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Benefits of Adding a Mezzanine to Your Warehouse

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A mezzanine is a raised floor, typically made from stainless steel, that can quickly get installed into a warehouse. The primary function of a mezzanine is to create excess storage space to accommodate an influx of goods, new releases, or seasonal flows.

Through the addition of a mezzanine, warehouses can incorporate new platforms, additional tiers of storage, and convenient access to new products. Let’s look at a few other ways a newly installed mezzanine can benefit a functioning commercial warehouse.

Create Storage Space Without Excess Costs

There are a number of reasons to expect an influx of orders at your business. Seasonal holidays, new product releases, and even special orders for specific clients can mandate product availability. When your current warehouse begins to feel overfull, it can help to install mezzanine spaces.

More affordable and accessible than simply moving to a new space, a mezzanine can be a cost-effective way to adjust product flow for temporary or long-term projects.

Increase Safety & Warehouse Efficiency

One of the quickest ways to create a dangerous workplace is by leaving clutter around. Clutter can create accidents such as trips and falls while also damaging your goods. A mezzanine is an unobtrusive, easy-to-install storage solution that helps to increase safety and workplace efficiency. Additionally, mezzanines offer a great overhead view of the workspace below, giving you the chance to properly assess your employees and operations.

Mezzanines are ideal for putting products out of the way in a safe yet accessible space. KACO Warehouse Outfitters has a selection of mezzanine products that can help introduce more fluid warehouse operations!

Maximize Your Vertical Space

Even if you have a large warehouse, the odds are good that you aren’t maximizing your available vertical space. Vertical storage solutions are ideal for businesses with excess inventory or plan to introduce new products in the future. When you can build vertically, it is easier to store items without needed to install extra storage.

Additionally, most modern warehouses are designed with excess space around the ceiling, creating extra height allowance. With this flexible space available, why not take advantage of what you are already paying for? Discuss catwalks and mezzanine during your next meeting with a warehouse outfitter to see how you can save more space in the future.

About KACO Warehouse Outfitters

Based out of Phoenix, AZ, KACO Warehouse Outfitters is proud to offer high-caliber products, complete warehouse outfitting services, and unbeatable prices for your design and installation requirements. From ergonomics to permits and installation, the team at KACO Warehouse Outfitters is ready to serve your company with winning solutions.

For more than 30 years, KACO Warehouse Outfitters has earned a sterling reputation for its full-service approach to quality shelving and storage solutions. To request a consultation or to learn more about the goods and services available, call KACO today!

Tips to Optimize Your Warehouse Organization

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Warehousing solutions are among the most important priorities for distributors and wholesale suppliers. From handling the movement of orders safely and efficiently all the way to grappling with an influx of new products, ensuring warehouse efficiency is one of the most important aspects that management should focus on.

Let’s look at a few simple tips that can help expand your warehouse, optimize your workflow efficiency, all while providing a safe experience for clients, colleagues, and customers alike.

Increase Warehouse Efficiency With These Organization Tips

According to a report put forth by the National Retail Federation in 2018, more than $46.8 billion in losses were reported due to shrinkage, a term used to describe lost earnings due to waste or theft. An inefficient warehouse that is not optimized or organized will contribute handily toward those loss totals.

So, how can a wholesale supplier or distributor ensure that their warehouse is organized, efficient, and maximized for effectiveness? Let’s look at three simple organizational tips that can help.

Take Stock of Your Warehouse Layout

There are many ways to organize a warehouse but there is only ONE version of your business. Making sure that your warehouse meets the specific needs of your company is of the utmost importance and that typically starts by assessing the floor plan of the building.

The ideal warehouse will offer a range of benefits through a flexible floor plan including:

  • Available Storage Flexibility
  • Plenty of Working Space
  • Minimize Foot Traffic To/From Stations
  • Creating Ease of Access for Stored Goods

Consider working with a team like KACO Warehouse Outfitters when it comes time to look over your floor plan.

Install New Warehouse Racks & Shelving

Whether your business is beholden to seasonal changes in supply and demand, or you simply need more space, adding new shelving racks and shelving storage solutions can solve plenty of problems.  When you work with a team like KACO to optimize your warehouse storage solutions, you’ll come across a range of potential products including the following:

  • Boltless Shelving
  • Widespan Bulk Shelving
  • Wire / Steel Shelving
  • Mezzanines, Pallet Racks, & Partitions

Just like any other aspect of life, the storage solutions you require today will change based on your industry. Don’t think that the same storage solutions for one business will correlate directly to yours. Request a quote from a shelving supplier in your area to see what direction you should go with your new warehouse racks and shelving units.

Optimize Your Picking / Packing Process

Items that end up in a warehouse will go through quite the adventure before they arrive at your front step. First arriving in the warehouse, these products are then sorted. Once sorted upon an assembly line, products are then distributed to the proper location where they’ll be repackaged and shipped out to consumers.

Between every step, a pair of actual human hands will be relied upon to keep the package moving. Time can be lost due to disorganized warehouses and a lack of proper planning.

Consider the following steps:

  • Minimize Travel Time Between Picking and Packing Locations
  • Popular Items Should Be Situated Closest to Packing
  • Update to Newer Item Picking Technology (RF Readers, Voice Picking)

Upgrade Your Warehouse at KACO Warehouse Outfitters!

KACO Warehouse Outfitters has been serving Phoenix and the surrounding areas for more than thirty years. Committed to high-quality customer service and positive employee growth, KACO Warehouse endeavors to make every client interaction a positive one. From upgraded storage products to tear-down and installation services, KACO does it all.

Reasons to Hire KACO Warehouse to Optimize Your Warehouse

  • 30+ Years of Quality Professional Experience
  • Owns and Operates Local Warehouse
    • Competitive Pricing
    • Convenient Material Access
    • Quick Turnarounds
  • All-in-One Warehousing Solutions

Head to KACO Warehouse Outfitters today to book your consultation!

image of redesigned warehouse

Rethinking You Warehouse Design? Consider This!

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As a commercial or industrial warehouse owner, you are aware that your needs can change and vary based upon the challenges before you. Optimizing warehouse storage solutions are integral to running a tight ship in a fierce and competitive industry. To meet the challenges that are required of an industrial or commercial warehouse, we must optimize our warehouse for our experience.

When Should A Warehouse Get Redesigned

Warehouse operations are often long-term investments, so we must make sure that they are primed to meet our long-term goals. When it comes time to consider a warehouse redesign with Arizona’s leading warehouse outfitters, we must first ask and answer a few questions.

First, let’s take a look at a few common reasons for modifying the layout of a warehouse.

  • Inadequate Safety Practices — Warehouses are beholden to considerable safety practices and regulations. If a company is falling short in this area, a redesign may be necessary not just for efficiency, but also for the safety of everyone around.
  • Additional Storage Requirements — Some companies will vary their supply needs based on the ebb and flow of the season. Additional outside factors may suggest the need for additional storage, such as booming sales or a new marketing campaign.  Also, if your aisles and pallets are already filling up, you might need be space anyway.
  • New Product Introduction — Whenever a new product is brought to market, the storage needs must be ready to accommodate it. If you are introducing a new line or series of products, consider prepping now with a warehouse redesign.
  • Introduction of New Equipment — New operational equipment can dramatically change the workspace requirements of an entire warehouse. The introduction of pallet racks, conveyors, or even heavy lifting tools may demand a larger footprint.

Key Advantages to an Optimized Warehouse Design

It is easy to see how an optimized warehouse redesign can positively benefit our operations. With that being said, this can also become a costly procedure.

There are advantages both financially and professionally that can arrive with an optimized warehouse layout, so let’s take a closer look at how KACO Outfitters can help.

  • Optimize Workflow and Company Logistics
  • Boost Current and Future Storage Space
  • Safer and More Employee Friendly Workspace
  • Reduce Expenses Due to Inefficient Storage Practices

Maximizing a warehouse for success not just today but tomorrow is the goal at KACO Warehouse Outfitters. To tackle any of the problems or solutions posed above, let’s get on the phone with professionals who can help.

Call KACO Warehouse Outfitters For A+ Stocking and Storage Solutions

For the better part of 30 years, KACO Warehouse Outfitters has been supplying storage solutions to satisfied customers throughout the state of Arizona. With a focus on high-quality shelving and premium storage products, KACO Warehouse Outfitters is delighted to offer unbeatable prices and outstanding customer support to clients in need.

KACO Warehouse Outfitters stocks all supplies in its local warehouse to provide fast-acting customer service with in-house delivery, installation, and design operations. Schedule a free consultation today at KACO Outfitters!

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The Reasons to Hire a Professional Warehouse Designer

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Even though you may think you can design your own warehouse, there are many good reasons to use a professional warehouse designer instead. It’s unusual for anyone to who’s not a professional to have all the skills and knowledge to do this. Let’s take a look at the reasons why using a professional warehouse designer is a better option.

Maxing Efficiency

Efficiency is a critical factor in warehouse design. The better the efficiency of your warehouse design, the better the revenue. Designing a warehouse is not a one-size-fits-all task. No two facilities are the same. The layout of a warehouse design will affect efficiency. Everything from equipment to type of storage systems plays a role in warehouse design. A design professional can analyze the unique and specific needs of your warehouse to develop the best storage system for both vertical and horizontal space that is available in your warehouse. Plus, a warehouse designer professional will determine the best rack systems and equipment to use in your warehouse. The end result is that you get the best plan to maximize space for efficiency.

The Latest Technology

Professional warehouse designers use the latest technology to yield efficient handling, operational flexibility and maximum product storage. In addition, they can advise you of the latest software and technologies to optimize loading, reduce handling, ramp up communication, streamline picking processes and optimize shipping.

A Current Operational Assessment

There’s more to warehouse design than just planning for space. It entails a deep analysis of your current operations along with a plan for future growth. An experienced warehouse designer will consider the current growth rate of your facility and plan for expansion and overstock storage.

Sustainable Design Initiative

With a professional warehouse designer, you’ll get an environmentally sustainable design. This will help the environment and also save you money in the long run. Design professionals can help you select eco-friendly options to conserve water, reduce waste, minimize energy usage and optimize the facility for eco-friendliness.

The Right Permits

Professional warehouse designers have experience with all the permits that your facility will need. They also know how to get the job done quickly to avoid costly delays.

All around, a professional warehouse designer can make all the difference in developing a system to meet your operational challenges. With all the benefits of a professional warehouse designer, you can’t ignore the fact that it’s better to hire one than to try and do it yourself.

 

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Key Factors in Warehouse Design

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When it comes to warehouse design, there are a few key factors to think about. You’ve got to think about outbound logistics, what happens in the warehouse and outbound logistics. Whether your company has one warehouse or multiple warehouses, the choice of location will influence costs, efficiency and service. If fast service is a part of your service, you’ll want to have the warehouse located close facilities of your carriers or close to where your customers are located. In addition to lead time and supply chain velocity, you’ll also need to think about the processes in the warehouse, storage, receiving and dispatch volumes. The goal is to focus on network optimization. How quick are your inventory returns? What’s the strategy for the best customer service. Also, there are physical requirements. Is your process manual or automated? And when it comes to inbound logistics, you’ve got to consider these questions. What are the lead times for incoming deliveries? Where are your supplier located? How reliable are your suppliers?

All About the FAST Concept

The FAST concept is the acronym for flow, accessibility, space and throughout. You can apply this concept to the layout of your warehouse design. The objective of FAST is to enable smooth workflows with an emphasis on warehouse location and service. It’s a tried and proven concept that you can use when designing a warehouse.

Once you know how many warehouses and their locations, then think about structural design and capacity. In order to focus on structural design and capacity, as yourself these questions.

  • What takes place in the warehouse? What are the daily operations? What areas do you need for intake, storage, packing, picking and dispatch? Where will you locate any value-added services?
  • What are the characteristics of the products? What types of products are stored? Are these products fragile or hazardous? Will you be using cartons or full pallets for storage? Are there rules and regulations for the storage of the products? Is any type of control needed in the environment, such as temperature control for frozen goods?
  • Does the season affect the storage? If volumes vary depending on the season, you’ll have to allow the proper capacity for this. Does your warehouse handle returns from customers? If it does, you’ll likely need extra space for this processing and storage.

Applying the FAST Concept to Warehouse Layout Design

Let’s begin with F for flow. Here, the concern is the uninterrupted flow of movement, including people, products and traffic. The goal here is to ensure there are no cross-flow clashes in the operations of the warehouse. There should be a logical sequence of operations inside the warehouse. A smooth flow of operations includes no disruption and a limited amount of movement. Time is money. With uninterrupted flow, you’ll be maximizing revenue.

Accessibility not only includes being able to get to the product, but to the packaging unit. Can the product be assessed via a truckload or a pallet load? How do the products in your facility get from one place to another? You’ll need to think about whether or not the strict policy of first-in-first-out (FIFO) applies to your product, since you’ve got to be certain that you’re in compliance.  In the case of bottled water, you may have to access inventory in a store stock room. For example, with pharmaceuticals, access may be needed to fast-moving stock area, and that takes space.

Let’s move on to space. Warehouse space should always be maximized for stock processing reasons and for operational storage. All space should be planned and utilized wisely. Keep in mind that you’ll need space for offices and working areas. Be sure to make optimal use of the cubic capacity of the space and not just the floor area. Build flexibility into the operation by using the best storage media that can evolve. This way, when your operations grow, you’re in place strategies can grow with it.

Throughout entails the nature of the product and its velocity. Characteristics like size, dimensions and shape have to be taken into consideration. The velocity of the product will depend on the volume of what’s moving in the warehouse. Use data media to assist in the layout of the design, and get the facts.  The better the data; the less the risk.

Without a doubt, there’s a lot to think about in warehouse design. It’s not an easy or simple task. Planning and designing is an important undertaking that requires a lot of thought. The main point is to understand that flow, accessibility, space and throughout must be in place for maximum efficiency. If you’re not certain on how to do this, consider consulting a specialist with plenty of experience in warehouse design. A specialist will be able to ensure that your warehouse design and operations work for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reduce Packaging Costs and Plan For Every Part

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Packaging is one of the most essential parts of manufacturing. An inefficient packing process not only wastes time, but it can also be a waste of valuable resources. When looking at the plan for every part, or PFEP, there are some simple ways you can optimize the supply chain and work toward using less packaging, which will reduce your manufacturing costs. When you implement PFEP into your manufacturing process, you will reduce your costs related to receiving, producing, storing and even shipping your parts and products.

Design and Develop a PFEP Template

It can be beneficial to appoint a team to work on creating a PFEP template that works best for your business in particular. These individuals will look at how to optimize the packaging within your plant, as well as how to optimize the packaging on the materials and other products that come from your suppliers. For many companies, it’s easier to start with implementing a plan for your internal processes first since you have more control over these processes. The good news is there is automated PFEP software available that can help streamline this process and guide your team in making the right decisions. This software clearly defines your inventory, keeps track of inventory usage and recommends supply chain adjustments. All of this is done automatically with little or no input from your team, freeing up their time to focus on other aspects and allowing for fast adjustments that start saving money faster.

Gather and Organize Data

It can be time-consuming to gather data on packaging processes, especially when you’re dealing with multiple systems. This is particularly difficult at the beginning of the process, which can lead to frustration and a lack of motivation. You can help motivate your team by celebrating the identification of accurate data sources and tracking the overall data input the team makes. One of the ways you can improve the effectiveness of this process is to utilize formulas designed to calculate pull signals and planned maximum inventory costs, levels and days. Your goal is to better understand your inventory, particularly the parts purchased. It’s unnecessary to plan or act on the data at this stage in the process.

Maintain and Optimize the Data

The third step in the process is to optimize your packaging. For instance, you can work with a supplier to optimize the packaging on your inbound shipments to reduce those packaging and inbound logistics costs, as well as improve the inventory space in your plant and keep inventory at an appropriate level. When you input this information in your automated PFEP software, it will identify standard packs, container weights and inbound logistics costs, calculating your future state PFEP. Minor adjustments can then be made to identify where you can save money. When you work with your suppliers on this matter, you not only improve your own bottom line, but you can also help them save money in the process. It’s a mutually beneficial task that can help both businesses reduce costs and improve profits. Many companies can save up to 20% of their costs using this process.

Actively refining your PFEP should be a continuous process. While it may seem overwhelming and difficult to implement in the first place, once the above steps are completed, you will be able to more easily make adjustments and ensure your business is operating with lower costs for a higher rate of return.