In a place as fast-moving as the warehouse, keeping inventory organized and easy to access cannot be stressed enough. If your warehouse is unable to keep things moving along quickly and efficiently, it could result in bottlenecks and a failure to ship on time. Due to the volatile nature of warehousing, it’s important to defend against these random fluctuations by incorporating storage techniques year-round. Follow these strategies below for optimal warehouse efficiency.

Rearrange Warehouse Layout

Looking from an overhead point of view, decide on the positioning of your storage units that will promote the greatest efficiency. Gauge which  pallet racks,  mezzanines, wire shelving, and other types of storage units will best benefit material handling and flow of shipments. By consistently striving for ways to optimize storage layout, your warehouse is bound for faster shipping and greater organization.

Not sure which storage unit is the best fit for your warehouse? Request A Free Quote from Shelving Inc and get a recommendation from one of our experts.

Group Similar Goods Together

If there’s one rule that stands true for any method of organization, it’s this one. By grouping alike goods together, the process of searching for everything becomes a lot less arduous or time-consuming. Set up easy-to-see signs or labels that indicate the type of good for each space. This same approach is used in grocery stores and other sotres across the world; the “dairy aisle,” for example, communicates to shoppers that where they will find milk and cheese.

Diversify Stacking Methods

Materials come in all types of shapes and sizes, which is exactly the reason why there are so many strategies when it comes to stacking them. By using a stacking method that’s compatible with the type of goods your warehouse stores, it can save a ton of time and ensure efficient organization. Block stacking, for instance, is one of the most widely-used warehouse storage methods and uses pallets to securely stack cube-shaped goods atop one another. However, overall, the types of stacking methods that work best are based off the type of materials you store.

Cross Docking

With warehousing, you may receive a large shipment of goods that need to be dispersed to multiple locations across the nation. In response to this, break down bulk orders into smaller groups that are easier to find once a customer calls for them; called cross docking, this strategy leads to a reduction in inventory costs and increase in throughput.

Swift, Routine Clean Up

In the event of damages, spills, and excessive build-ups of materials, it’s important to enact stringent clean-up. Without this upkeep, the scatter of misplaced goods creates obstacles in walkways that hinders productivity and leads to possible injuries.