Solutions & suppliers
February 1st 2008

Edward Hutchison, managing director of BITO Storage Systems, offers customers advice on what makes a good storage solution and a good supplier

We live in a world of constant change. Business today is all about agility and flexibility: being able to react and adapt quickly to changes in markets. Agility and flexibility are words that may seem odd when talking about a solid structure such as racking yet given that markets can change within periods as short as 6 months, even a large structure bolted into concrete must be designed to be adaptable to changing throughputs and product profiles.

But racking is just one element of a storage system and businesses will also be using pallets, bins and containers so the entire system needs to be versatile, yet it must also offer value for money.

Some suppliers will define value for money as 'low cost' and simply offer systems designed around a low initial investment.

The global nature of today's markets can lead to a certain amount of scepticism among customers regarding the source and quality of storage equipment.

Customers therefore should seek suppliers who place a strong emphasis on quality that can be guaranteed and can answer 'yes' to the such fundamental questions as: Is the supplier a high tolerance racking manufacturer? Are the systems modular in design that can be modified if required in the future?

Does the product offer the quality that will see it last without constant repair? Will all the components of the system integrate seamlessly? Will the design satisfy the needs of my application? When it comes to assessing value for money a good supplier will tell you that this can only really be achieved when looking at the life cycle of a storage system.

What makes a good supplier? A good supplier should be able to offer a 'concept-to-completion' consultancy service that will see a project through from design to handover. It should offer the customer the opportunity to carry out a full technical appraisal of the storage equipment, providing a showroom where the customer can come and assess the quality of the products in the metal and even bring along their own units, such as pallets to try out. For a more thorough evaluation of a system a supplier should be able to provide a trial product, for example, a trial lane of dynamic racking, that will allow the customer to physically try it out different configurations within their own environment and test the design insitu. To see a system working in full scale, the supplier should also be able to take the customer to client sites.

Because storage solutions will often involve multiple products such as pallet racking, dynamic storage, pallets, bins, containers, etc, seeking a supplier that can offer – and, especially, manufacture itself – all of these elements will make it easier when it comes to designing a complete solution that fits together precisely and will meet the requirements of the application.

Having such a comprehensive range will allow a supplier to provide complete system guarantee because the various parts of its solution will be designed to fit together.

The broader the range of products a supplier has, the more likely it is that it will have a solution that meets the customer's needs.

Furthermore, with a 'one stop shop', a customer need only have one port of call – not only does this make the initial procurement and design easier but it means the customer only has to deal with one company when it comes to servicing the system throughout its life.

However, if a customer has a particular wish for a specific product made elsewhere, the supplier should also be able to buy that in and integrate it to their solution.

People make a big difference to the success of a design and installation of a storage system. Rather than go to a company that simply employs sales people, it is better to seek a solution supplier, which has trained storage consultants who by being able to understand the clients' requirements can then ensure that these are delivered. Working with the same person from day one to commissioning will ensure that a partnership is formed with good communication and understanding – key requirements for a successful storage system installation.

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