required. Thus, our matching service was integrated into our advertising package, this having proved to be very successful.
The Whichwarehouse directory has an established network of experienced and professional third-party logistics and warehouse providers covering locations throughout the UK and Ireland. We can assist with your logistics requests for anything from self-storage to pallet or bulk storage through to a complete supply chain solution for your products, even delivering to the end user. The facilities included in our network provide storage and distribution services for general and bulk goods, hazardous and pharmaceutical products, items subject to Duty and VAT deferment as well as general self-storage units.
Our members can offer a complete commercial storage and logistics solution including distribution and forwarding, RH&D, order picking, stock control, re-working & re-kitting, EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and PDI (Pre-delivery inspection). Some have available outside space for vehicle parking or external storage requirements and many warehouses have dock levellers, temperature control facilities, operate forklifts and most warehouse facilities are fully secure with CCTV and alarm systems.
If you need to find storage space or a 3PL provider please click on the FIND SPACE button on our welcome page and use the map to search for current available solutions or for assistance in any way, please contact us on 0800 1707555.