In our last blog, we discussed some of the practical things you can do to keep your warehouse organized. One of those things was making designated spaces within your warehouse. Let’s take a closer look at why our warehouse consultants recommend this and how it can benefit your warehouse.

Why Should You Designate Spaces Within Your Warehouse?

• It can help you stay organized. Keeping your warehouse organized is paramount to productivity and keeping error rates low. When employees know what each area of the warehouse is for, there is less likely to be clutter from other areas making their way into different spaces.
• It helps your teams focus. When areas are designated for certain tasks, it’s easier for the team in that area to focus. They won’t have to worry about getting in the office team’s way or cluttering up the packing team’s walkways.
• It creates ownership over the areas. When the picking team knows it’s their space, they are much more likely to keep it clean and organized. They know they can’t blame the mess on another department.
• It can reduce safety hazards. The administrative team won’t have to negotiate boxes in their areas and there is less hazard of people encountering and using warehouse equipment they aren’t familiar with incorrectly.
• It helps with order processing. Just like you need storage, shipping, and administrative areas, you should have designated product areas as well. Moving in-demand products closer to the picking department helps them process orders faster, while less popular items can take up less valuable space in the back.

What if You Are Low On Space Already?

One of the complaints our warehouse consultants hear frequently about creating designated spaces within their warehouse is that they are low on space already; there isn’t enough room for everyone to have their own space. In reality, you could end up saving yourself space when you reorganize. Take a fresh look at your warehouse and see if there is a better way to arrange your areas to make them more efficient both in their space and their productivity. Should the picking department be closer to the packing department? Can you move the office team to a more remote (and quieter) area? Could you narrow your shelving aisles to make more space?

If you are struggling to find the space that you need, our warehouse consultants can help. We offer warehouse planning and design services that can reimagine your warehouse space and optimize your usage of every square inch. We can help you take your current list of warehouse equipment and rearrange it to create workspaces that meet the need of your team and increase their ability to be as productive as possible. We’ve done this for hundreds of warehouses across the United States; now it’s time to do it for you.

If you are interested in speaking with a RMH Systems team member about warehouse optimization and planning, get in touch with us by giving us a call or contacting us through our website today.