Optimise Space For Storage (Without Blowing Your Budget!)

In a fast-paced world, it’s important to keep up with new ways to improve your business. But this isn’t just about growth and expansion. It’s also about optimising the resources you have at hand to improve warehouse efficiency.

Given the unpredictability of the economy, you may experience a rapid boost in your sales but lack the warehouse space to accommodate the increase. You might consider relocating to a larger warehouse to accommodate your needs. But this could be a costly problem if sales drop in the future.

One way you can make a smart change is optimising your current space. Ever visited a huge furniture warehouse and strolled through aisles lined with pallet racks? Other than acting as a smart storage facility, the pallet racking system makes items easily accessible and this is why it’s successful.

Save thousands of dollars by maximising the space that you already have and in doing so enhance workplace safety, productivity and practicality.

How to optimise space in your warehouse

Streamline your workspace

Your warehouse stocks all the supplies you need for work. But are you stockpiling too much?

Look at your inventory – is one product ordered less than others? Then you may want to reduce the amount you keep. By streamlining your products in this way, you reduce wasted space and increase your capacity for the stock you need most of.

Store your equipment effectively

As well as evaluating your stock, take a look at the equipment you’re using. Ask yourself:

• Is it old or bulky?
• Where is it being stored?
• Is there an alternative space to store it?

Keeping your equipment in your warehouse takes up valuable space that may be better allocated to stock and materials. If this rings true for you, consider whether you can build a shed or similar storage structure on the outside of the warehouse. This will allow you to safely store these machines, make them easier to access and free up space within the warehouse itself.

Invest in new storage solutions

The importance of organised storage in the workplace can’t be overstated. And there are many different methods of storage to help you make the best use of your space.

Some popular options for warehouses and storage facilities include:

• Pallet racking: With pallet racking, you can improve the practicality of just about any warehouse regardless of its size. You can have pallet racks with aisles wide enough to accommodate vehicles or multilevel storage solutions to keep your products secure. Simply put, no matter your needs, pallet racks have you covered.
• Cantilever racking: Some materials are too long and heavy to store on pallet racks, such as pipes, lumber and carpets. For these, cantilever racking is more suitable. This storage solution features long heavy-duty arms with no wide walls, allowing these types of materials to be laid horizontally.
• Shelving: With metal shelving, you can keep your warehouse tidy and orderly at all times. This allows your workforce to remain productive.
• Mezzanine floors: By installing a mezzanine floor, you transform wasted vertical space into additional floor space. That way, you can increase the storage capacity of your current facility without needing to move to a larger premises.
• Partitioning: Installing partition walls in your warehouse or storage facility allows you to better direct workflow. This makes it much easier to follow a set path to store and access materials more effectively. With partitioning, you can ensure storage space is used with maximum efficiency and increase the speed at which workers can complete their tasks.
• Cupboards and cabinets: Regular storage cupboards are an excellent solution for keeping your workplace tidy and well organised. But at Racking + Shelving Ltd., we also provide specialist cabinets designed for storing hazardous materials, COSHH, PPE, medical supplies, toxic materials and more. As well as improving storage at competitive rates, these help you improve safety and security in your facility.
• Lockers: Whether for an educational or commercial setting, locker storage is an excellent way to assure your employees that they can keep their possessions and equipment locked away safely. Metal lockers can also double up as hardwearing storage cupboards.
• Small parts storage: If your business works with small parts on a day-to-day basis, it’s vital to organise them efficiently. There’s a wide choice of small parts storage solutions, such as tilt boxes and wire storage baskets, which can be suited to an array of different working environments.
• Labelling: Clearly labelling your racking and shelving lets you define a specific purpose for each storage area, making it easier to locate and organise stock. You can also use barcode scanning and tracking to improve stock management. This helps prevent overstocking, freeing up storage space for materials you actually need.
• Self-storage unit construction: If your warehouse is already well optimised for space, you might find yourself with additional space you don’t actually need. But that’s no reason to let it go to waste. By converting unused space into self-storage units, you can rent it out to create a passive income stream that requires no effort on your part.

Let Racking + Shelving Ltd take care of your storage needs

As Northern Ireland’s leading storage experts, we deliver robust storage solutions that can be customised for both commercial and home use.

After an initial consultation to establish your storage needs, we design and install your new storage solutions to the highest standards. We also provide ongoing maintenance and inspections to give you peace of mind and ensure all your needs are catered for.

Call us today on 028 9442 9037 or contact us online to arrange custom storage solutions that optimise your space.