Choosing a warehouse racking is essential to your warehouse or distribution operations. Here’s what you need to know to make quick work of the selection process.
Think About Storage Density
Consider the storage volumes by SKU. That should give you an idea of what you need and can do with your deep-lane storage solutions. Whether you go for a double-deep storage or a drive-thru, a pallet flow or push-back racking systems. You can utilize more space in your facility.
Determine Your Selectivity
What pallets do you need access to at all times? If that’s how your storage needs are, though, steer clear of deep-lane storage. If you ever find yourself in a space crunch, you might have to resort to burying pallets, which isn’t ideal. However, if this practice applies only to the SKUs that move the slowest in your queue, then the additional labor needed to move these loads is still acceptable.
Understand Your Requirements
Do you need First in, First Out options? Then you’ll want a pallet flow racking system. If not, then try a LIFO environment. Finding the right racking system for your circumstances will help you cut down on your material handling costs.
Consider Your Picking Profile
Spend time on considering what your orders look like. Do you work with pallets a lot? Or cases or pieces? If you’re picking from bulk? Whatever your answers are will tell you which racking solution is right for you. Keep that in mind when you configure your system.
Look for Rack Decking
Pallet variations impact the safety of your products and even of your team. Consider the addition of rack components such as pallet supports or decking. If you handle a lot of inconsistent pallet types, then this should help reduce some of the problems associated with those loads.
