Category: Warehouse Partitioning (page 1 of 2)

Benefits of having an organised warehouse

Warehouse racking is a crucial aspect of any warehouse and plays a significant role in keeping the inventory organised and easily accessible.

An organised warehouse not only helps in improving the overall efficiency of the operations, but also ensures the safety of the employees and the inventory. With the help of proper racking systems, you can easily store, manage and retrieve items, reducing the time and effort required for these tasks. Moreover, the use of warehouse racking can help increase the storage capacity of your warehouse, allowing you to store more items in a smaller space.

Another major benefit of having an organised warehouse is increased productivity. When items are stored in an organised manner, employees can easily locate them, reducing the time and effort required to find items. This results in faster order fulfillment and reduces the chance of human error. Additionally, an organized warehouse also enables employees to move around the warehouse more easily, reducing the risk of accidents and improving the overall safety of the workplace.

An organised warehouse also makes it easier to conduct regular inventory checks and ensures that items are stored in the right place. This not only helps in reducing the loss of items due to misplacement, but also makes it easier to track inventory levels, helping you make informed decisions about restocking and ordering new items.

Furthermore, an organised warehouse also creates a professional and organised image for your business. Customers and clients who visit your warehouse will appreciate the well-organized and neat appearance, which can help build confidence in your brand and your ability to manage your operations effectively.

In conclusion, an organised warehouse is crucial for the success of any business that relies on storage and distribution. With the help of proper warehouse racking systems, you can improve the efficiency of your operations, increase the storage capacity of your warehouse, increase productivity, improve safety, and create a professional image for your business. If you are looking to improve your warehouse operations, consider investing in a high-quality warehouse racking system.

Different Types of Warehouses

Climate-controlled warehouse

As the name goes, these warehouses are used to store items that need to be kept at a specific temperature, mostly perishables. Climate-controlled warehouses can range from humidity-controlled environments that can store fresh fruits, flowers, etc., to freezers that store frozen foods.

Reasons to Choose:

  1. Protection against natural elements
  2. Better inventory security

Smart warehouse

Automation is transforming the way warehouses operate, with AI driving everything from packing to delivering items. With minimal human involvement required and smart technologies taking center stage, modern warehouses are facilitating eCommerce giants like Amazon and Alibaba in speeding up their delivery times while cutting operational costs.

Reasons to Choose:

  1. Lesser chances of error
  2. Reduced manual efforts and cost

Consolidated warehouse

Need to save money on your startup’s shipping expenses? Consolidated warehouses act as a great resource, collecting small shipments from several suppliers and combining them into one full truckload. This allows you to use the same transportation costs that would have gone towards just one shipment – ultimately resulting in considerable savings!

Reasons to Choose:

  1. Economies of scale
  2. No capital investment

Which Warehouse Is the Best for You?

By now, you must have understood that each warehouse has a purpose of its own. You must choose the type that aligns with your business’s requirements.

Different Types of Warehouses

Warehousing, however simple it might seem to be, has a lot of diversification. There are a variety of warehouses, each having a niche of its own. How do you decide which type of warehousing is right for your business?

It’s essential to keep an eye on the details when selecting a warehouse that fits your business needs. The industry, location and precisely what you require will determine which option is right for you. Don’t underestimate its importance; having the correct storage facility could make or break customer relations – ensuring orders are shipped out quickly has proven time again to be key in creating happy customers!

Having the right kind of warehousing in place becomes even more important during the festive season when you’ve got a massive surge in orders to manage. Instead of making any rash decisions, you must critically analyse the different types of warehouses available and make an informed decision.

Selecting the right warehouse can make or break your customer relations – and it all comes down to order fulfillment. When you consider several factors, such as industry type, business requirements and location from an informed perspective, making sure orders are fulfilled on time is a given. This well result in content customers who sing praises about you!

Generally, there are 7 major types of warehouses:

  1. Distribution centre
  2. Public warehouse
  3. Private warehouse
  4. Bonded warehouse
  5. Climate-controlled warehouse
  6. Smart warehouse
  7. Consolidated warehouse

Distribution Centre

Distribution centres are a vital cog in the supply chain, making possible rapid and reliable movement of goods from suppliers to customers. These warehouses offer far more space than regular ones and feature computerised systems for improved efficiency. Perishable products can be especially beneficial thanks to their short turnaround time – entering early morning then leaving late evening all on the same day! Ultimately, these centres enable faster distribution at lower cost when located close to transportation hubs, ensuring customer satisfaction every step of the way.

Reasons to Choose:

  1. Efficiency of operations
  2. Storage capacity

Private warehouse

Need a place to store your goods that won’t break the bank? Public warehouses could be just what you need! Offering an affordable way for small business and eCommerce startups to keep their products safe, these government- or semigovernment owned facilities are available on loan with a reasonable charge. No long term commitment necessary; perfect for those times when extra storage is required but not permanent.

Reasons to Choose:

  1. Less long-term cost
  2. Better regional presence

Bonded warehouse

With public warehouses, small businesses and eCommerce start-ups can deal with their inventory overflow when they need extra storage space. Owned by government or semi-government bodies, these temporary solutions let companies stock up on goods for a fee to provide just the right amount of breathing room until they are ready to purchase additional warehouse facilities.

Reasons to Choose:

  1. Low overall cost
  2. Helps in international trade

Keep an eye on next blog for more information on different warehouses!

Adjustable Pallet Racking

The most popular and widely used system for pallet storage. Used in virtually every industry, the adjustable pallet racking (APR) system can be easily configured and adapted to most warehouse locations. When used in conjunction with accessories, it can be tailored to suit many different products and applications.

Low initial investment

APR is cost effective and when used properly it will continue to perform efficiently and safely for twenty years (or more).

Flexibility

Most changes in product dimensions can be accommodated by simply adjusting the beam position to flex the aperture height. Additional parts can easily be added in order to create more locations, or removed to accommodate changes in operational requirements.

Re-use

Suitably trained installers can decommission these structures and relocate them as operational needs change.

Warehouse Safety Checklist

Our warehouse safety inspection service helps you fulfil your legal duty to check the safety of your storage systems annually.

Whether you have a modest installation or several vast warehouses, your storage systems should be inspected at least annually for any safety defects. Our independent warehouse safety inspection helps fulfil your duty of care to employees and comply with HSE regulations.

Peace of mind and compliance

Why risk injury to your operatives, damaged stock and possible prosecution due to unsafe storage, when we can arrange a Level 3 inspection by an independent SARI qualified inspector?

This impartial inspection with a written report will highlight and categorise any defects. It also covers safety aspects such as load warnings and incorrect use of pallets. If racking issues are found, our racking repair service can quickly rectify them.

HSE Safety Levels 1 and 2

The HSE defines Level 1 as reporting damage to the Person Responsible for Racking Safety (PRRS). The PRRS should also make regular Level 2 inspections of all your storage, checking they are suitable for their loads, correctly installed and not damaged.

A PRRS can be anyone familiar with racking damage. They could simply be an experienced person, but ideally they should be specifically trained; we can arrange this.

HSE Level 3

You must also have a Level 3 inspection at least annually, preferably by an independent specialist, such as a SEMA Approved Rack Inspector (SARI). It’s much more extensive than Level 2, and complies with SEMA (Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association) guidelines, which are recognised by HSE.

A Level 3 Expert inspection categorises damage as Red, Amber and Green risks. Red is the most serious; if you continue using storage assessed as Red Risk, you could face prosecution.

Types of Warehouse Storage Systems

Multi-Tier Racking

The centerpiece of any warehouse is the pallet racking system. These are made out wood, metal or plastic and hold inventory that’s received in large boxes- depending on how high up they go with an automated mechanism to help place them onto your desired location for storage/safekeeping!

Mostly, multi-tier racking concerns relatively lightweight items that are picked and organized manually. To get the most out of this warehouse storage system, organize each tier strategically and pack items as densely as possible, while at the same time paying attention to weight limits and ceiling-to-rack height compliance guidelines.

Mezzanine Flooring

Mezzanine floors are effective and space-saving storage options for any company with a budget. They’re an excellent way to keep your warehouse floor open while also providing additional safety against inventory loss or damage in case there’s ever something worth watching out for!

The most expensive option for a warehouse is likely going to be the one that has all of its features customised. It’s not just about what you need in terms on storage space, but also how it can best suit your needs and workstyle!

Wire Partitions

While mezzanine flooring is one of the more high-tech options, wire partitions are on the other end of the spectrum. Wire partitions are, effectively, strategically-placed wire cages that are meant to be installed and torn down quickly and easily.

Often, the inventory that is housed within wire partitions are the items that may need special security. Some warehouses are even known to use wire partitions to construct makeshift, temporary offices for managers who work on the floor.

Tips on How to Effectively Plan a Warehouse Layout Design

Principles of an Efficient Warehouse Layout

Before you start designing your warehouse, you should understand what you’re trying to achieve with your warehouse layout design.

Here are 3 major principles to keep in mind when planning your warehouse:

Space

Consider how to maximise the space you can afford, taking into consideration storage, stock, offices, working areas, empty pallet storage, battery charging, etc.

With a wide variety of vertical racks and freestanding equipment, you should be able to design your warehouse in the way you need it initially, while being flexible enough to change it in the future if desired.

Flow

Warehouse flow can be summarised as the uninterrupted movement of materials, people, and traffic within your building.

Your first goal should be to cut down on any areas of high traffic or potential for cross-flow crashes.

So, each activity that an employee performs must be located as close as possible to the activity that precedes it and proceeds from it.

That also means materials used to perform those activities should be situated as close as possible to each workstation.

Your second goal should be to eliminate as much movement and disruption as possible.

Accessibility

Every product and all products on pallets should be accessible by everyone, usually without the need to move one product to get to another.

That means structuring your pallet racks in rows that are wide enough to accommodate pallet jacks and trucks, and stacking and stocking items strategically for minimal interference with one another.

Millenium SI Solutions for Common Warehouse Problems

Use Your Vertical Space

Look up and make sure you’re using all the vertical space available. Investigate storage media to take advantage of your clear span height. How much cubic feet of vertical space is not being used? Be sure to know how your design might impact your sprinkler design and fire code.

Analyze Your Department Space

Identify functions that do not require high ceilings in areas where lower stacking heights are dictated by the clear height. We often see unused overhead space where large departments like packing and shipping are performed.

Consolidate Locations

If you have multiple locations for storing the same item, consider combining them to create better warehouse space utilisation. This can be done during the putaway process and as a standalone function.

Drop Shipping As An Option

If you store and ship large items, consider utilising some form of drop shipping to reduce your in-house inventory and costs.

Use Off-Site Location for Overstock

If you store a large quantity of excess inventory for a few items, consider some type of offsite storage for the excess, thus freeing up space for supporting the fulfillment operation.

Mezzanine Installation

If your building layout permits, consider the use of a mezzanine to house functions that do not require high-bay storage. These can be expensive and are fairly permanent, but will maximise warehouse space utilisation.

What Can Your Business Gain From Installing a Mezzanine Floor?

Mezzanine floors are beyond being able to create extra floor space or saving money on rent, and there’s a lot more. Of course, being able to create extra space in your commercial building without any major construction work is quite a benefit. However, the versatility of mezzanine floors means there’s a lot of pros to having one.

Here’s what we think your business stands to gain from installing a mezzanine floor:

A Boost to Productivity and Efficiency

An additional working place will go a long way to increase the output of your business. With mezzanine floors installed, you will have new office, lunchrooms, bathrooms, secure rooms and even a fitness centre all within the existing office space.

One of the ways to increase productivity is to look into the work space. More importantly, being able to provide specific amenities can be a morale booster. To provide these amenities, you will require extra space which you cannot afford except through a mezzanine floor.

A Cost-Efficient Approach to Expansion

Compare the cost of the building extra space in your business from scratch to having a mezzanine floor installed. You’ll always stick with the mezzanine option. Building a new structure involves a lot of investment which your business may not be able to afford currently.

However, with mezzanine floors in place, you will be getting value out of every square metre of your current business space. Mezzanine floors help you to achieve maximum and optimal space efficiency.

Quicker Installation Time

It does not end here. Mezzanine floors are made with prefabricated materials. As a business, you do not have the luxury of time to pause business activities. However, there’s no need to disrupt business activities when mezzanine floors are to be installed; the turnaround time is quicker.

When compared with building a new structure, a mezzanine floor saves you time. Depending on the size and space, installing a mezzanine floor is comparatively faster.

Customisable to Suit Your Taste and Needs

The beauty of the mezzanine floor extends to being able to create an interior environment that captures your business philosophy. A mezzanine floor can be customised for an industrial, warehouse, retail, or regular office interior.

We are referring to having a mezzanine floor with decorated walls, wallpapers, ceiling, windows, doors and carpets. What matters is knowing what you intend to achieve out of the new extra space created.

If you believe your business stands to benefit from mezzanine floors reach out to us on  (01942) 603344 or email info@millennium-si.co.uk

 

What Is External Racking?

Are you looking for a way to utilise your yard space that will be completely unaffected by adverse weather conditions? External racking could be the solution for you.

External Warehouse Racking is a storage system that has been galvanised to ensure that the racking will have the longest lifespan possible.

By galvanising the racking you are providing the system with extra protection, ensuring that rust and corrosion are not a problem that you will encounter.

If you have an outdoor space, installing an external racking system will provide useful space for your materials whilst utilising the available space.

Where Could External Racking Be Used?

There are multiple applications that external racking is ideal for:

  • Outdoor retail storage
  • Storage yards
  • Builders Merchants

Advantages of External Racking:

  • Weather resistant – the racking is galvanised to prevent any rust and corrosion
  • Ideal for cold or damp locations
  • Utilising available space in your facility – outdoor space is often under-utilised, outdoor racking allows you to use this space efficiently

Disadvantages of External Racking:

  • The racking must be galvanised to protect it from the elements – this increases the costs and often lead times
  • The products stored must also either not be affected by the elements or be protected from them – this may mean protecting the racking with some form of cladding
  • The floor area must be concreted, flat and level as in an internal warehouse

If you would like more information regarding warehouse racking solutions, call us today on (01942) 603344 or email info@millennium-si.co.uk to arrange a no obligation visit.

Older posts