How industrial shelving can save you money 

There are some things a warehouse just can’t function without. From up to date stock lists to a dedicated team of workers, it’s essential to make sure that all warehouses and commercial buildings have everything they need to run smoothly and work efficiently. Without the necessary equipment and team of people to keep everything ticking along, many businesses would struggle to keep up with consumer demand and stay ahead of their competition.

If you’re a company that works in supply and demand - whether you own a local supermarket or you’re a stockist for a large-scale retailer - you’ll know that there’s one piece of equipment you just couldn’t do without: industrial shelving. After all, shelving and racking solutions keep your goods organised in one place, allow your employees to access what they need without delay, and help to keep your factory or warehouse a safer and more efficient place to work.

At Racking + Shelving Ltd, we know that the right heavy-duty shelving solutions can help your business. In particular, we understand just how much they could help you save - and even make - money, by streamlining your business and prioritising efficiency every step of the way. With this considered, here’s how industrial shelving and racking could save you money:

Time is money

As the saying goes, time is money. This couldn’t be truer when it comes to supply and demand; the quicker the turnaround of goods, the more sales, and therefore money, to be made. That’s why many warehouses and industrial businesses spend time and money investing in products and solutions that will help them speed up their turnaround time and optimise efficiency, whether by installing high-tech product trackers or investing in the latest voice technology for speedy inventory control.

Each of these products can, of course, help businesses shave precious minutes from their work schedules. However, good shelving solutions, as simple as they can be, are perhaps the most important.

There are two main ways that heavy duty racking and an effective organisation system can help you maximise efficiency in the workplace:

- By making it easier to track your inventory, you’ll be able to see which items have a quicker turnaround and which stay on the shelves the longest. With this information, you’ll be able to make the necessary adjustments by positioning popular goods closer to the loading/unloading dock and evaluating your next order of the least popular items.

- By making it easier to find and access your inventory, your staff will be able to complete their jobs much quicker and much more easily. A faster turnaround of goods and quicker dispatch times will help your business thrive and mean that you’re getting the most from your employees.

Optimising the efficiency of your warehouse with durable and properly designed pallet shelves can benefit your business in many ways, but saving money is undeniably one of the most desirable. For more ideas on how to improve the efficiency of your warehouse, check out our top tips here .

Industrial racks can help you prevent damage to your stock

As we previously touched on, focusing on your shelving and racking solutions can help you take better care of your stock. No matter what you supply, whether children’s toys or construction equipment, your stock is the lifeblood of your business. Without it, you wouldn’t have a business worth shouting about, your reputation would be on the line, and you certainly wouldn’t be in a position to stay ahead of your competitors.

With this in mind, you’ll want to make sure that you get the best possible value from your stock and that none of it goes to waste. This is especially true if you work in the food and drinks industry, or if you’re responsible for stocking other perishable items such as medicine and supplements. If your employees can’t get to your goods quickly and efficiently, your stock is likely to expire or become unsafe for use, and you’ll find yourself disposing of goods that could have been extremely lucrative for your business. Not only will you waste money, but you may have to replace the items you’ve lost - a financial burden that could be avoided easily with the right systems in place.

A good organisational system can prevent this, by making sure that your stock is exactly where your employees expect it to be and can be reached and dispatched easily. Think about it - if your staff members had to sift through unorganised piles of goods and unlabelled stock, your business would suffer immeasurably due to lost time and damaged items. Alternatively, by implementing carton live shelving or push back racking alongside an efficient inventory system, your employees will be able to keep track of the goods in your warehouse, making sure everything is sent off on time and nothing goes to waste.

Storage racks can help you optimise your workspace

It can be easy to mistake a lack of space for poorly managed space, especially in large-scale industrial buildings and warehouses. If your employees are complaining that the work floor is unnecessarily cramped and that they’re struggling to navigate forklifts and boxes of stock through the warehouse, it may be time to rethink the layout of your workspace.

Under these circumstances, many businesses decide to expand into rented space or other local warehouses. This may seem like a great financial move at first, giving you extra room for extra stock, but it could actually be a huge monetary drain. You’ll need to employ more staff and purchase a great deal of extra stock to make this investment worth your money. That’s why we at Racking + Shelving recommend re-thinking your existing space first of all, and seeing if it’s possible to revamp your shelving solutions to take advantage of the space you already have.

For instance, there are many ways to make the most of your warehouse’s vertical space in addition to the space on the floor. Drive-in pallet racking and multi-tier shelving are just two options available for this, and are two solutions which you might consider when optimising the space you currently have in your workplace.

Another idea is to install a mezzanine floor - a great way to make the most of your vertical space without overloading the ground floor or renting another room. A mezzanine floor gives you the opportunity to store extra goods on another floor that your employees can access quickly, efficiently and safely. In fact, opting for a mezzanine layer could increase your floor space by over 50% - a figure that just can’t be ignored when considering ways to maximise your warehouse space and avoid paying out for an extra room.

Racking + Shelving Ltd: Supplying heavy-duty metal shelving and industrial racking solutions to domestic and commercial clients in Antrim

There are many advantages to implementing efficient industrial shelving solutions, from making life easier for your employees to making sure your work floor is free from hazards and all stock is filed away safely. Above all, pallet shelves, cantilever racking, mezzanine floors and other products can help you streamline the processes your business relies on day to day and save you money in the long term.

At Racking + Shelving Ltd, based in Antrim, we’re dedicated to providing bespoke racking solutions to domestic and industrial clients. Our team of professionals will help you make the most of your business space from start to finish, from the initial consultation all the way through to installation and future inspections. We know what we’re talking about, so you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands when you entrust us with your industrial shelving needs. For more information about our range of services and how we can help your business save money, get in touch with our dedicated team of specialists today.