The upcoming holiday season is the busiest time of the year for many warehouses. This means that warehouse managers somehow need to find more storage space in their warehouse to keep up with increased demand. Although there will be an increase in products to store, it is still essential to maintain organisation and streamline warehouse operations in order to keep up with the increased demand and product turnover rates.
If you’re looking to increase storage capacity in your warehouse or improve your warehouse operations, MACRACK has the solution. We manufacture and install a wide range of pallet racking and shelving solutions that will ensure your warehouse is prepared and organised for the upcoming peak season. Below is a list of our top three tips to prepare your warehouse for the holiday rush.
1) Streamline Warehouse Operations
Review Warehouse Layout
In order to ensure that your warehouse operations are streamlined for the holiday rush you will need to review your warehouse layout. It is likely that over the past year some shelving has been moved around the warehouse to where it was most needed at the time. However, now is the time to consider your warehouse operations and how best to layout your shelving to streamline.
For example, You may need to add shelving to areas that are likely to run out of storage space during the peak season such as the shipping and receiving area. Due to the increased product turnover this will be a key point of operation, and it is vital to ensure that there is sufficient storage space to keep all shipments well organised.
Additionally, you may want to adjust your racking and shelving based on the traffic patterns of your operations. If you can reduce travel time and create an easier path for high traffic areas you will be able to improve warehouse operations, and reduce the risk of damage caused by forklift collisions.
Check Inventory Levels
Preparing for the peak season provides a great opportunity to check inventory levels of all stock. This will ensure that you know exactly what you have, and how much of it, allowing you to order in any stock you need before the impending influx of orders.
Additionally, you should take this opportunity to note how many more pallets you are expecting to receive and where they will be stored. You may also need to consider temporary storage solutions for excess pallets that won’t fit into your existing racking system.
2) Increase Storage Capacity
If your warehouse is generally packed to the brim year-round, when it comes to the peak season you may need to consider installing additional shelving. There are many different options for additional warehouse storage including temporary solutions, such as stillages, as well as more permanent solutions, such as warehouse mezzanine floors.
Stillages
A stillage is an industrial container, usually made of steel, that is used to separate goods during transportation and storage. Stillages are often manufactured to be stackable which helps maximise storage as stillages can then be stored on top of one another.
When your pallet racking system is completely full and there are still more products to be stored, stillages can help to increase the storage capacity of your warehouse.
Unlike standard pallets, stillages can be stacked without risk of damage to the stored products. This means that every square inch of floor space can be fully utilised by using steel stillages, as multiple stillages can be stacked in the space that would otherwise only store one pallet.
Additionally, once the holiday season is over you may be able to use stillages to store products in your existing racking system as stillages are compatible with many pallet racking systems.
Warehouse Mezzanine Floor
To avoid the disorganised mayhem of an overloaded warehouse, and poorly organised product storage, prepare for the holiday rush with a warehouse mezzanine floor.
A warehouse mezzanine floor, often referred to as a raised storage area, is a free standing structure, supported by a pallet racking system, that is used to create additional levels of storage. As a pallet racking derived structure, a warehouse mezzanine floor is an inexpensive way to dramatically increase the storage capacity of a warehouse by utilising the airspace above a racking system.
A warehouse mezzanine floor can be used to double and even triple the floor space and storage space of your warehouse. Kill two birds with one stone by increasing the storage capacity of your warehouse and improving warehouse operations by installing a warehouse mezzanine floor with industrial shelving.
If you’re looking to increase the storage capacity of your warehouse, a warehouse mezzanine floor could be the solution. Call MACRACK today on 1800 048 821 to discuss how a warehouse mezzanine floor could work for your warehouse.
3) Prevent Product & Racking Damage
An increase in stock and product turnover also comes with an increased risk of product and racking damage, as well as worker injury. There are a number of things that can be done to reduce the risk of damage to your products and racking system as well as staff injuries during the holiday period including:
Using Racking Protection
Prepare your pallet racking system for the holiday rush with racking protection. The increase in demand will also increase forklift traffic and the chance of a forklift collision. However, pallet racking protection can be used to protect your racking system from damage, and reduce the risk of a racking collapse that could cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage and bring your warehouse to a grinding halt.
Click here for more information on our range of pallet racking protection products including frame end guards, post protectors, rack bollards and more.
Conducting A Racking Inspection
It can also be beneficial to conduct a racking inspection before a peak period. This will allow you to identify any damage to your racking system and repair it before more damage can be done. Not only will this ensure that your racking system is well equipped to handle the maximum weight capacity specified by the manufacturer, it will also reduce the risk of a racking collapse.
Once you have optimised your warehouse operations, increased the storage capacity of your warehouse, and reduced the risk of product and racking damage, your warehouse will be much better equipped to deal with the disorganisation of the holiday rush.