Your warehouse is everything, and according to recent reports, available warehouse space is on the decline in the US. As companies have expanded to meet the demands of omnichannel consumers, warehouse space has become a commodity which comes at a premium. Depending on your area, it may not even be possible to build new warehouses, and although some businesses lost the battle for survival in the age of e-commerce, those empty facilities will soon be replaced by other, larger companies. Warehouse leaders should follow these best practices to truly maximize warehouse space and avoid the costs of new construction entirely.

Take Advantage of Vertical Space

Even the most well-organized warehouse has opportunities for improvement. The layout of the facility might be limited to the ground, and while pickers can use forklifts and other devices to access items on upper shelves, the most common inventory will always be kept on the ground level. Unfortunately, some warehouses fail to take advantage of the vertical space within their warehouses. As Supply Chain Market explains, simply adding a second layer of actual bins to your warehouse (instead of just carrying excess stock on upper shelves) can go a long way in maximizing warehouse space utilization.

Use a Mezzanine to Handle Packaging and Simple Processes

If your facility cannot handle the equipment needed to run forklifts and pickers to get up to the vertical space, another excellent way to maximize space is to install a mezzanine. A mezzanine would be ideal for small, frequently ordered items. In addition, it could also be used to handle packaging and order processing needs. This space alleviates pileups at the dock doors and streamlines overall operations.

Change the Slots to Reflect Actual Needs, Including Consolidation of Similar Items

The slots within your warehouse should also be reviewed periodically, reports Envista Corp, and supply chain leaders should consolidate similar items into one location. That does not mean putting multiple items with different SKUs in the same bin, but similar items should be grouped in the same area. Furthermore, group items together based on the frequency of orders, such as cleansers and wash rags.

Use Your WMS to Improve Put Away

Your WMS holds great value, and those that fail to use it to manage inbound and outbound processes will add to warehouse costs. Furthermore, the use of a WMS can streamline inbound freight management, including put away, reducing the problems associated with leaving inbound freight on the dock for an excess amount of time.

Remember the Value of Trailer Space within Your Yard

In addition to considering your dock and dock schedule, think about the available space within the yard itself, explains Multichannel Merchant. All empty trailers represent wasted space unless such trailers are scheduled to be moved within the next few hours.

Rethink Dock Management Practices

The same concept also applies to dock scheduling. An effective dock schedule reduces bottlenecks in warehouse shipment staging areas. As a result, freight flows out of the warehouse more efficiently, increasing speed of delivery and effectively increasing available space.

Augment and Maximize Warehouse Space to Enable Continued Growth in Your Facilities

Finding ways to maximize warehouse space in the age of e-commerce in an omnichannel supply chain is essential to success. Maximize warehouse space and achieve higher profitability within your organization by visiting Veridian online now.