Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending upon the type of business you’re running, you may have to manage warehouse storage space. If warehouses are a part of your business, it’s important to understand how to properly manage and use them. The following contributed post is entitled, Planning On Increasing The Load In Your Warehouse.
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Warehouse expansions are rare, they usually only occur when a business wants to stay in a particular location. It’s also rare to have enough money to buy a new warehouse and build it right next to the existing one you already have. This is because you have to get planning permission, you must then buy the land, and then finally get to building the warehouse. But what if you don’t really need a whole new warehouse? When you simply need a little more space, then expansion on your bought and paid for land is the right decision. But how do you go about expanding a warehouse? What if you could do more than just expand in size but expand in capability? This is when you should start thinking vertically instead of horizontally.
‘Strong man’ pallets
Instead of buying more pallets for your storage needs, how about just strengthening your current racks? You can have racks strengthened with extra support so they can lift more. This can be done after pallet racking inspections which can determine how much more your current racks can hold and if they can be improved. You may need to install brand new racks that have been designed to do just that. But, it’s also a good idea to check to see if you are obeying the weight limits of your pallet racks currently. If one rack fails and collapses, it’s going to create a domino effect whereby the surrounding racks will also collapse. Therefore, if you’re looking to expand in storage weight and capacity, perform an inspection first.
Copy and paste?
Warehouses are incredibly straightforward and yet when you get into the nitty-gritty details, they are also very complex. If you’re looking to merely expand your current warehouse in the same shape, design and capability, then you may need to look at a ‘copy and paste’ expansion idea. This will mean that one wall is knocked down and your warehouse just gets elongated. But it’s not just about length, various doors and safety measures will have to be carried through into the new space. You may also want to expand a part of your warehouse where the most modern designs and features are in place. It’s common for warehouses to be updated and modernized but only in square blocks. So, decide carefully which part you wish to expand.
Heavy-duty machines
Pallet trucks have improved in design just like any other part of the warehouse. You may want to consider heavy-duty electric pallet trucks rather than those that are used by hand. It not only speeds up the work, but it means you can lift and transport more items across your warehouse with fewer risks. Be mindful that you are also training your staff to use these modern machines before implementing them en masse.
Warehouses can be expanded in size but first, look at how you could improve the functionality of the machines and equipment. Pallet racks are the bread and butter of any warehouse, they should be able to hold as much weight as possible.
