For many companies, the warehouse is the beating heart of the business. It’s a place where a lot of work is done by both people and machines. However, many warehouses are not equipped with the right tools. This is something many companies overlook, but it can reduce efficiency and increase workload. Is your warehouse in need of improvement because, for example, your employees don’t have the right or sufficient quality materials? Then this blog is for you. We’ll quickly list the products that should not be missing to make your warehouse a safe and efficient workplace.
Set up your warehouse with the right storage options
A warehouse can consist of various storage options. We think of pallet spaces, shelves, and stacking bins. These are the most common ways to store products. A warehouse cannot function without shelving. By using pallet spaces, you literally increase the storage capacity. You can stack much higher. However, always keep an eye on the maximum weight of the shelving. For safe operation, we recommend anchoring the pallet racks to the ground and providing a safety buffer around the legs. This buffer prevents you from accidentally hitting the actual shelving with a forklift.
In addition to shelving, you can also use space-saving solutions such as shelves and stacking bins. Many warehouses store both large and small products. However, if you only opt for pallet spaces, you won’t be working efficiently. By using shelves and stacking bins, you can store smaller products much more efficiently. Not only will you save space, allowing you to store more products, but you will also save time during picking.
A conveyor belt
A conveyor belt can turn your warehouse into an efficient workplace. Thanks to a conveyor belt, unnecessary distances can be avoided. There are different types. The type you choose depends on what best fits your warehouse, what goods you are transporting, and how the goods come into contact with the conveyor belt. You can select from different transportation systems:
- Conveyor belt with free rollers: If you make use of gravity by tilting the belt, free rollers are usually a good option.
- Motorized rollers: This type of conveyor belt is needed when the belt isn’t tilted. This way, you can create a circuit where you can control the speed. We often think of classic conveyor work.
Transport products in the warehouse with the right materials
What do you need a warehouse for? A simple question with an answer: to store goods. If you want to work efficiently, you need the right tools to transport these goods through the warehouse. You don’t just store goods; you need to check them upon arrival and process them when a sales order comes in. But even in the period between, you may need to move products around the warehouse. Why? To create more space, for example, by storing goods differently. To move goods, you can use the following materials:
- Hand truck: A hand truck is particularly useful for quickly moving a few boxes around the warehouse.
- Pallet truck: To move a pallet, you can use a pallet truck. Always consider the load capacity, ease of use, ergonomics, fork spring, size, wheel type, and scale function when making your choice.
- Picking cart: A picking cart makes it easy to quickly pick different orders. You equip the cart with several bins. Each bin is linked to a sales order.
- Shipping cart: Use the classic shipping carts to store your processed orders neatly until the courier comes to pick them up.
- Stacker or forklift: A pallet truck lifts cargo a maximum of 15 centimeters. You cannot use a pallet truck as a stacking tool to, for example, place a pallet on the top shelf of a pallet rack. For that, you need a stacker or forklift.
Sort waste!
In a warehouse, various waste streams naturally arise. You need to unpack various products to inspect them before storing them in the warehouse. Waste can also be generated during packaging. Sustainable business practices are increasingly valued by consumers. Sorting waste is therefore a must. It’s very easy to sort waste if you provide the right bins and containers.
Call in professionals
You’ll likely notice that creating a solid and efficient warehouse involves more than you originally thought. Setting up a comfortable warehouse is also an investment financially. Purchasing the right materials isn’t cheap. Many businesses don’t make these investments, with all the consequences that follow. The workload is higher because you can’t work efficiently, and warehouse employees are at a higher risk of workplace accidents if they don’t have the right tools.
Do you want to avoid this? Then make use of the professional services of a fulfilment center like Webship. A fulfilment center takes care of the entire logistics process. This way, you don’t have to invest in durable warehouse materials. A fulfilment center has all the necessary warehouse materials and works with true professional pickers & packers. In short, the error rate in the warehouse will be significantly reduced, and you can focus on growing your webshop instead of processing sales orders yourself. Does that sound appealing? Then get in touch with Webship at hallo@webship.be or calculate your all-in fulfilment price via our cost calculator.
