Storage strategy
June 1st 2006

Tim Judge, sales and marketing director at LINPAC Storage Systems looks at how to develop an effective storage strategy It's Sunday morning and you're searching in the garage for the mole grips so that you can fix that leaking tap. Stepping over everything that's been piled on the floor over the winter, most of it seemingly just inside the door, you trip over a tin of paint and knock it all over the floor. Ring any bells? Of course very few companies store products in their warehouses in the often haphazard way we store things in our garages - but the principle of developing an effective storage and retrieval system is just the same.

When you decide to invest in a new warehouse you need to approach your planning in the right way. Taking time to develop an effective storage strategy will increase its efficiency and therefore productivity - a combination that has a direct impact on time saved and boosted profits.

Return on investment

As the need to reduce costs and improve customer service levels are two of the greatest drivers in the warehouse operation it is vital that you make your investment work really hard for you. Headcount in the warehouse will be lowered with a more efficient storage and handling operation which will also save time and increase pick accuracy thus ultimately delivering better service to your customers.

Revenue will be enhanced by better use of the cubic space with bespoke storage housing more pallets per square metre. At the end of the day success breeds success and your superior facilities will attract more customers. The question is, where do you start the complex procedure of designing and developing your warehouse system?

Clear objective

The key is to spend time identifying the goals and objectives of your new operation with your chosen storage supplier. This will pay dividends in the long run as once agreed, these goals and objectives will form the foundation of the project and become the parameters by which progress can be measured, from design, through to manufacturing and installation.

The ticket to storage success is to have a flexible approach, to be open to new ideas rather than fixed on a favourite layout. It is important to allow your particular products and methods of distribution to dictate the best storage and handling solution for your warehouse.

Reduce the risks

Calling in the experts right from the start is a good way of avoiding problems as they understand the key issues that must be addressed. Using one of the industry's market leaders such as LINPAC Storage Systems gives you access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise. They also provide a one-stop shop for quality ranges of racking, shelving, unit load containers and accessories to make life easier for you.

Where the product is manufactured is important too. Selecting a storage partner with a UK manufacturing base means that lead times are kept to a minimum and the company can react quickly when, as happens frequently, the goalposts change.

Strike the right balance

Whilst it is essential to achieve maximum storage capacity within the warehouse, this must be balanced with performance factors to maintain the accuracy, speed and flexibility of your operation. An untidy, disorganised warehouse with narrow cluttered aisles of crammed in stock can really slow down production as well as damaging product. Conversely a well designed, precisely engineered storage solution means stock is transported quickly and, most importantly, safely - with correct clearances allowed for the movement of materials handling equipment.

At the design stage it helps to plot how the merchandise will flow through the warehouse - with stock segregated into slow, medium and fast movers and smooth transitions through to the picking and packing operation.

Productive picking

Picking is one of the key costs of any warehouse and appropriately designed pick zones minimise the physical activity required to complete each pick by presenting the product to the picker in an easily accessible manner. This ensures that picking is carried out with optimum efficiency in the safest possible way.

LINPAC Storage Systems recommends that complex pick systems are prototyped prior to installation so that the travel, lifting and turning operations can be assessed thoroughly in the environment where they will be used.

Strengthen your supply chain

The focus on managing your supply chain has never been sharper. The right planning and the right partners are required to really reap the benefits in terms of tighter budgets and enhanced customer service.

Partnering with a company like LINPAC Storage Systems gives you the unique opportunity to improve your overall logistics performance by strengthening your supply chain. As the company is part of the LINPAC Group they can offer partnerships with other specialist companies within the Group from LINPAC Materials Handling with returnable packaging to Logtek asset management and Intellident RFID.

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