What is the most important part of a warehouse? Yes, the racking and shelving that is installed to store goods. Without this, the warehouse would be a disorganized and unsafe mess. You can’t just install any old racking either, it must enable efficiency and productivity. It will also determine other important factors, such as how you use your floor space, how you make use of height, and the type of access you have to your inventory.
Therefore, it pays to spend some time going over the options and making sure you get it the right the first time. Here are some tips for planning your racking:
What are your requirements?
Firstly, understanding what your needs are is crucial. What are you storing? It is large, small or a mixture? Are there products with a higher flow rate? Remember to adapt your racking to your requirements and not the other way around.
Listen to experience
Before deciding on anything, it pays to talk to those who have years of warehouse experience. People like the drivers, your handling equipment suppliers, and other warehouse managers. Listen to their suggestions.
Best use of space
Warehouses may seem huge, but they only have a finite amount of space, and how best to maximize it is the burning question. Perhaps the racking would be best placed in longer rows and more accessible if not pushed against walls? Consider how staff are going to navigate the site and ensure you maintain optimal access to priority items. For more information on Shelving Ireland, visit a site like Rackzone
Long-lasting
Racking systems are a sizeable investment, so choose something with a reputation for durability. Think about the weight of the racking and what kind of daily usage it will experience. Ideally, you will be looking for an excellent price/longevity system.
Budget
Now you have decided what is needed, it is time to look at how much you have available to spend. Factor in the cost of the actual racking, as well as possible design and certainly installation. Cheapest is not always best in terms of economy, so remember it is essential to choose what is right for your requirements.
Picking the right racking
There are many varieties, and some can be designed specifically to your needs. Consider things like the size of the warehouse, the height of the ceiling, what type of manual handling machinery is being used around it, and its lift height, for example.
Future expansion
It is also a good idea to factor in the possibility of future expansion. If you want to scale up in the future, have you chosen racking that is flexible enough to allow you to do this? You may wish to consider a modular system or choose a customized setup that can easily be adjusted for future expansion.
