Purchasing the right shelving solutions for your storage area is a very important decision as there are many factors to consider. Choosing the wrong shelving solution can have damaging results such as not efficiently utilising your available space, potentially spending more than you should, purchasing shelving solutions that don’t meet your specific needs and many more. To help out, here are five important factors to consider to ensure that you are making the right choice for when the time comes.
Your Available Space
Before you can jump straight into browsing catalogues for storage shelving solutions, you must first know the exact measurements you are working with. You will need to know the exact shape, height and size of your available storage space including the positioning of any windows and doors. This is because not only does your storage shelving need to fit your measurements, but also needs to enhance the flow process of your storage area.
Staff Accessibility
Your staff need to be able to easily navigate through the storage space for quick retrieval and storage of items. If your business experiences a quick turnaround of stock, then your staff requires quick and easy access to the storage shelving. You need to also take into consideration your stock rotation and how your staff operate and move through the storage area. The storage shelving you purchase needs to be easily accessible and intelligently implemented.
Purpose Of Function
It may sound obvious but you need to consider the purpose of your new shelving system. Will it be used to store heavy and bulky items or will it be used to store only highly valuable inventory? Will it need any certain features such as adjustable shelves, powder coating or meet a certain weight capacity? Looking for a storage solution provider that can create their storage systems according to specific requirements is a major advantage.
Is It Up To Safety Standards?
As with any business and industry, safety is incredibly important and mandatory. The last thing you need is to be caught with unsafe storage by a surprise safety inspection. To ensure that the storage shelving you are purchasing is up to standard, look for a storage solution provider that has certain certifications. A certification such as an ISO 9001 from SAI Global will ensure that they are only using the highest standards of materials and processes when manufacturing.
Your Current Equipment
The current facilities in your logistics operations are also an important factor to consider. For example, you may have a certain type of forklift or pallet jack that may not be compatible with your new shelving solutions. This can result in the unnecessary purchase of new equipment that is compatible with the new storage system. Even your existing lighting can play a huge factor as your new storage shelving needs to be highly visible at all times when staff are needing to quickly and easily identify certain products.
Keep these important factors in mind when looking for shelving solutions for your storage area and make the right choice, the first time.
