4 Stages to Building a Successful Warehouse

Building a successful warehouse can be quite an endeavor. Whether the full layout ends up covering 10,000 square feet or 1 million square feet, the best warehouses are built with foresight and growth in mind. What are the current needs? Should we design for growth? How often will our demand change? 

No one can predict the future with 100% certainty. However, because we have partnered with several types of warehouse construction projects, we have seen the best and worst practices. The most successful warehouses typically involve the following four-stage process.

Plan the Layout

There are a few important factors that go into planning the layout of your warehouse.  Your floor plan will have a big impact on the way you want to outfit your facility with pallet rack.  For example, areas with offices, bathrooms, and exits will need to be taken into account when determining the location of your pallet rack or shelving units.  Our team of CAD specialists will assist you in designing the layout of your warehouse.

Select the Appropriate Equipment

Now that you know where you would like to put your storage equipment, determine what your specific needs are. At this point, we can help identify the best solution to your warehousing needs.  Our sales representatives will help you select from a wide variety of storage options, including pallet rack, drive-in rack, pushback rack, steel shelving, rivet shelving, etc.  The key is to carefully analyze your unique needs. This examination ensures that your storage facility operates at the most efficient level possible.

Installation

The installation of your storage equipment should be a relatively simple task. If it is a small job, most of the equipment can be assembled by your warehouse workers.  However, if you are outfitting an entire warehouse with pallet rack or shelving units, I would recommend calling a professional to help with the installation.  Storage Solutions has a crew of professional installers that would be happy to help you install new equipment, or tear down and move existing equipment.  Alternatively, you could call a third-party contractor.

Upkeep

Next, you need to make sure to keep tabs on the condition of your storage equipment. The most important thing in your warehouse is the safety of your employees.  Stay proactive to identify and resolve any potentially problematic areas.  Storage Solutions partners with the Safety Management Group to provide safety consulting, training, staffing, program planning and implementation on your job.  If you have questions about the condition of your storage equipment, give us a call and we will be happy to help.

Before you get started on building a successful warehouse, start with the 1st step above and make sure your layout is designed for your current needs, while taking into account any planned growth. Contact us to speak with an expert who can design your layout with an optimal eye toward efficiency.