Is your warehouse working as efficiently as it can for your business? It is time to take a look and review several aspects of your warehouse organization. Here are a few ideas to consider to maximize your organization.

Assess Floor Plan Layout

Take a look at your shelves, tools, equipment, work benches, and tables. Are they all logically placed and within reach of the warehouse staff. Is there a smooth and safe workflow clear of obstructions that will get in the way of daily tasks?

Your warehouse should:

• Allow flexible storage
• Maximize working space
• Maximize available space
• Minimize handling of goods
• Enable easy access to goods

Review both the physical work areas and the workflow of employee tasks. Can you make any improvements?

These work areas should be separated:

1. Receiving
2. Storage
3. Packing
4. Shipping
5. Office

Can you make better-defined work areas and create a safer work environment? Are there full paths for forklifts and pallet jacks. Does the current office have a clear view of the entire warehouse and the processes? Are there any annoyances with the daily workflow? Research possible solutions. Get direct feedback from your employees to create an ideal warehouse layout for your business.

Warehouse Racks and Shelves

What is your business? Consider your racking system and shelves to store the products you need in your warehouse. What storage racks, bins, and shelves will work best for your business? What type, size, and location do you need? Maximum the warehouse space, especially your vertical spacing with tall shelving units.

Organize Your Inventory

Put your fastest-moving goods or most used parts closer for fewer steps. Put slower moving items further away. Stock items into three categories:

• Most profitable or most used items that account should be placed for quick and easy access by warehouse staff
• Second-best items follow next.
• Less essential items can be placed on top of shelves, deep in the warehouse.

Labeling

Label everything in your warehouse will improve efficiency, communication, and safety. Clear signage is very important for forklifts, clearance heights, and capacity alerts as well.

Order Picking Process

By reviewing your order processing system in the warehouse, you can improve speed, accuracy, customer service, safety, etc.

Think about minimizing travel time, best selling items closest to the packing area and the technology used such as hand-held RF readers, pick-to-light systems, voice picking systems, or barcode scanning in your workflow.

Receiving

Warehouse receiving operations is an integral part of your workflow. Staff must check that the correct goods are received in the right quantity and at an acceptable quality. Ensure plenty of space for workers to sort and store inventory.

Maintenance

Implement a regular plan with your staff to include cleaning the workspaces, floors, trash, physical obstacles removed, tools put away, forklifts parked, etc. which will improve safety, productivity, and efficiency.

Warehouse Rack Repairs

Versatile Industrial Maintenance Inc. (VIM) in Lawrenceville, GA does offer rack inspections and provides a full detailed report. Usually, these are done for no charge if we do the repairs.

We are an independent fabricator, equipment installer of industrial maintenance expertise that specializes in custom warehouse rack repairs. We enjoy taking on challenges offered by the Warehousing industry. We offer custom solutions to storage, safety, and ergonomic issues utilizing our resources and skills to provide custom access platforms, conveyor crossovers, and custom picking carts, and more!

Versatile Industrial Maintenance Inc. was established in 2006 in Lawrenceville, GA, and draws on over 40 years of manufacturing and facility maintenance experience with a high emphasis on regulatory and safety. VIM specializes in warehouse rack repairs. Contact us for a free consultation via email or call 404-516-0611