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Warehouse Organization: How to Keep Your Workers and Your Products Safe
There’s a quote – often attributed to Albert Einstein – about clutter and organization:
“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”
While we appreciate the sentiment, that line of thinking can only go so far. Though a cluttered desk might be the sign of someone with a lot on their minds, a cluttered warehouse is a recipe for disaster.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled this list of warehouse organization tips.
1. Cleaning and decluttering
Start by keeping your warehouse clean and uncluttered, devoting a couple of hours each week to keeping things neat and ordered.
Even a seemingly-insignificant mess or spill has the potential to cause an injury. Make sure well-traveled spaces in your warehouse are clear of clutter and that aisles, walkways and paths to exits and entrances are clear of any obstructions.
Warehouse organization is not only safe, it’s also good PR. It shows visitors, suppliers, customers and potential customers that you value safety and efficiency. A disorganized warehouse can suggest your staff is overworked and possible revenue is slipping away.
2. Put together a floor plan
A functional floor plan is like a library. When you go to the library, you don’t find biographies mixed in with romance novels or children’s literature thrown together with cookbooks. Each thing has its own section.
A good warehouse floor plan follows the same idea. A plumbing supply warehouse might want an area set aside for faucets, another for piping, etc.
3. Looking at your shelving
The next step towards proper warehouse organization is to look at your shelving and storage space and how you’re using it.
Pallet racks might be your best bet: They are sturdy, safe and allow you to build up, not out, thus saving you on space. But you’ll also need to consider the nature of your business, the size of the products you need to sure and how traffic flows through the warehouse.
4. Make the most of your space
Again, building up, and not out will help you maximize the space in your warehouse. Stacking your items not only makes the most of the space you have, it also leads to a more organized facility.
You can also organize your merchandise so that the items you’ll need to access less frequently go in higher shelves or harder-to-access areas and keep faster-selling items close at hand, thus boosting space as well as productivity.
You might even want to review your building’s blueprints to make sure you’re making the most of your warehouse space.
5. Conduct regular reviews
Lastly, try to conduct regular audits of your inventory system and warehouse organization practices to make sure they’re being followed. This means looking at the types of shelving and storage containers you’re using and the way things are organized.
If you’re looking for more ways to keep your warehouse safe and functional, Greystone Equipment is prepared to help.
Our pallet racks, wire shelving and wire decks are designed to improve safety and efficiency. We can’t promise you an uncluttered desk, but we can assist you in decluttering your warehouse. Contact us today to learn more.