Daily warehouse operations can quickly eat up your budget. Luckily, proper warehouse storage systems can help you reduce operational costs by increasing efficiency and valuable space in your facility. On the flip slide, overlooking equipment maintenance or neglecting safety measures are mistakes that will not only cost you in productivity—but also result in higher long-term expenses.
Listed below are the top five tips that warehouse managers can use to increase productivity and cut costs relating to warehouse storage mistakes. By implementing these tips, warehouses can create changes that will optimize efficiency and increase employee safety.
5 Tips for Optimizing Your Warehouse Storage
Tip #1: Make sure YOUR INDUSTRIAL SHELVING IS PROPERLY INSTALLED
Pallet rack systems are essential for providing plenty of organization and valuable storage space for your products. However, improperly installed industrial shelving can result in employee injuries and product damage that negatively impacts your revenue.
If an industrial shelving system has loose bolts and screws or is being overloaded, it can collapse with devastating results. Not only would it be costly to have the pallet rack repaired or replaced, but collapsed industrial shelving can cause heavy damage to products and seriously injure, or even kill, employees.
Even if no one is injured in these cases, you could still lose thousands of dollars in damaged goods and potential OSHA investigations, which could result in damage to your reputation and high legal fees. Properly installing your industrial shelving not only supports operational efficacy, but also protects your employees from dangerous accidents.
Tip #2: Organize YOUR WAREHOUSE STORAGE SOLUTIONS
A highly organized warehouse is the key to efficient operations. However, an unorganized warehouse does the complete opposite for your business. If pallet racks are disorganized, employees cannot quickly locate the products and materials they need to be effective in their jobs. Or, if your warehouse storage space is messy and clogged with equipment and products, it makes it harder for employees to navigate and complete basic job tasks—all which contribute to excessive downtime and mistakes when it comes to processing, shipping, and receiving inventory.
The less efficient your employees are at gathering and processing products, the more your bottom line is negatively affected. Optimizing your warehouse storage will reduce the amount of time it takes for employees to find what they need and the odds of processing and shipping mistakes, further saving you on unnecessary costs in the long-run.
Tip #3: Make the most of your UNUSED SPACE
Space in a warehouse is invaluable, and many times warehouses don’t have nearly enough. However, the answer doesn't have to be purchasing a larger facility. Chances are, your warehouse has unused space that you may not even be aware of or utilizing to maximum capacity. This could be costing you money! Better space optimization practices can provide better ways of organizing products and creating an efficient inventory system that makes daily tasks easier and quicker for employees.
For instance, you could install pallet racks in your unused space for better organization. These can be customized and designed for your specific warehouse space and are designed for light, medium, or heavy-duty storage. Racking systems can create smoother inventory processing and allow for more efficient first-in-first-out sock transition from your warehouse floor to your loading dock.
Additionally, this extra space can be used to store equipment or products that may otherwise be blocking up narrow aisles. Blocked aisles can prevent a safety hazard, but the more you clear your warehouse space, the easier it is for forklifts to maneuver aisles and employees to get their jobs done safely.
Tip #4: Prioritize WAREHOUSE MAINTENANCE
The importance of warehouse maintenance cannot be underestimated. If you’re neglecting frequent warehouse maintenance, serious operational problems can occur that will not only cause a serious dent to your budget, but also harm to your employees.
For example, motive power equipment should have a regular maintenance program that keeps them in top condition. For many warehouses, forklifts are an essential part of everyday operations. Regular maintenance maximizes a forklifts performance and lifespan. Not keeping up with forklift maintenance can result in sudden failures due to problems that could have been caught early enough with regular housekeeping. Frequent repairs and equipment replacement can cost your company dearly and is easily avoidable with proper preventive maintenance. A faulty forklift could also result in an accident that injures the operator or other employees on the warehouse floor. For these reasons, it is essential to prioritize warehouse maintenance!
Tip #5: Emphasize Employee SAFETY
As mentioned above, neglecting housekeeping also can result in compromising the safety of your employees. The end result can seriously injure employees, which can lead to a slew of consequences. Not only will you have to pay for worker’s compensation, but you will also have less employees available to work which can slow down efficiency. Plus, having a reputation for being an unsafe work environment can make it difficult to attract more top talent in the future.
Additionally, if your employees are injured, it could lead to OSHA investigations. If OSHA regulations are not being met, you could face expensive fees and the legal ramifications for not obeying the law, as well as having your reputation tarnished which may affect business.
By prioritizing safety, you can avoid higher workers’ compensation premiums, legal fees, and the consequences of having less labor force available. Also, providing extra protection measures for your employees will show them that you care about their well-being. This can incentivize top talent to keep working for you rather than going to the competition.
MANAGE WAREHOUSE STORAGE EFFECTIVELY WITH PROPERLY INSTALLED STORAGE SYSTEMS
By utilizing these tips to your warehouse’s advantage, you can increase both operational productivity and employee safety. Ensuring your warehouse storage systems are properly installed is the first step for achieving these goals.
Whatever your specific warehouse storage needs are, SSE is ready to be your expert and go-to partner. We offer the comprehensive services you need to make sure you get the most out of your storage systems and warehouse equipment—from installation to safety checks, preventative maintenance, training, and repairs. If you’re ready to optimize your warehouse storage system without sacrificing safety or efficiency, reach out to us today and see how we can help.
