Warehouse space is a highly sought after aspect of effective warehouse management. Without an effective warehouse layout, you could be relinquishing valuable space where you can store your products. As such, you could experience increased transportation costs due to lack of space or even dangerous hazard potential if pallets are left in obstructing areas. With this in mind, we are going to disclose how to achieve an improved warehouse layout so that you can eliminate these possibilities.
Stack Intelligently
Width between aisles isn’t the only important consideration in the layout of your warehouse. In fact, the items you are stacking could be the reason why space is limited and may need some work. Try to stack items of a similar kind or category in the same aisle, and make sure each aisle is clearly labelled so employees know which items can be found there. This will reduce blockage of forklifts between aisles as employees will know what areas to look for when searching for a specific product.
Build Racking Vertically
Probably the most effective way to achieve improvements in terms of warehouse layout is to build your racking upwards. If you need to expand your warehouse area, it is best to consider building vertically from the ground up as opposed to adding another floor plan, building adjacent or building outside of your warehouse area.
This massively reduces the need for transport vehicles to be utilised which in turn, can lower your costs. Additionally, to improve space in your warehouse and only if you have the space, add to the top of the racking already situated in the warehouse. Although it must be noted that you must not exceed the height limit. According to the HSE, the maximum height should be no more than six times the narrowest dimension of the bottom pallet.
Maintaining Flooring Quality
Another way to promote an effective warehouse layout is to keep your site in good condition. Potholes, cracks and debris are all hazards to 4 wheeled forklift trucks. If they hit an obstruction and potentially topple over, this can cause blocked and wasted space in your warehouse where potential palettes may need to be stored.
Furthermore, hazards and dirty floor quality will slow down the work rate as operators are forced to avoid them, sometimes even needing to stop and change course. It’s imperative to have a regular schedule of inspection and maintenance of your warehouse and its floor.
Many warehouse layout considerations that promote forklift efficiency might seem obvious, but they’re absolutely critical to your profitability.
Maintain Floor Quality
Another way to promote an effective warehouse layout is to keep your site in good condition. Potholes, cracks and debris are all hazards to a 4 wheeled forklift truck. If they hit an obstruction and potentially topple over, this can cause blockages and wasted space in your warehouse where potential palettes may need to be stored.
Furthermore, hazards and dirty floor quality will slow down the work rate of your operations as employees are forced to avoid them, sometimes even needing to stop and change course. As such, it is imperative to have a regular schedule of inspection and maintenance of your warehouse flooring to reduce productivity lags within the business and prevent inefficiencies from occurring.