There are a lot of things to consider when designing a new warehouse for your company. A new warehouse can mean new opportunities for your company, so you need to make the most of it. The key is preparation, and plenty of it. Understanding the needs of your business and its employees will help you design a warehouse that benefits your company for years into the future. Here are a few main things to think about during warehouse design.
Objective
What is the objective of your warehouse? What is the main focus and what does your company need to accomplish with it? Clearly defining your objectives will help make the actual design process much simpler since you will have clear reasons for including or excluding certain elements.
Functional Requirements
First of all, you need to have an idea of the quantities of products that will be stored in this warehouse and the throughput velocities. What are the specific picking requirements? Could you include a first in, last out (FILO) system like drive in pallet racking, or is your inventory time sensitive?
Flow
Designing around flow is the best way to make sure your warehouse’s space is optimized. Too much focus on storage can lead to a warehouse that is difficult to work in and seriously hinders flow. If the size and quantity of aisles isn’t a main consideration in the warehouse design workers will have a difficult time retrieving inventory and filling orders. Try to design a system that minimizes the number of touches a material receives while in the warehouse. A material shouldn’t be handled by a person more than three to five times. Systems like carton flow racking can help minimize touches and maximize order fulfillment.
Collaboration
Taking all the facets of your business into consideration during the design process will give you insight into what each department needs and expects from the new warehouse. Some factors and opinions may need to be given more weight than others, but making sure everyone has a voice will help you design the best warehouse for your company.
Designing a New Warehouse? Contact S.W. Betz!
The S.W. Betz Company, Inc. has been providing businesses in Maryland and beyond with all of their essential Weighing, Material Handling, Dock, and Warehouse equipment since 1933. We also offer warehouse layout and design logistics solutions from experienced, knowledgeable experts.
We carry a variety of top warehouse equipment brands to help with your design logistics, such as: Wesco, Magliner, Cogan,Quantum Storage Systems, and more.
Get a FREE Quote!
If you would like to learn more about pallet rack or you have further questions, please contact S.W. Betz by calling 410-574-1414 or 800-332-0322 today! You can count on the S.W. Betz Company to work with you and provide you with our extensive knowledge of the industry.
You can also follow S.W. Betz on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn today!
Source: here