Improve Efficiency With Intelligent Warehouse Planning
Maintaining optimum efficiency in your warehouse is not an easy task.
Pressures on the logistics, fulfilment and warehousing sectors have increased substantially in recent times. A trend that began with the widespread switch to online shopping and gained momentum and urgency due to the global pandemic.
Of course, Brexit and staff shortages have also added to the complexities of matching customer demand with warehouse productivity levels. All while staying compliant to an ever-increasing list of HSE rules and industry guidelines.
This makes it imperative to constantly review your warehouse layout and operations. Not simply to spot bad habits or safety risks, but also to improve warehouse efficiency with intelligent planning.
What sort of considerations and enhancements can protect or even grow your warehouse productivity?
Time, Space & Motion Studies
Racing to meet deadlines can mean some of the biggest threats to your efficiency are easy fixes. So, the starting point is a thorough assessment of how your storage is configured, how quickly and accurately you are placing and retrieving items, and how seamlessly staff and warehouse machinery are moving around your warehouse environment.
Using this as a foundation, you can then do a gap analysis. What do you need to change, to reach your optimum productivity levels, in terms of improved storage capacity, speed, accuracy and workplace safety?
Install The Best Pallet Racking Solution For Your Needs
Based on your review, this is the most fundamental aspect of intelligent warehouse planning. If you have a legacy or fragmented system of storing goods and materials, it could be eroding the performance of both your staff and your automated warehouse equipment.
Time invested in mapping your racking structures, and sourcing the best systems for warehouse storage, is wisely spent. The sort of review points that can help improve efficiency include:
1. Assessing the suitability of your racking and storage systems to the type of items stored, the flow of goods through the warehouse and the type of handling, picking and packing equipment that you use. Matching the most appropriate racking solution to the specific requirements of your business is vital towards ensuring optimum efficiency.
2. Have you got sufficient or surplus standard pallet racking frames and beams, placed in wide aisle configurations? You need enough for easy flow of any warehouse vehicles and equipment that you may use, such as forklifts, without losing valuable floor space that you could use for new racking.
3. Are there locations you could place narrow aisle racking for high-density storage, while still allowing full pallet access? This will depend on the type of goods being stored and requirements for picking or retrieving, however identifying opportunities to increase storage density can help to greatly improve the efficiency of the space.
4. Could you improve picking speeds in your warehouse with more double deep layered racks, accessed from each aisle? This makes last in first out (LIFO) operations more seamless and is ideal for non-perishable items.
5. If suitable for the type of goods you need to store, such as heavy items or goods for batch delivery, multi-layered drive-in racking is a good option, and your space should be assessed to identify opportunities to use this type of system. This enables easy access by forklift trucks while substantially improving the amount of usable storage space in a warehouse, and can deliver an uplift in storage capacity of around 60-80% compared to traditional racking.
6. You could make significant productivity enhancements by installing contemporary movable racking systems, creating agile and easy to adapt warehouse layouts. This includes push back racking (reliant on wheeled carriers with guide channels); shuttle racking (which uses self-powered shuttles); and flow racking (with inclined gravity rollers to move pallets or cartons).
7. Lastly, if your warehouse stores lengthy, cumbersome and rolled products, consider whether options such as carpet racking or cantilever racking would add depth to your layout, and improve the time it takes to load and unload those items. Don’t forget to assess whether you have enough heavy duty racking too if you are beginning to handle goods that weigh above normal amounts.
Warehouse Signage And Segregation Systems
The list of safety signage needed for warehouse environments seems to get longer all the time. However, signage is one of the cheapest ways to improve efficiency within intelligent warehouse layouts.
You no doubt already do regular risk assessments and inspections, to ensure you remain compliant and protect staff. As part of that process, it’s highly recommended that you find ways to improve locational and directional systems.
For example, are your aisle markers and individual racking signs still clear and strategically configured? Are your individual shelf and pallet markers logical and clear for automated label readers and your human pickers and packers?
Errors or even hesitation could be slowing down both your warehouse personnel and technology.
Also, if you are not segregating off-road vehicles, automated machinery and humans sufficiently well, you are not just risking business interruption. You could be facing a serious staff injury, hefty fines and a damaging loss of reputation.
End-To-End Management Of Goods & Materials
For many businesses, it’s unlikely a warehouse will consistently handle the exact same items indefinitely.
The ever-changing nature and diversity of your inventory may make it logical to regularly review your end-to-end goods handling systems. From processes for receiving goods at loading bays or from your production department to a methodology for picking, packing, palletising and delivery prep.
The most successful warehouse operations are based on lean principles and change management. For example, constantly finding the best way to store fast-moving items, or optimise racking capacity.
However, maintaining inventory accuracy is possibly the biggest productivity issue that warehouses face. So, frequent appraisal of your inventory management and identification systems is clearly vital.
Optimising Warehouse Tech
Of course, your warehouse layout and operations efficiency could be constantly monitored, measured and enhanced using the latest warehouse tech. There are now sophisticated warehouse management (WMS) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software options to streamline and automate many of your processes.
As well these systems, ever more advanced robotics to enhance warehouse efficiency and speed to assist with tasks including picking and packing. A review of the options available and cost/benefit analysis for implementing these systems, as well as any updates to the space that may be required for them to operate is well worth undertaking.
Staff Learning & Innovation
Unfortunately, much of the above method of intelligent warehouse planning and productivity enhancement relies on having deep pockets! There is something far less costly you can do, to make efficiency improvements. Invest in your human assets.
This is not simply about ensuring staff receive constantly updated training in your business operations and safety protocols. It is also about stimulating feedback from your workforce and listening to their ideas. Some of the best innovations could be suggested by the people who deal with your warehouse layout on a daily basis.
Your workforce is in the perfect position to spot problems that erode your productivity too. For example, can workstations be better arranged for ease of access to warehouse equipment? Are there materials being wasted, which affects profit as well as time?
At the very least, open dialogue with staff makes them more inclined to flag up errors and oversights quickly.
Get Input From Experts
When you operate a busy warehouse, under intense pressure to meet KPIs, stay compliant and keep internal or external customers happy, it can be hard to ‘take a step back’. If you need help improving your efficiency with an intelligent system of commercial warehouse storage, racking or interior fit out, it’s sensible to discuss your requirements with industry experts.
At Avanta we have over 20 years experience in helping businesses of all sizes to improve workspace efficiency. From tailored racking systems to meet specialist requirements, to sophisticated shelving solutions and the installation of warehouse mezzanines to increase usable floor space, we offer a complete design and installation service.
Whether you’re moving into new premises, or are looking to update an existing space, get in touch with Avanta to discuss your requirements and find out more about how we can help you meet your objectives.