When you’re planning an automated warehouse design, it’s important to understand the steps involved in creating one that will maximize your storage capacity and ensure a faster, more efficient workflow. While some companies can be successful with a traditional layout, many others need to implement innovative solutions if they want their facility to meet the demands of today’s business climate. This article will help you learn how to build an efficient warehouse that makes use of today’s technology and integrates with your company processes for maximum efficiency.
Important factors
In order to build a complete warehouse with the best efficiency, you need to take into account the following factors:
- The location of your warehouse should be close to your main office. It should not be located in an area where there is heavy traffic during business hours, so that staff can easily go back and forth between the two locations.
- Make sure that your warehouse is big enough for all of the products you intend to store there. If you have too much space, you can always rent out some of it if you don’t need it all at once.
- Choose a type of building that will suit your needs best—whether this is steel or concrete construction, or something else entirely! Find out what materials are available nearby so that they can be purchased easily without having any problems getting them transported to where they need to go next after they arrive on site as well!
Build a suitable foundation
The foundation of your warehouse must be sturdy enough to support the weight of all materials inside it as well as any heavy machinery that may be used within its walls. It should also be able to withstand any weather conditions such as rain or snowfall without causing any damage or leaks within its walls.
Investing in the right automated warehouse equipment can create a faster and more efficient warehouse workflow
If you’re looking to automate some of your processes, here are some things to keep in mind:
Make sure that automation is a good fit for your business. For example, if most of your products are small items with low SKUs and no serial numbers (also known as part numbers), it would be difficult for an automated system to track them individually. You’ll want one that’s designed specifically for this type of product—and there are many types available!
Automation is great at reducing costs because it eliminates human error while still getting done whatever needs doing at speedily fast speeds. But even though it makes work easier on employees too—no sore backs from lifting heavy boxes anymore!
Determine how much space you will need by evaluating current and future needs
For example, if you have a warehouse that is currently operating at capacity and have three more employees on staff, it makes sense to expand the facility so that it can accommodate the coming growth in personnel. Or perhaps a small business owner has been running his or her business out of one location for years but wants to open another location in order to expand their market share. In this case, they should plan ahead by building an additional warehouse based on what they expect their future needs will be like.
Create an efficient floor plan that optimizes your use of space
- Use the right equipment for the right job. The more efficient your warehouse is, the less time and money it will cost you to get products out of there.
- Design your warehouse to be as efficient as possible. This means not only using the right equipment but also planning for future growth and keeping things organized so that you can find what you need when you need it.
Proper lighting
In order to ensure safety and security in the warehouse, there should be proper lighting installed in all areas of it including its ceiling lights, wall lights, floor lamps, appropriate LED flood lights, as well as emergency lightings near exits/entrances or fire alarm systems where necessary. These lights should be maintained regularly so they can always function properly whenever needed by employees or visitors within the facility at any time during night shifts or early morning hours when darkness may still prevail outside due to lack of sunlight yet inside due to no light bulbs being turned on yet inside once someone enters through its doorway!
Maximize your storage capacity by using versatile, expandable storage systems
If you’re looking for ways to improve your warehouse efficiency, then one way is to find a storage system that can serve the needs of your business today and grow with it in the future. With this in mind, here are some things to consider when choosing a new storage solution:
- Versatile: A versatile solution is built on adaptability and scalability so that you can use it as needed without having to make major changes or purchases down the road.
- Expandable: If at any time you need more space or additional features, an expandable solution lets you easily add on without having to throw away what was already part of your original purchase. Plus it won’t take up too much space since these additions are just additions – nothing else has changed about them (other than having more stuff inside).
Keep material handling equipment in good repair so it is available when you need it
How often you should repair your equipment depends on usage, expected life and type of material handling equipment.
Here’s how to know if your material handling equipment is in good working condition:
- Look for dents or gouges. These can make shelves less stable and disrupt the flow of materials through the system.
- Check the hinges on lifts, drive motors and other moving parts for damage or signs of wear that could cause problems later on. If there are any loose bolts or screws, tighten them up as soon as possible before they cause damage to other components or injure somebody trying to use the machine safely!
Apply these tips to have an efficient warehouse!
