Like any big cleaning or redecorating project, warehouse reorganizations can carry a lot of excitement and dread.

It can be hard to know where to start and what to do, and it can be even harder to know exactly why you’re doing one. If your staff can find the items they need to, and everything basically works like it should, then why fix what isn’t broken?

Maybe…it is broken, though? Just because your warehouse has always done things a certain way doesn’t mean that’s the best way to do them, and identifying the signs of inefficient organization or poor planning can go a long way towards keeping your warehouse running as smoothly as possible.

For example, have you noticed your workers have been having a hard time finding certain items? Are there goods in a section of your pallet racks that always seem to go skipped or overlooked at first? If you’ve started to notice an uptick in picking errors, or one certain item always missing from an order, it might be a sign that you need to resort your shelves so that this item sits in a better place of prominence.

Changes in an item’s popularity can have this effect too. If an item is suddenly in higher demand than it used to be, or if it’s a seasonal item that tends to sell through much faster during certain times of the year, you may want to consider moving your warehouse shelves and metal shelves around to give these items a place of greater prominence and visibility to help your staff get to them more quickly.

Warehouse reorganizations can help with more than just finding items, however. Traffic and maneuverability is an ongoing concern in nearly any warehouse, and if your warehouse has started to take on more inventory or use heavier machinery (such as forklifts) you may need to consider widening your aisles. Wider aisles can actually help make inventory management easier as well, especially in warehouses where your shelves have some room to breathe.

Finally, warehouse reorganizations can really help whenever a change in business is expected. If you’re branching out into new products or even completely different goods (for instance, adding refrigerated/cold storage to your dry goods warehouse), then a revamp of your current layout will help a lot with getting everything in place. Reorganize your warehouse in a way that will emphasize the safe storage of these new products without totally hampering your access to the goods you normally deal in, and remember – never be afraid to reorganize.