Does your warehouse, distribution center or factory floor suffer from disorganization, inefficiency, and fulfillment errors? As your company grows, these negative attributes can become more and more a part of your operation. Therefore, space optimization in a warehouse is crucial.
So, let’s take a look at three steps to optimize your warehouse storage and greatly reduce inefficiencies, errors and general disorganization so you can improve warehouse handling solutions.
Reevaluate Your Current Parts Slotting
The first step in warehouse storage optimization is to reevaluate your current parts slotting. And when you do this, keep in mind the Pareto Principle (also known as the 80/20 rule), which states that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. In general: 20% of your inventory represents 80% of your product movement. So, put faster-moving items closer to the dock to increase picking efficiency and create shorter travel distances for your warehouse employees. Likewise, re-slot your warehouse at least once or twice a year (perhaps three or four times a year if you have seasonal products) for the same reason.
Implement Best Practices for Parts Storage
Continuing with the reevaluation of your warehouse operations, your next step is to analyze efficiency and productivity of your picking methods and warehouse operations. If you’re doing low level order-picking of cartons from pallets, for instance, you can decrease labor and create a safer environment by having your fork-truck operators rotate the pallets 180 degrees each day to allow operators ease of access to cartons. If the cartons are up in front of the pick face, then your operators won’t have to reach to the very back of the pallet to access cartons.
You can further analyze your picking methodology to increase productivity: Could you use a pick-to-light or other efficiency-promoting system to increase order-fulfillment accuracy? Consider automation as well.
Here’s another handy tip: To decrease your shipping material costs and reduce freight expenses, limit your shipping container sizes to three or four if possible. What’s more, this also will help your warehouse workers pack orders more quickly and efficiently.
Install a High-Density Storage System
Lastly, a high-density storage system, from mobile shelving to vertical storage systems, can create additional space in the existing storage footprint by taking advantage of previously unusable space. Thinking of the cube (cubic space) rather than merely square footage translates into a much more efficient storage situation.
For more warehouse storage optimization tips like these, call Outsource Equipment today at 877-741-6711. With their vast inventory of high-quality used material handling equipment, there are warehouse handling solutions that fit your needs.
