E-commerce has experienced a boom over the last decade as consumers have discovered the convenience of ordering products online and having them delivered straight to their door. This trend has only accelerated since the Covid-19 outbreak with the lockdown sending even more shoppers into the arms of e-commerce. Warehousing and logistics have therefore become even more important than before and warehouse owners need to maximise every square inch of storage space they have.
This article was first published in the September 15th 2020 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
According to supply chain experts SCMDOJO, warehouse space planning increases efficiency, facilitates proper coordination and maintains good control. When warehouse space planning, finding a suitable location is key. Planners should know how much square footage they will need to store their goods, and how much space will be required. This includes the kind of shelving to be employed. The shape of the warehouse is also important. Depending on the type of product to be stored, there should be enough space for forklifts or other loading equipment as well as easily accessible loading docks, so that product can be loaded and unloaded without obstruction.
One of the most popular new items in BITO’s recently launched online BITO Direct catalogue is the company’s Galvanised Boltless Shelving, which can hold a combination of BITO’s XL and RK containers for bulk and small parts to suit the different purposes a company may have. The shelves can be adjusted in 25 mm increments to further enhance the flexibility of this solution. This means users can position the bins and containers to suit the needs of the operation and staff.
SEC Storage installed longspan and adjustable shelving at the Brackley warehouse of Saddlery Brands, turning around the design and installation in six weeks from enquiry through to completion. Saddlery Brands had acquired the 10,000 sq ft warehouse and urgently needed a storage solution that would be ready for the move-in of their products. Due to the nature of the client’s product, a combination of saddle racks, mount racks, and general equine-based SKUs (stock keeping units), SEC found that a combination of longspan and adjustable shelving would work as the best solution, maximising the available floor space whilst creating a flexible setup for the client.
Global charity The Pret Foundation is using plastic folding boxes from Goplasticpallets.com to deliver its much needed food donations to hundreds of partner charities to help feed the homeless. When the UK entered lockdown in March, food donations across the country went down dramatically as people stockpiled through fears of shortages and some supermarkets entirely removed their food donation boxes from the shop floor. With food banks across the country more desperate than ever for donations, The Pret Foundation has been working tirelessly, reliant on its durable plastic boxes to help keep up supply.
Whether helping to feed the homeless or experiencing a boom in business, there is no denying that Covid-19 has profoundly affected the warehousing and logistics industry.
George Simpson
Features Editor
Comments are closed.