If you run a storage warehouse, or several large ones, you already know how much the whole supply chain depends on the way it is managed. For many professionals, though, that is easier said than done. So how do you organise a storage warehouse to make the most of the space and save time day to day? Our complete guide takes you through it.
Start by optimising your storage space with practical, forward-thinking techniques. The aim is to free up as much room as possible so you can hold more goods. Be careful, though: the point is not to cram in as much as you can, however you can. Accessibility matters just as much.
First, work out how much space you actually need. Begin with a simple question: do you need a building for short-term storage or for long-term warehousing? In the second case, goods stay on site for extended periods, which calls for a different approach to stock management.
To gain space in your logistics warehouse, why not store vertically? The method is particularly effective because it puts your goods up in the air on shelving rather than across the floor. It does require high ceilings, along with every sensible precaution when heavy goods are stored at height.
Modular racking is another option, and a highly practical one: it adapts to your needs. This type of racking lets you arrange your goods exactly as you want, according to the volumes you have to store.
Goods come in and out of a storage warehouse constantly. Those flows have to be managed efficiently, using the right methods.
Give goods-in and dispatch their own dedicated areas: the layout works far better for it. Finding the parcels you need and getting them out to customers quickly becomes much simpler.
Few people give aisles much thought, yet the better they are organised, the better everything moves. With so much activity in a warehouse, good traffic flow saves time and prevents accidents, which is no small consideration. Driving a forklift truck down a cluttered aisle, for instance, quickly becomes dangerous.
FIFO, or first in, first out, is a highly effective way to manage stock and flows. Parcels that entered stock first are moved to the packing area first, so they leave first. The opposite approach is LIFO: last in, first out.
Several technologies can help you run your operation more efficiently.
Warehouse management software saves a considerable amount of time. There are a great many tools on the market, and most offer a demo mode so you can get to know the features. Try several before settling on the one that suits you best and that your team can truly master: the point, after all, is to save time, not lose it.
Automating storage processes is another way to save time. These processes tend to become time-consuming as operations grow; automate them and the time you free up can go to more important work.
Finally, track your stock in real time. It puts you in a position to anticipate customer demand. The chances are you do not know precisely what is sitting in your warehouse at any given moment; real-time tracking tells you exactly what comes in and what goes out.
As in any warehouse holding goods, safety standards have to be followed to prevent injuries and accidents. They matter a great deal, so never treat them as an afterthought.
Training your staff in safety procedures and first aid is essential. Accidents, spillages and fires are common in this kind of warehouse, and your employees need to respond correctly to whatever situation arises, which is precisely what training gives them.
Managing risk and preventing accidents matters. To guard against fire, for example, install extinguishers and an emergency exit. Do not overlook maintenance on your equipment and machinery either. Both keep risks to a minimum and head off problems before they arise.
If you are planning to have a storage warehouse built, we would point you towards one of our pre-engineered steel buildings. Built from high-quality galvanized steel sheets, these buildings go up without difficulty and without any particular technical knowledge. They can also be dismantled and tailored to your requirements: if the day comes when you need to store larger volumes, you simply extend the building. And should you need to move the structure, taking it down is as straightforward as putting it up.
You now have the full set of techniques for organising a storage warehouse. All that remains is to put our advice into practice, make the most of the space and save time every day. Whatever you decide, the building has to exist before it can be organised. At batimentsmoinschers.com, we invite you to explore our solutions. If you have questions, do get in touch: we will answer every one of them and help you make the right choices. Pre-engineered steel buildings deserve serious consideration for storage space: they cost considerably less than conventional construction.
Share this article
