How to Plan Shelves in Warehouses
Warehousing is all about the efficient and practical use of space. Warehouses are rented, leased or purchased based on the amount of usable square footage in the structure. This space must be divided between several departments, each with their own needs. Receiving, shipping and administration all use floor space. The bulk of the floor space, however, is used for storing inventory. This storage space can be maximized by the proper selection and arrangement of storage shelving or racking.
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Instructions
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Evaluate your inventory in size, shape and turns. Turns is the number of times the inventory will come into and out of the warehouse in a given period of time. The overall dimensions and weight of the inventory will determine the shelf height, depth and rigidity (strength). The turns will help identify proper placement within the warehouse shelving system to allow for the most efficient stocking and retrieval of inventory.
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Select and design the shelving system to maximize the available space. Many designs look at organizing the space in two- rather than three-dimensional terms. Shelving should be selected that will allow you to maximize the total cubic dimensions of the warehouse. This is known as "cubing out" the warehouse. The shelving should be assembled to the maximum height possible without interfering with overhead objects such as HVAC and sprinkler systems.
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Keep idle space to an absolute minimum. The largest amount of idle space in a warehouse is often the machine travel aisles used to stock and retrieve the inventory. By keeping these aisles as narrow as possible you allow for more rows of shelving and thus increase the overall capacity of the warehouse. Narrow-aisle machines can operate in aisles as narrow as 6 feet, while regular machines may need aisles with widths of up to 15 feet or more.
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Purchase shelves that are adjustable to allow for reconfiguration. Change is inevitable and your inventory as well as your storage needs will be in a constant state of change. It is critical that the shelving units selected are flexible and can conform to these changes, eliminating the need to purchase new shelving.
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Make certain all shelving selections conform to safety codes and restrictions. This includes anchoring, as well as the actual shelves. In many instances, shelving must be constructed to allow for water from the sprinkler system to pass through. Purchasing the wrong shelving can be costly as well as a major interruption of business.
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Tips & Warnings
Used shelving can often be purchased at a considerable cost savings and will serve your purpose as well as new shelving.
References
- Photo Credit warehouse image by Niki from Fotolia.com
