Warehouse Racking – Where to Begin
Racking is a major decision for your warehouse. A racking solution dictates the flow of your business and impacts the speed and fashion materials come in and out – your bottom line. We hope that this post will get you started in the right direction.
Multiple Options, Several New Solutions
Selective Rack, Push Back, Drive-In, Pallet Flow, and Cantilever are the most common racking options. Each has several variations for specific applications. Needless to say, there are multiple factors you’re going to need to consider beyond just the size of your warehouse.
Racking is a decision that normally only comes up once or twice for a business. Often times, by the time the decision resurfaces, many new solutions are now options that didn’t exist before.
Knowing there are so many options and how difficult it is to keep up with changing technology, we encourage you to do your research and meet with an expert.
Current Space or New Facility
About 90% of racking projects involve consideration of a new facility or maximizing current space. The good news is that in many cases we have been able to reconfigure space and maximize height of current facilities to prevent the need to rent or build a new a facility. Having all raw materials and finished goods under one roof saves from double handling, transportation, lost productivity, rental, taxes, and secondary costs.
Before you begin elaborately planning a new facility, decide if reconfiguring existing space might be an alternative.
Preventing Failure
Safety should always be your #1 concern. In a worst case scenario, racking fails and product is damaged or people get injured. Make sure you are completely confident in your decision. Plan for future changes and make capacities well known.
We’ve also seen companies install new racking that their forklifts couldn’t operate in. Talk about a waste of time and money! Make sure you consider all aspects of your operation.
Talk with an Expert
We highly recommend bringing a professional on to help with your racking decision. They will be well versed in the many changing options for an ideal solution. It’s a major decision for your business, and you should treat it as such. They could notice something that will save you thousands of dollars or prevent injury.
When you’re ready to meet with someone regarding racking – turn to our blog post The Information You Need to Have before Making a Warehouse Racking Decision to see what information they’ll need from you.
You can reach us via our Contact Us page or by calling (716)569-2410.