If your warehouse or storage room has proved to be more problematic than productive in 2016, it could be time for a makeover in 2017. Or if not a large-scale makeover, perhaps a good few tweaks to the way you get things done. The simple fact of the matter is that pretty much every warehouse on Earth could stand to be enhanced and optimised in one way or another. So the way we see it – what better time than the start of the new year?
A better-optimised and more functional warehouse can make the biggest difference to overall business efficiency and performance. So if you’d like to take things in a positive direction in 2017, here’s a quick overview of just a few places to start:
1. New Shelving Systems
First of all, have you taken the time recently to consider how you might benefit from an upgrade to your shelving systems? From maximising available space to easier retrievals and right through to basic health and safety, upgraded shelving represents a small change that can make a very big difference. Along with our extensive range of high-quality new shelving and related accessories, we also offer fully graded and guaranteed used shelving for an even more affordable upgrade.
2. An Organisational Rethink
If you don’t want to go quite so far as to replace your shelving in its entirety, you might want to consider reorganising the way your warehouse is set up. It’s again a case of simple changes making a big difference. Making sure your key stock is the easiest to access, making best use of available space and so on – are you really getting the most from your warehouse in its current layout? Chances are, you might not be!
3. Can the Clutter
Clutter can transform an otherwise outstanding warehouse into the kind of dysfunctional dump that just doesn’t work. It’s amazing how quickly clutter can pile up, so why wait until the spring to go about an essential spring cleaning effort? If it’s not 100% necessary and making things better, get rid of it…right now!
4. Introduce IT
Something else that can make a big difference to warehouse operations in general is the introduction of IT systems. If you’re still relying on the old pen-and-paper approach, you could be wasting an incredible amount of time that could be reinvested elsewhere. There may be a learning curve to traverse and an initial outlay financially, but what you’ll get in return long-term will far outweigh the costs.
5. Time to Outsource?
Last but not least, could 2017 be the year your business benefits by outsourcing warehousing needs? The simple fact of the matter is that unless you’ve actively looked into what’s on offer, you won’t know whether or not you could be better off outsourcing. From simple storage to partial stock management right through to comprehensive management of logistics and deliveries, there may be much to gain by working with a third-party service provider. If you’ve never considered the idea, now might be the time to do exactly that!
