Logan Voss
Warehouse supervisors interested in raising their site’s efficiency should reevaluate how goods are moved around and stored. Conserving floor space requires thoughtful organization and smart sorting processes.
Make the most of your warehouse space to save on costs. Consider these three tips for using warehouse floor space efficiently.
1. Use Vertical Space
One of the golden rules of space efficiency is to use vertical space. One way you can do this is to install a mezzanine—a raised platform. You can use the platform for extra storage space and workspace. Different mezzanine styles help you achieve different purposes. For example, a freestanding mezzanine is a flexible storage option that lets you store pallet racks and shelving.
An inclined conveyor system makes it easy to move products between vertical levels. They use safeguards to protect items from fall damage. Inclined conveyor systems have many other benefits too, including increasing worker safety.
2. Reduce Aisle Width
The next tip for using warehouse floor space efficiently is to reduce aisle width. You want to strike a balance between conserving space and ensuring forklifts can move freely. Design aisle width with your forklift types, products, and pallet types in mind.
Consider your forklift’s length, width, and height. Also, think about its turning radius, head and load length, the minimum space it needs for picking and placing products, and additional clearance space for safety.
Sit-down counterbalanced forklifts are the most common type in American warehouses, and they take up more space than other types, needing at least 12 feet of space to move. In contrast, turret forklifts can move through narrow spaces.
3. Use Directed Put-Away
Use your warehouse management system’s (WMS) directed put-away feature to follow your facility’s preferred storage rules. You can create rules that dictate what types of products should be placed in which zones of your warehouse. Then, when you scan the goods, directed put-away will let workers know the best location to store these items.
The warehouse associate can scan the product when it reaches its location. And the system can direct associates to move products to different areas depending on real-time needs.
