Every business experience seasonal demand and fluctuation in stock volumes. At times, you may need additional warehouse storage space to handle peak volume seasons.
You have the option to lease a new warehouse. But that would mean long-term commitments, not to add the extra expense.
Flexible storage services allow you to adjust to your changing inventory needs without breaking the bank. You can easily handle unexpected peaks or slumps in demand when opting for flexible storage options.
Adopting flexible storage solutions can make your business more adaptable, resilient, and future-ready.
Adopting Flexible Warehouse Storage: Reviewing the Basics
It's important to grasp the basics of the storage requirement before you start thinking about flexible storage services.
Products: Identity what would be your fast-moving and slow-moving products. It can prove handy when looking to see if the layout and storage options are apt for your business.
Numbers: Understand the current work sequences in the warehouse - how they affect pick times or increase the lag between ordering and delivery.
Clients: Keep in mind your client expectations, how they like to do business with you, their purchasing patterns, and the seasonal demand fluctuations.
Team: Discuss with the warehouse staff how they use spaces to fulfil customer orders and what practices they follow to maximize efficiency.
Space: Figure out what is meant by good use of space in a warehouse context, including consolidation of pick locations, use of vertical space, and safe access considerations for material handlers and picking vehicles.
Once you do this groundwork, the next step is to craft a detailed plan for optimizing your available storage space.
Factors to Consider When Trying to Make the Most of Flexible Storage
1. Warehouse Layout
The layout of a warehouse significantly impacts the flexibility of available space. Check if the current layout gives room for growth and scalability.
Ensure that the warehouse layout provides easy access to stored goods, minimize the travel time of warehouse personnel, and improve order fulfilment rates.
Also, consider factors such as product rotation, flow of goods into the warehouse, storage specifications for each product and the types of handling equipment used.
2. Inventory Management
It's important to have a well-defined tracking plan for your inventory.
By doing so, you'll be able to keep your stock levels just right and properly utilize existing warehouse space.
One way to do this is with precise documentation and slotting techniques.
Also, ensure that you consider the quality and quantity of shelving and whether they can manage the size and volume of your products.
In other words, ensure that the storage facilities align with the nature of your business operations.
3. Warehouse Automation
You can make the most of your resources and space by automating some of your warehouse operations. It will streamline your current processes, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and allow you to scale up your operations.
Technologies like voice picking, cloud-based WMS software, automated sorting and retrieval systems, and inventory trackers can significantly reduce the chances of administrative errors resulting from disorganized storage.
4. Space Optimization with Narrow Aisles
Narrow aisle racking systems can add more area to store inventory without having to expand your warehouse.
VNA racking systems make use of the vertical space to give you room to store 40-50% more inventory.
The pallets are stacked higher to reduce the square foot and cost per pallet stored.
In other words, the existing storage space is much more compact and efficiently used.
Check out the different ways to utilize warehouse space more effectively.
5. Creation of Zones
If you want to make your warehouse more organized, it's a great idea to divide the space into different zones.
You can bring more flexibility into storage. Here are some of the zones to consider:
1) A zone for slow-moving products - It allows you to keep them away from the busiest areas of activity.
2) A zone for in-demand stocks - It allows easy access and dispatch of always-popular items or highly ordered goods.
3) A zone for Stock Returns - It allows easy access to return goods that need further processing, such as reworking, refunds, or disposal.
6. High-Density Racking
If you're looking to free up some space in your warehouse, you might want to consider investing in high-density racking formats like cantilever racking or narrow aisle racking.
Doing so could reduce your current racking space by half and give you room for additional storage or other activities like production or packing.
With modular racking designs, you can easily adjust, expand, dismantle or even move your racking without worrying about compromising its stability or safety.
It means you'll have all the flexibility you need to meet your changing storage needs.
7. Warehouse Mezzanine Floors
Like high-density racking, mezzanine floors have an adaptable and modular design that allows you to expand your storage footprint instead of relocating to a new warehouse.
Realizing the Value of Flexible Storage
Gone are the days of the hassles of traditional storage methods, which were so rigid to change. With flexible warehousing, you can easily adjust to shifts in supply and demand and save some money too!
And the best part?
You can relieve yourself of unnecessary responsibilities. There is more time to focus on your business and stay ahead of the competition.
Are you interested to learn more about the On Demand warehouse storage services in Dubai and the rest of the UAE? Don't hesitate to contact our team. We're here to help!