An efficient warehouse layout can reduce the distance pickers and MHE travel by 30-50% a day.
When designing a building a good architect will have the knowledge and experience to ensure all current legislation and best practices, some of which you will be unaware of, are adhered too. Likewise warehouse specialists Warehouse Systems has over 30 years of experience, designing and re-configuring warehouses to maximize the speed and efficiency of the layout.
Every project is different. In some cases, it may be more appropriate to use a multi-tier shelving system with walkways, conveyors, chutes etc. in other cases standard pallet racking with picking at ground level and bulk storage above may be more appropriate.
Man up order pickers are sometimes the best solution or separate picking aisles to keep the bulk storage replenishment segregated from order picking personnel.
Small items often have to be decanted from a vehicle to pallets to boxes to small packages. The opposite will often be required when dispatching. This will require a carefully planned flowing system to maximize throughput and efficiency but also avoiding conflicts of movement.
When picking small boxes carton live storage has often been used to ensure there is always product available at the pick face so picking never has to stop.
Picking also covers large and outsize items, mattresses for example, when appropriate storage locations must be designed with ease of access and safety issues fully taken into account.
Another specialist picking area that WSL has more experience in 2019 than any other warehouse integrator, is garment hanging. At first glance this may be considered just a storage issue, however it can be a complex storage and picking process. Unloading vehicles with the correct equipment and transporting to the storage area may require several different solutions depending on the delivery method and volume of throughput. For example, specialist telescopic booms can increase the speed a vehicle trailer can be unloaded onto either a powered or gravity conveyor system. The system may require boxing and un-boxing of garment with appropriate work areas in the system to undertake this so that “dead” movement is kept to a minimum.
As we have discussed above the crucial element in getting the appropriate and most efficient system for your picking needs is enlisting the help of an expert for the project as soon as possible I recommend WSL, but then I would say that wouldn’t I. By Clive Fawthrop
Warehouse Systems Limited
t: 0113 2045 350
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