Once you have your pallet racking in place in your new or remodeled warehouse, it’s going to feel good. Whether you’re selling standard wire deck or double-deep pallet racking, cantilever racking or pallet flow racks, it’s exciting to step back after it’s installed and imagine the increased efficiencies that come with top-notch warehouse optimization and installation. Being able to access what you need more quickly is going to save you hassle and money.
But once the bulk of the industrial warehouse racking is installed, your warehouse isn’t necessarily finished. There are still ways to make it even better, to keep everything organized and ensure that what you have stays in place. Here are some of the options you might want to consider that go beyond traditional storage racking.
Stanley Vidmar Cabinets
There’s a reason that people buy Stanley Vidmar cabinets: they hold up amazingly well. These are the cabinets of professionals, holding tools and equipment that every warehouse needs. They’re built for the industrial world, and it’s hard to find fault with them because they’re designed and built so well. If you’ve ever purchased a Stanley Vidmar cabinet, whether it was made before 1966 (when Stanley acquired the Vidmar company) or after, you’re probably still using it without it ever having given you a single problem.
There’s also a reason that people buy used Stanley Vidmar cabinets: they’re quite expensive when new! A business that’s done with them doesn’t sell them because they’re tired of them or because they’re no good; businesses sell them because they’re downsizing or going out of business. The fact is, these things outlast most businesses! We can get you both new and used Stanley Vidmar cabinets, and if you’re looking for used then you should click this link to see if we have any in stock. (Even if you don’t see any, contact us so that we can let you know when some come in.)
Industrial Conveyor Systems
Having inventory in a warehouse is one thing. Getting it out to those who want and need it is something very different.
Whether it’s a standard picking-and-packing station with non-motorized rollers or a completely automated system that move packages throughout the warehouse, conveyor systems can reduce your operational costs, reduce manpower, increase your shipping capacity, and even help ensure the accuracy of orders.
Before the pallet racking is even in, make sure you work with a warehouse layout optimization expert to make sure you’re making the most of the space and that the industrial conveyor system is in the most efficient place in your warehouse. As we discussed in this article, the most obvious placement isn’t always the most efficient, so pulling in an expert will probably save you money many times over.
Industrial Lockers
Employees like a place to keep their stuff, especially since most of them don’t have a desk in which to keep their snacks, oatmeal packets, spare Chapstick, and jackets. Lockers are an excellent way to give employees a place to keep something and make sure it’s secure; this is even more important than ever if you have banned cell phones from your warehouse floor.
We talk a lot about the workings of warehouses, but we’re also supplying many other industries with lockers. There are lockers involved in just about every type of work, it’s just that you don’t see them because they’re behind closed doors. Gymnasiums are a common client, as are police and fire departments. But we also supply lockers to grocery stores, hospitals, apartment buildings, EMT’s stations, and more.
Wire Partitions
We recently wrote an entire article about the benefits of wire partitions in a warehouse, so we’d like to encourage you to go and read that entire article. If you don’t have time to do so now, click on it and bookmark it for later. If you don’t have time for that, we’ll break it down for you.
Wire partitions are essentially cages that keep things in or out that can either be built against the wall or freestanding in the middle of the warehouse. In today’s technologically-advanced warehouses, these enclosures are used to protect the robots from escaping and people from stepping on robots. And speaking of robots, wire partitions can also prevent unauthorized employees from walking into an area that has assembly robots in action, which could be very dangerous to a human.
Wire partitions are also an excellent way to protect things that most employees simply don’t have a right messing with. A warehouse cage can protect fuse boxes, computers, tools, and expensive products that aren’t out in the normal warehouse.
Prefabricated Offices
We talk about prefabricated offices, aka modular offices, a lot. They’re incredibly versatile and can solve so many problems that show up in a warehouse. Prefabricated offices are buildings-within-buildings. They are closed off from the rest of the warehouse in order to give a level or privacy to those working within. They can be built in a much shorter amount of time than a stand-alone exterior building, and they can be moved (and even sold) if necessary.
Modular offices can serve many purposes in a warehouse. The most obvious is an office that can keep managers and other desk staff close to the warehouse actions while still being separated from it. They also make excellent break rooms, providing a way for workers to get away from some of the noise associated with a warehouse. They can also be used as clean rooms, quality assurance rooms, and shipping/receiving rooms. You can also have prefab office units customized to cover multiple tasks, such as a break room on one side, a clean room on the other, and quality assurance kiosk attached to the outer wall.
We Can Finish Your Warehouse!
A warehouse isn’t just one thing. While its primary reason for existing is to store inventory, the need for shipping, receiving, employee comfort, and storage of warehouse necessities can’t be ignored. At RMH Systems, we’re here to help you make the most of your space, no matter if your warehouse is storing books, soda, or furniture. Contact us today and talk to our warehouse optimization experts.
