Archive for the ‘warehouse fit out’ Category

What To Consider When Refurbishing Your Warehouse

When done correctly, refurbishing can transform a warehouse and improve the overall efficiency of a business. To help you get the best results out of your warehouse renovation, here are some important factors to consider when refurbishing your warehouse.

Determine your needs

Before you get started, you should first think about what you want to achieve with your warehouse renovation.

Complete a review of the current warehouse and identify any areas for improvement. It may be that you need more storage space, more accessible aisles, or better lighting.

Utilise space

A common mistake when refurbishing a warehouse is not fully utilising the space to maximise storage capacity. This can be costly, as you are more likely to outgrow your warehouse faster and will need to renovate again.

Now is the time to make sure you are making the best use of the space available in your warehouse. Consider the vertical space available, as well as the floor space.

Redo your flooring

Once your warehouse has been cleared out ready for refurbishment, this will be the best chance to redo your floor. In a warehouse, you must have flat and non-slip flooring. Any dips in the flooring can cause shelving to lean which could lead to an accident.

When selecting new flooring, think about how much it will cost to maintain and keep clean, as well as how hard-wearing it is.

Improve the layout

Assess how easy it is for people and machinery to move around the warehouse currently. As well as accessibility, consider the steps taken from goods in to goods out.

Do people have to go far or backwards and forwards between each step or does it flow efficiently? Changing the layout of your warehouse for better workflow will vastly improve its efficiency.

Improve your lighting

Review the effectiveness of your current lighting. Ensure that all areas of the warehouse are sufficiently illuminated. Improving visibility in the warehouse will improve the efficiency of your workforce, and help to prevent accidents.

Is your lighting energy-efficient? Replacing your lighting with energy-efficient lighting can help to reduce costs over time.

Consider safety

Whenever you are making changes to an aspect of a business, you must ensure that this meets health and safety regulations.

Key safety features that should be in place in a warehouse include sprinkler systems, fire alarms, security systems, access control, ventilation, and good air quality.

Installation, maintenance or repairs, and electrical work should be carried out by professionals, and you should never exceed any loading capacities or height restrictions.

Whatever you need to store, and however you want to store it, rest assured that Logical Storage Solutions will have the ideal solution for you. Our expert team is on-hand to find a solution to any unique storage problem, so call us on 0845 689 1300, or email [email protected].

Logical Storage Solutions is an innovative provider of storage equipment and interior workspaces for both industrial and commercial environments, including office partitions, warehouse racking, and mezzanine flooring.

Offering a consultative approach and nationwide service for all single and multi-site operations, we are your one stop provider of all storage, workspace and maintenance solutions

Reasons for a warehouse refurbishment

The warehouse is one of a business’s most significant assets and an integral part of the supply chain, which means it is important to ensure that it is as efficient as possible.

If the warehouse is not operating at its fullest potential or meeting business demands, this can have a negative impact on the rest of the business.

There are many reasons why you may consider refurbishing your warehouse, such as to increase storage capacity, store a new type of stock, bring it up to date, or reduce long-term expenditure.

Here we explore some of the common reasons for a warehouse refurbishment to help you determine whether it is time to renovate your warehouse.

Futureproofing

Many companies refurbish their warehouse to ensure that they will work effectively in the long run and to create room for future expansion.

Assess whether your warehouse could facilitate growth and house new stock and employees, should the business expand. If you are already at capacity, then it may be time for a renovation.

Overcrowded

If your warehouse is cluttered or overcrowded, employees will not be able to work to the best of their ability. This will slow down work, as they have to maneuver around obstacles, and spend additional time looking for stock.

This can result in delays and frustration and is a clear sign that you need to refurbish your warehouse to increase capacity and better organise your stock.

To increase storage capacity, you do not always need to expand your warehouse or relocate, you may be able to just better utilise the space that you already have to meet your needs.

Revenue loss

Time equals money. If your warehouse is overcrowded or unorganised, employees will be spending more time carrying out tasks and picking stock.

They may also need to use equipment such as forklift trucks to move things around to get to what they need, which also takes time and costs money.

Poor systems

The equipment, tools, systems, or storage solutions that you have should be regularly reviewed and maintained. If they are not, or if you have had them for a long time, then they may not be up to scratch.

Whether they are broken, ineffective, or outdated, they will be a hindrance to not only your warehouse but also your business and may cause further issues down the line.

In this case, renovating your warehouse and updating your systems is essential and will significantly improve efficiency.

If you are unsure whether your warehouse requires an overhaul, or you do not know where to start, get in touch with our expert team at Logical Storage Solutions on 0845 689 1300, or email [email protected], for professional advice.

Logical Storage Solutions is an innovative provider of storage equipment and interior workspaces for both industrial and commercial environments including office partitions and mezzanine flooring.

Offering a consultative approach and nationwide service for all single and multi-site operations, we are your one-stop provider of all storage, workspace, and maintenance solutions.

5 Things to consider when planning a new warehouse racking installation

When it comes to planning a new warehouse racking installation, there are several factors you should consider to help ensure that things go smoothly and you get the best results from your new racking.

There is a variety of racking types available, and it can be difficult to know which would be the ideal solution for your warehouse.

For example, do you need standard wide-aisle racking, or would drive-in racking be better suited? But, then again, instead of drive-in racking, why not use dynamic push-back racking instead? We think you get the picture!

Having suitable racking can contribute towards improving the efficiency and productivity of your warehouse, and maximise its storage capacity. Planning out your new racking setup will help to ensure that you do not waste time or money, and achieve the best results.

To help guide you to selecting the ideal racking for your warehouse, here are some key things to consider when planning a new warehouse racking installation.

Why do you need the racking?

The first thing you should do is ask yourself why you are considering getting new racking installations. What do you wish to achieve? Do you need a larger storage capacity or easier access to stock?

Once you acknowledge the main reasons new racking is required and how it could benefit you, it will be easier to identify what the best solution for your warehouse would be.

What stock do you store?

The type of stock that you store, and how quickly it moves in and out of your warehouse, will have a considerable influence on which type of racking would be most suitable and effective.

Different types of racking are better suited to different types, shapes, and sizes of product, and some types of racking are better for a fast turnaround of stock than others.

What types of racking are available?

Do some research into the various types of racking available and familiarise yourself with them. This will help you to identify which type of racking will best suit your needs.

Here is a selection of the different pallet racking systems available:

● Wide aisle

● Very narrow aisle (VNA)

● Double-deep

● Drive-in / drive-through

● Dynamic push back

● Dynamic pallet flow

● Mobile

● Shuttle

What are the building requirements?

When planning the installation of new racking, you need to take into account your building requirements as this will influence what types of racking you can have.

Take a look at the flooring in your warehouse. The flooring is what is going to bear the weight of the racking and its contents so it must be able to support the load.

The thickness and material of your flooring, and having underfloor heating, can have an impact on the amount it can hold.

You also need to ensure that there is adequate clearance above the racking for a sprinkler system, and the height to which you will be able to reach, as this will determine the maximum height of your racking.

What is your budget?

Whenever it comes to spending money wisely and making a good investment, you will need to consider your budget.

To help you to determine an appropriate and realistic budget, you should consider how beneficial this investment will be to your warehouse and business, both in the short term and long term. Consider how much time and money this investment could save.

Once you have a budget in mind, this should help to narrow down the potential options by eliminating those that would exceed your budget.

With so many options available and a lot to consider, it can be difficult to identify exactly which particular type of racking would be best for your warehouse.

Thankfully, our experienced and helpful staff are on hand to guide you through the process to ensure that your racking meets your needs as well as safety requirements.

At Logical Storage Solutions, we do not have a “one size fits all” approach. Get in touch with us today on 0845 689 1300 or via [email protected] for free and independent advice.

How to Make the Most of Your Warehouse Space

Effectively utilising your business space can be highly beneficial. Not only because poor use of space can mean you are not getting good value for money out of your space, but also because this can help to improve efficiency and productivity. Follow the advice below to ensure that you make the most of your warehouse space.

If you are looking to store more, before expanding or investing in more space, you should first look at your existing warehouse space. You may be able to maximise and better utilise the space you already have.

The primary use of a warehouse is to store stock or components so you must maximise the space available to ensure you can store as much as possible.

Extend Your Racking Vertically

If you are looking to create more space or store more in your warehouse, you should first look at whether you can extend your racks up vertically. This can help to maximise your warehouse space without taking up any surface area.

Reconfigure Your Racking

You may be able to reconfigure your existing racking to enable you to store more. For example, if your largest pallet is 1 metre but your racking is set at 2 metre intervals, then you could bring your racking down and be able to fit more beam levels in, allowing you to store more pallets.

Before reconfiguring your racking, you should always check with the manufacturer or supplier of your racking that it is safe to do so.

Install a Mezzanine

Adding a mezzanine is a great way to increase space in your warehouse. Installing a mezzanine can provide you with almost double the floor space. It is also more cost-effective than expanding your warehouse or investing in a larger space.

You will need to check whether the floor loading can handle a mezzanine before having one installed. Also, you will need to ensure that the columns and base plates holding the mezzanine in place would not cause significant disruption on the floor below.

Change Your Storage Medium

Switching your storage medium to higher density equipment can increase your storage capacity. For example, double-deep racking, or push-back or drive-in racks. If you have single-deep racking, you may want to swap this out for double-deep racking.

Reduce Aisle Widths

Look at how wide your aisles are and consider whether they need to be as wide as they are. Try to get them to the minimum width required for product and machinery to pass through, without compromising operating efficiency.

Store Off-Site

If you require extra space temporarily or have excess inventory for certain items, consider using some type of off-site storage such as a trailer or crate.

Consolidate Your Stock

Do a thorough stock check and ensure stock is stored as efficiently as possible. If you have two half-full pallets of the same products, consolidate the stock onto one pallet to free up space.

You may also find that you have stock that you no longer use or need. Alternatively, depending on the type of product you stock, that may have expired. Removing this dead stock will provide you with more space.

Seek Professional Advice

To make sure you get the most out of your warehouse, bring in professionals to evaluate your set-up and to advise you on how best to maximise your existing space.

Here at Logical Storage Solutions, we have over 10 years of experience in engineering bespoke racking solutions for warehouses. For expert advice on how to best utilise your warehouse space, call us on 0845 689 1300 today.

How to Optimise Your Warehouse

Customer expectations continue to grow. An increase in online shopping makes people want access to a huge range of products quickly and easily. With many retailers offering next day delivery and free returns to match these high expectations, the need for warehouses to be optimised has never been greater. Here we discuss how to optimise a warehouse.

Are your products placed on racks correctly?

This may seem simple but it is surprising how many warehouses may not be placing their items correctly on the racking. The opening heights in your racks should get smaller or bigger depending on the load it is holding. As a rule of thumb, openings should be more than 6-inches taller than the load itself, allowing easy removal using a forklift.

Adjusting the rack height accordingly allows warehouse owners to completely customise the layout to specifically suit their products.

Consider the popularity of each SKU in your warehouse. An effective strategy can be to place slower-moving products in shorter rack locations. This can work well as the SKUs will not be picked as regularly, meaning that they do not need as much space.

Have you chosen the right racking system?

There are many racking systems to choose from and it’s important that you match the racking system to your individual business needs. You need to consider both the weight and size of your inventory and ensure the racking systems are optimised for this. The higher the number of beams in the racking system, the more weight it can carry. However, it also means there is less space between each one. It is, therefore, a balancing act to figure out the ideal racking system for your goods.

Are you optimising your space?

Warehouses have plenty of space. However, usually, this space is height and many warehouses do not make the most of this. A large proportion of your spare space will be higher up. Therefore, mezzanine flooring should be considered for those seeking more space to smooth their operations. They are great places to have additional storage or even office space, saving the floor level space for inventory only.

Are your aisles correct?

It can be tempting to narrow your aisles in order to fit more in, however, you need to consider this carefully. By doing so, you are limiting the space between the aisles. This can have a negative impact on efficiency if people struggle to manoeuvre through the aisles. Although you need to fit all your stock in the warehouse, you also need to ensure that the process is smooth and the warehouse remains a safe environment for all employees.

If you are struggling to make the most out of the space you have, then consider the points discussed above. Asking yourself these points may reduce the need to relocate or expand your warehouse by ensuring you are using all your current space to its greatest potential. Optimising your warehouse takes some planning, however, when done correctly you will end up with much more efficient operations which in turn can help you increase your revenue and output.

Fitting Out a New Warehouse- Warehouse Storage Options

When planning a new warehouse, storage solutions will be high on the list of priorities. However, there are many options to choose from, which can be overwhelming and a daunting task. The type of storage solution is dependent on a variety of factors including the type of stock, the turnaround speed of stock, and accessibility among others. To decide what will work best for your new warehouse, here is our guide to what storage options are available.

Pallet Racking

We begin with pallet racking as it is the go-to choice for many warehouses due to its fantastic ability to store large quantities of stock and the range of sizes and styles it is available in. Depending on your warehouses’ specific requirements, there will be a type of pallet racking that will suit your needs. For those needing to maximise their available floor space as much as possible, there are narrow aisle or double deep racking. Racking solutions are made specifically for pallet goods, so if you are not planning on having your stock stored in pallets, then you will have to opt for an alternative storage method. Discover more about our pallet racking options here.

Shelving

For those items that are not being stored as pallets, shelving will offer the most versatile option for you. Warehouse shelving systems are available in a range of sizes and configurations, allowing them to perfectly fit your needs. They are also easily adjustable once they have been installed as well which is vital for when you re-organise your warehouse or get new stock lines. Shelving provides storage that is practical and space-effective. They can also be used effectively alongside other storage solutions such as pallet racking.

Static shelving, as the name suggestions, involves storage that is designed to stay in one place. This type of shelving is commonly used to store inventory that has a quick turnaround and therefore needs restocking regularly. Mobile shelving, are designed to move around and are built for the purpose of holder more items when less space is available and are mounted onto guidance rails built into the floor. This system is great for those warehouses that are short of space and need to make the most of it.

Mezzanine Flooring

Installing a mezzanine floor is a popular way of expanding the storage capacity of a warehouse without relocation. They are highly versatile and effectively create an additional level to your warehouse. Although installing a mezzanine floor involves significant investment, it is an effective way of creating more space. However, a major benefit of mezzanine floors is the options to potentially add lift systems and conveyor belts to aid the warehouse processes even further.

As you can see from the list above, the storage options available are extremely versatile and can be made specifically to meet your requirements. All of the above are great options to choose, however it is imperative that before you decide which ones to go for you not only consider your current storage requirements, you also consider any future growth and try and plan for this in advance to aid the speed in which you can grow and have the storage capacity already set up to aid this process.

Storage solutions are key to ensure smooth logistics within the warehouse, so it is vital that the best options are chosen for your needs. Here at Logical Storage, we can offer high-quality storage solutions, racking inspections and mezzanine flooring for your business. Call us on 0845 689 1300 for more information.

3 ways to optimise your warehouse for the year ahead

Good management is the key to making sure that your warehouse can meet the demands of your clients and customers in the months and years ahead. This means not only ensuring that your employees work in a safe and practical manner but also that your warehouse is well organised to cope with the ebb and flow of seasonal trade.

As we begin 2017, many business owners will be looking at how best they can achieve their targets and goals for the year ahead. Here at Logical Storage we have extensive experience putting together combinations of storage solutions for businesses that help them to do exactly that.

One of the first examples of how a business can benefit from our storage solutions is that of a mezzanine floor. Continually one of the most popular solutions available, a mezzanine floor helps to maximise the space already available to you in your warehouse, reducing the need for relocation and allowing you to make more efficient use of your space.

Office partitions provide another route for improving your operations in your warehouse. An office partition can provide you with the space you need to conduct important meetings with clients and customers, make private phone calls, a space to do paperwork or create an area for your employees to take their lunch.

A third way that you can make the most of the room in your warehouse is to consider racking and shelving solutions, which are a fantastic way to better organise your inventory.  An experienced storage provider can help you to choose a system which is best suited to your operations, be it pallet racking systems like wide aisle or dynamic push back, or shelving solutions like carton flow and longspan.

Here at Logical Storage we know that no two businesses are the same and you may need a combination of different solutions to help create space in your warehouse.  For a tailored proposal designed to meet the specific needs of your business, call us on 0845 689 1300.

Tips for increasing warehouse profits

It may sound obvious, but it is worth reminding ourselves that the efficiency of a business has a direct effect on a business’s profit margin. If you can reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to perform a task, there will be less waste and therefore productivity will increase. Warehouses are usually big buildings and are used for mass storage but that doesn’t mean that the operations carried out in them can’t be refined and transformed into a smoother, more productive system. Below are some tips on how to do this.

One of the first aspects of your warehouse that you will want to ensure is right is the floorplan. In an ideal scenario this should be done before the business is up and running. However, rearranging your layout is definitely worth considering even if you are fully operational because the time that can be saved in the long term could be hugely beneficial. Although changing the floorplan of your warehouse when you are up and running can cause some disruption to your business in the short term, the long term benefits greatly outweigh this, and it is also less disruptive than having to move to new premises.

Businesses tend to start small with a natural focus on generating sales and growing the business quickly. This often leads to the warehouse being forgotten about and before anyone realises it is bursting at the seams with the directors looking at bigger premises so that the business can continue to expand. If your business has got to this stage, you might be surprised to find that there actually is a lot of wasted space within the warehouse and if it was rearranged to be more efficient than the current premises would still be able to sustain the business perfectly.

So, by using the warehouse’s space more efficiently, your employees will be able to get more tasks done in the day as they will be able to complete them quicker. The business will also benefit from not relocating to larger premises unnecessarily.

Logical Storage Solutions specialise in both industrial and commercial storage equipment who offer a wide range of innovative products that can both increase your available storage space and improve productivity. Our experienced team can help your business transform your warehouse into an efficient environment that looks after your bottom line. For more information please click here to visit our website or alternatively, please call us on 0845 689 1300.

Logical Storage praised for racking in new warehouse

Logical Storage has been praised by one of their clients for doing a fantastic job when installing a state of the art new pallet racking system into their brand new warehouse.

Based in Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, Stiller Warehousing and Distribution is a regional third party logistics provider with over 50 years of experience in the sector. Established in 1954, this family-owned business has a wealth of experience in transport, distribution and warehousing and has worked with some of the best known manufacturers and resellers in the country. They provide cost-effective warehousing and distribution services to businesses in the North East region as well as commercial property lettings, and currently employ 140 people.

Stiller recently opened a brand new state-of-the-art £1.1million warehouse as they look to expand into new markets. This new warehouse has increased by nearly 50% the family firm’s warehousing capacity at its premises in the heart of Aycliffe Business Park. Logical Storage Solutions was responsible for the design, supply and installation of the new 21^st century VNA (Very Narrow Aisle) pallet racking system. The racking system fills the 40,000 sq ft warehouse and will hold up to 5,000-pallets. VNA pallet racking means that each and every pallet is 100% accessible and the system makes excellent use of both the building height and the floor space. As well as fantastic space utilisation, VNA pallet racking also results in very fast throughput speeds and hassle-free loading and unloading. It is straight forward and quick to install and conforms to all European and British Standards.

Stiller’s Managing Director Paul Stiller said: “The new warehouse offers excellent space utilisation thanks to the fantastic racking system that was designed, supplied and installed by Logical Storage Solutions. The racking system has helped to make our warehousing and distribution process much more efficient, which in turn makes us more competitive and with that brings the prospect of more jobs. Also, because of the new racking equipment we will now be able to target different types of businesses, including food-based clients and pharmaceutical companies, because the new facility is a very clean and efficient working environment. We are absolutely delighted with the work that Logical Storage carried out for us – the quality of their work and their performance from the conceptual stage right through to the completion of the project was second to none, and we would happily recommend them to anyone.”

For more information about Stiller Warehousing and Distribution, please visit http://www.stiller.co.uk/

Logical Storage Solutions is an innovative provider of storage equipment and interior workspaces for both industrial and commercial environments, including pallet racking systems. As no two problems are the same, Logical Storage offers a consultative approach to understand business’s operational priorities. With their head office in the Midlands, they are able to offer a nationwide service for all single or multi site operations, and are a one stop provider of solutions to all storage, workspace and maintenance problems.

For more information about Logical Storage’s pallet racking systems, please visit http://www.logicalstorage.co.uk/services/racking-solutions/ or call 0845 689 1300.

Photo: Stiller’s Commercial manager Matthew Stiller amongst the new pallet racking

Introducing Logical Storage

Logical Storage Solutions was formed in 2011 by an industry professional with many years of experience in the storage industry, and provides a number of services to businesses, with a particular focus on warehouses. We aim to be a “one stop shop” providing all the solutions to your storage, workspace and maintenance needs. We can offer a full warehouse fit out and refurbishment, or just specific services depending on the needs of your business.

A key part of Logical Storage’s business is providing a fit out service for warehouses. This includes installing the most appropriate type of racking systems or shelving systems for a warehouse to suit a business’s needs. Logical Storage uses a wide range of different pallet racking systems in warehouses, which includes wide aisle, narrow aisle, double deep, drive through, dynamic push back, dynamic pallet flow, mobile and shuttle. We also offer different types of shelving, including carbon flow, office, industrial, longspan and mobile. We will be profiling some of these in future blogposts, but the key point is that every business is different and has different storage needs, and these different types of racking and shelving systems provide solutions for a wide range of different needs.

Once you have the most appropriate racking solution for your business installed, it is vital that it receives regular annual inspections and maintenance. If not, companies and organisations can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 because of a gross breach of a duty of care. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) demands that work equipment such as warehouse racking must meet relevant standards. What may appear as minor damage could reduce the load bearing capacity of your racking by up to 40%, exposing your workers to great risk. This is why Logical Storage offers rack inspections and a full racking repair service, to ensure that companies meet their Health & Safety obligations, protecting themselves from the law and their employees from danger. With our online shop offering everything from stepladders to storage bins, you’ll find everything you need on our site for your warehouse storage needs.

Logical Storage also designs and installs mezzanine floors, creating a huge amount of extra space for businesses, whether that is for offices, retail, production space or storage space. Often in a warehouse there is a huge amount of wasted space above the warehouse floor. Installing a mezzanine floor allows a business to double its floor space without having to extend the building or move premises.

Finally, your warehouse probably doesn’t just consist of storage space, but is also likely to contain offices. We offer a full office partition service, including space planning, to allow you to get the very best out of your office space.

If you think we can help you, please get in touch today!