5 Ways to Make More Room in Your Warehouse
Perhaps the biggest challenging facing a distribution center is space management. Free space is a premium in any supply chain warehouse, and once it starts approaching maximum capacity there are even more hurdles to overcome, namely an over congested workplace that requires more time and resources to manage.
By taking the right approach and reorganizing the current area available you can better utilize the space of a warehouse, increasing the capacity to allow for more streamlined storage.
Here are 5 ways to make more room in your warehouse.
1. Determine the Available Space
The first step to properly optimizing your warehouse space is to determine how much area you are currently working with. This may sound daunting but is surprisingly easy, with just a few measurements required to calculate the total space.
Total warehouse space is calculated by the following:
Square feet x feet clear height = cubic feet
Make sure to remove any square footage for office space, toilets, staff room etc., measuring only the square feet of the warehouse area. When measuring feet clear height, make sure to consider whether the ceiling sections are the same throughout the warehouse, as differences in height will need to be accounted.
Once you have your warehouse area in cubic feet, you can better analyze the use of space and where changes can be made to increase it.
2. Review Vertical Height Storage
Perhaps the best place to start when looking to create more warehouse space is vertically. The best warehouses stack products on top of each other while leaving minimal space free at the ceiling, maximizing the available storage space.
So, determine whether your warehouse is making the most of its vertical space. Stack boxes properly, with heaviest at the bottom, and look at any vertical storage space that could possibly be increased, such as adding extra height to the storage racks.
3. Make Aisles Narrower
Measure the average space between your aisles to see if reductions are possible, with a narrower racking area saving you as much as 20% in storage space. Make sure to consider how viable this is though, as loading equipment still needs to maneuver through the space.
4. Evaluate Storage Hardware
Is the storage equipment you use the best option available? For example, can you upgrade storage racks to increase the capacity? Double–deep racks effectively double the space available, although this will mean you need a suitable truck distributing the pallets onto these larger shelves.
5. Outsource Storage Space to a Fulfillment and Logistic Company
While you may want to increase space available at your current warehouse, it may be more financially viable to simply outsource some of this to a fulfillment and logistics company.
This service allows you increase storage capacity without wasting valuable resources developing the current warehouse space. You can focus on your current online order and logistics system without needing to make significant changes to the layout, hardware, or processes, saving valuable time and resources that can go towards other improvements.
Also, as it is a cost-effective option you can easily use it as a temporary solution until you can develop a permanent one.
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