Automated Solutions for Storage Systems

Typically, warehousing operations know it’s time to review their storage systems and solutions either when they begin to run out of space, or when they have the space but the organization of their product is so slipshod that they can’t keep up with orders.

In the past, managers were fairly quick to look at expanding their footprint or completely relocating to larger facilities. But with the increased cost of real estate, and the difficulty of finding prime locations close to key markets, finding ways to increase a facility’s storage density and improve its functionality are key to expanding capacity affordably.

In theory, a warehousing operation should never reach maximal capacity. At that point, in order to receive new product, the congestion forces operators to move goods like puzzle pieces to make room.

An affordable first step to finding more room is to consider the facility’s vertical space. Can taller racks be installed? If you’re dealing with relatively small parts that don’t need pallet-sized slots, look to solutions like vertical lift modules or carousels that can increase storage density and free up space. Mezzanines can be added that can hold extra shelves and other storage over the main floor.

If you’ve maximized your use of vertical space, it may be time to update your storage medium to deep lane storage, or to automated storage and retrieval systems that can maximize both storage density and process efficiencies.

Short-term storage needs – defined in the industry as storage of less than three months – is often needed when a facility makes major changes to its layout, sees a sudden spike in demand, or consolidates large orders that it needs to separate for its different facilities.

In the industry, anything held for longer than about three months is considered to be in long-term storage. Holding seasonal goods until they’re once again hot, buying bulk goods that will take time to process, and even storing paperwork – like personnel, tax, or sales records – are all reasons for long-term storage.

Often, companies need both long- and short-term storage. Engaging with third parties – renting trailers, for example – can help. But, especially for meeting seasonal demands, creating flex space inside a warehouse is often a more efficient solution.

Ensuring that your storage is capable of handling your products is paramount is creating efficient storage solutions. Simple block stacking or stacking frames may be fine for low throughput facilities dealing with pallet loads. But as demand and SKU counts increase, storage will have to improve. Double-deep pallet racks, drive-in racks, and pallet-flow and push-back racks are all economical upgrades for pallet loads.

For dealing with eaches or other small goods, companies can look to rack bins – storage containers designed to fit in racks – or shelves for economical, low-throughput solutions. As demand increases, companies should consider solutions that can pack goods more densely and allow for more efficient put away and retrieval, like carousels or vertical lift modules.

Hangers are another useful storage method. Systems can store small parts or pieces in bags that can be hung on moveable racks for dense, efficient storage.

The fastest moving items should be placed in the most convenient area possible for both put away and retrieval, and should be stored in a way that allows for efficient processing. It isn’t enough to block stack your three fastest movers in a staging area just outside of receiving – inevitably, the item you need will at some point be at the bottom of a stack.

Instead, storage solutions that are sufficient to the task should be integrated into the processes. For some, that may mean a system of pallet flow racking. For others, it may mean a system that’s more fully automated and can handle cases or eaches.

To enable efficient processes and dense storage, companies need software that is capable of ordering the right amount of goods, of tracking goods as they are slotted, of receiving orders from customers, and of synchronizing processes as product is picked and shipped.

A robust Warehouse Management System (WMS) like ScottTech PickPro® can bring transparency into your warehousing operations, enabling real-time item tracking and coordinating all of the processes needed to move product throughout your facility.

Safety, especially for customers and personnel but also for goods and infrastructure, is a top priority in every company. But poorly designed storage solutions contribute to unsafe facilities in a number of ways. Items without a proper location might be stored unsafely, perhaps stacked too high or in racks that aren’t rated for its weight. Racks can be damaged. Machines can be poorly guarded.

Well designed storage solutions will quickly move perishable product into the proper temperature zones. It will create transparent systems so that incoming product will have a home, and outgoing product will be quickly and safely processed. Machines and throughways will be guarded with rails and partitions. And systems will be designed to be ergonomic and user friendly.

One key to effective storage solutions is simply getting back to basics and ensuring that items aren’t only organized, but are organized in a useful way. Are seasonal, fast moving items staged for easy put away and picking? Are items that frequently move together stored along the same picking paths? Are goods accessible to operators?

Coupling those fundamental issues with low-cost, user-friendly, state of the art technology like pick-to-voice or pick-to-light can dramatically increase order accuracy and efficiency.

Depending on the application, storage solutions have to be robust enough to handle heavy loads and small enough to densely pack small units. Fitting a warehouse with too much of the wrong kind of storage can mean stacking small items on expensive steel rated for heavy loads, or over stacking heavy pallets from the floor to the ceiling.

A well designed storage solution will match the appropriate storage to your needs, from heavy-duty steel racks to high-density unit storage.

Maximizing the use of a warehouse’s cubic space has the obvious benefit of being able to store more goods. This can save a company the expense of expanding or relocating. But improving the use of a facility’s space brings many other benefits.

As a warehouse maximizes its storage density, organization and workflows have to be assessed, and typically are also made more efficient. Items are easier to find and processes easier to navigate. Accurate inventory counts means better customer satisfaction, and also improves ordering processes – if you know how much you have on-hand, and how much more room you have, then you can maximize your bulk ordering.

Cross docking can be especially effective in industries that need speed or have high volume, such as fresh groceries or ecommerce fulfillment. Cross docking minimizes the time these goods spend in storage. This allows fresh product to be delivered while it’s still good, and orders to be shipped so that they can be delivered in the window the end user expects.

More than this, because cross docking requires less space than traditional warehousing, they can more easily be located near the end user. This shortens the distance of the final delivery, cutting both transportation costs and delivery schedules.