There is about 9.1 billion square feet of warehouse space in the United States. About 1 billion of that was built in the last ten years. Sadly, much of that warehouse space is becoming increasingly obsolete in terms of technology and racking systems.
Today’s warehouse racking systems are more than just some shelves placed in lines. To maximize your business’ profits, you want a warehouse that uses a modern racking system.
Let’s get into what a racking system is and how it can benefit your business.
What Is Warehouse Racking?
The right warehouse racking system is an essential part of your warehouse infrastructure. It allows you to optimize your warehouse layout to have the maximum amount of storage space.
There are many different kinds of racking systems, but they all essentially do the same thing. You can store palletized materials in rows on multiple levels.
Different Types
Selective racks are the most common type of system that you will see. This system requires special narrow lift trucks because the aisles are narrow.
They also accommodate the depth of a single pallet. If you have a small warehouse and have limited space, this system is ideal.
Another option is drive-in or drive-through racking systems. These racks are big enough that a forklift can drive into the bay. Drive-in racks are going to have one way in and out while drive-through have access on both sides of the racks.
Push back racking is for bulk storage so they can accommodate two or three pallets. Each new pallet pushes the previously loaded pallets backward.
Flow racks are also known as gravity racks. They work best for high volume and rotation storage where you load the inventory at the higher end, and it automatically moves down as you take inventory from the lower end.
How Can It Benefit Your Business?
The right warehouse racking system can completely change how your business operates and your bottom line. Here are a few benefits to upgrading your racking system.
Save on Space
This is the most obvious advantage of a racking system. You can radically increase your storage space by going vertical.
Using a forklift allows you to access the pallets on the upper shelf easily. Now you can think about your warehouse storage abilities in terms of cubic space instead of floor square footage.
Increase in Safety
Due to their size and purpose, pallet racking systems are designed and manufactured with safety in mind. Pallet racking systems offer your business a big jump in safety.
Ultimately the safety of both your inventory and your employees are the most important thing.
A well-built racking system will be reinforced, giving you a solid and stable platform for your pallets to sit on. It also keeps your inventory organized, reducing the instances of inventory piled on the floor.
Inventory Control
If you don’t know what’s in your warehouse, then you can’t effectively . A racking system will help you stay organized and track your inventory.
This will let you stay ahead of your competitors by always having the inventory that customers want. Customers are more faithful to those companies who always have what they need when they need it.
Accurately tracking your inventory will also help you grow your business. You can track what inventory performs the best and what inventory is not performing.
Productivity Increase
When it is easier to access your inventory, you’ll notice your productivity increase. You’ll also notice employee frustration decrease.
With a pallet racking system, you can vertically organize your pallets to make it easier to access your inventory. Having the right racking design allows your forklifts to quickly and easily maneuver throughout the racks.
The less time your forklifts spend traversing the warehouse, the more time you have to get other things done.
Affordable
Sure, overhauling your racking system may seem like a substantial upfront investment, but you need to take into account the long term savings your business will experience.
A quality racking system will protect your inventory so you’ll have less damaged or lost product costs. It will also help you to manage your inventory better, so you’re not overbuying inventory that you don’t need.
Finally, it will reduce your pull and pack costs by reducing the amount of time required per package.
Most importantly, it will reduce your workers’ compensation claims. With a safer work environment, employees are less likely to get injured.
All of these cost savings translate to a better bottom line for your business.
Convenient
With a racking system, you can better organize your warehouse. This makes it convenient to locate similar inventory. It also makes it easy to store multiple pallets of the same inventory next to each other.
This makes it fast and easy when looking to locate your inventory. When you choose the right racking system, your inventory can automatically rotate through for proper inventory management and rotation.
Durable
When you invest in a quality racking system, it will be durable enough to withstand the daily abuse that happens in a warehouse. It will be able to withstand potential damage from forklifts.
Look for a system that is made of a high-quality steel. You’ll also want to see that it is reinforced at the connections and joints. For more information about installing a durable racking system visit www.arbor-inc.com.
Start Using Warehouse Racking
Installing a high-quality racking system in your warehouse will help you utilize the entire space. It will also create a safer working environment for your employees.
Warehouse racking will help you organize your inventory to make it faster and more convenient to find and pull. By upgrading your racking system, you’ll experience long term savings from your upfront investment.
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