Organization is an essential component of efficient warehouse operations. Prioritizing warehouse organization, storage, and safety will not only optimize your operations, but positively impact your bottom line. Pallet racks and industrial shelving can help achieve these goals. Pallet racks are an ideal warehouse storage solution that can streamline operations, increase organization, optimize storage space, and be customized to fit your unique warehouse storage needs.
To fully optimize your warehouse space for efficient and smooth operations, consider pallet racks as a solution.
Why Pallet Racks Can Help Your Warehouse Efficiency
Pallet racks and industrial shelving are great options for expanding your warehouse storage space and maintaining an organized system. Adding more storage space will only increase your warehouse’s operational efficiency and accuracy when it comes to orders and are an economical storage solution that can be arranged for a variety of applications - from simple supply and inventory systems to multi-level installations.
Whatever your space needs may be, pallet racks can be customized to suit your warehouse design. They can be used for light, medium, and heavy-duty storage systems and come in a variety of sizes to fit your warehouse layout. Organization not only streamlines operations, but it also keeps employees safe from potential work hazards like falling inventory and tripping on obstacles.
How Pallet Racks Improve Inventory Organization
Warehouses can be hectic places - vehicles incoming and outgoing, forklifts running orders, shipments being prepared. Providing an organized warehouse space free from hazards for your employees allows them to run operations as efficiently as possible without worrying about their safety.
Organization is integral for maintaining accuracy with orders. Disorganization can lead to mistakes with processing and shipping inventory, data entry, and receiving shipments. Employees may spend twice as much time finding inventory if warehouse equipment and products aren’t where they’re supposed to be rather than if they were properly organized.
Pallet racks are the most versatile options for reducing disorganization and can be applied for virtually any storage need. Whether its clothing to heavy beverage items, industrial shelving can hold a variety of inventory loads up to 6,000 lbs of weight. They also allow you to take advantage of vertical space. As any manager knows, space in a warehouse is valuable real estate and storage solutions are always trying to optimize what little space your property may have. If your warehouse is running out of horizontal space, consider expanding upwards if possible. Adding taller storage racks with more levels can be an easy way to utilize your warehouse’s vertical space and increase your total warehouse storage capacity.
Customize Your Pallet Racks
Pallet racks and industrial shelving are able to be customized for your warehouse’s specific industry organization system. How you customize your pallet rack depends on your warehouse storage needs, facility layout, and budget. Pallet racks can be built and installed to your specifications and hold inventory weighing thousands of pounds. However, not all racking systems are the same. The two categories of pallet racks are roll-formed and structural which are formed from either hot or cold steel and are designed for distinct purposes.
Roll-formed Pallet Racks
- Processed at room temperature,
- More consistent shapes and dimensions,
- Less expensive, and
- Can easily be torn down and rebuilt for warehouse redesigns or reorganization.
Structural Hot-rolled Pallet Racks
- Formed under 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit,
- Much heavier and require longer assembly time, and
- More expensive in terms of installation and labor costs.
Choosing either a structural hot-rolled or roll-formed pallet rack depends on your facility. Roll-formed industrial racks are an ideal option for warehouses that undergo frequent layout and design changes, have budget constraints, and have lighter inventory. On the other hand, warehouses with heavier inventory, more outside storage, and heavier reliance on forklifts will find structural racking systems to be the better choice because of their structural integrity.
Improve Employee Safety with Pallet Racks
A disorganized work space creates plenty of opportunities for work hazards where employees can injure themselves, costing you higher worker’s compensations, OSHA investigations, and more downtime.
Pallet racks help protect employees by removing obstacles that may otherwise cause injuries. Shipment boxes and inventory that would be cluttering your warehouse floor space and creating a potential tripping hazard can be neatly organized on shelves. Freeing up narrow aisles also allows workers and forklifts to move around with ease and not have to worry about damaging any merchandise.
A disorganized warehouse space can make collecting inventory difficult and slower than if it was neatly organized. Employees may be rushing to complete orders due to lost time and injure themselves from trips and falls as a result, or from forklifts trying to rush orders. Installing pallet racks provides ample space for forklifts and employees to complete their tasks with accuracy and safety.
Find Which Racking System Best Fits Your Needs with SSE
There are a variety of pallet rack styles and warehouse organizational solutions out there to fit your unique warehouse needs. Even if you’re looking for racking systems that allow for smoother first in-first out stock transition from your warehouse floor to your loading dock, solutions such as pallet flow racks and push-back racking systems can provide your warehouse with that flexibility.
If you’re looking to improve the organization, safety, and operational efficiency in your warehouse, Southern States Enterprises is your go-to team for all your warehouse storage organizational needs. We are experts in pallet rack installation to create better space utilization and storage capacity. Contact us today to learn more about our racking system options and other warehouse services, so your warehouse can start reaping the benefits of pallet rack solutions!
