Let’s say that you have a building, and you’re trying to figure out the first steps you need to take to get your warehouse operations off the ground. You will need to have basic knowledge of your facility, such as where the dock doors are located, as well as how inventory will be loaded. You will also need to know some things about your forklifts, including how high they can lift, their width, and their turning radius, prior to deciding on storage equipment and a pallet rack.
Next, you will need to have a drawing of your facility on hand, and also figure out where your pallet rack will go. To get the most out of your pallet rack system, you will need to think about what your company does and what types of items will be stored, as there are several rack types to choose from. It is helpful to have a scaled drawing of your building, but Stein Service & Supply can measure your building if you don’t have a drawing.
This 10-point checklist will help you identify the warehouse space you currently have, along with future growth requirements.
1. Clear Stack Height
A clear stack height is the amount of useable height space for storing inventory, supplies, or products within shelving and racking that can be measured from the bottom of your facility’s ductwork, sprinkler heads, lights, or bar joist all the way down to the concrete pad. Your storage system should use as little of this clear stack height as possible while still safely supporting your products. Keep in mind that local code usually requires storage to have a clearance from the sprinkler heads of between 18” to 36”.
2. Total Square Footage
When determining the total square footage you will require for storage, you must consider the clear stack height into the equation to get the cubic feet available. You should also consider how much bulk storage you can utilize relative to the clear height, and if you need a pick zone or a dedicated picking module. Remember to always keep in mind how inventory and SKU growth will impact the number of pick bin requirements and bulk locations, including whether the inventory turns will change or remain constant and how that could impact your storage space. We have discussed your storage needs to this point, but you are also going to need areas for staging and working. This is easy to overlook or underestimate, so think through how much room you will need to process orders and inbound shipments.
3. Dock Doors
If you’re using dock doors, you will need to determine how many dock doors will receive inbound goods and ship outbound goods, as well as how your containers may impact those needs. Is it better for your operation to have dedicated receiving/outbound or is it better to use the doors for both? This will often depend on whether you receive and ship at different times of the day or if both are constantly occurring. Will your usable doors be impacted throughout the day as carriers drop trailers? How many carriers do you plan to use? If you are bringing in large items or receiving small items from parcel carriers, you will need to consider doors suited for these purposes. Additionally, you will need to determine if you require any doors for recycling and compactor use.
4. Dock Equipment
You need to take into consideration the dock equipment you will need, as well as the condition of the equipment if you are using a pre-existing facility. Newer buildings include seals/shelters and hydraulic or pit dock levelers. Dock shelters prevent cold or hot air from entering a facility as well as rodents, bugs, rain, or dirt. Hydraulic dock levelers are safer and easier to operate than manual dock plates or edge of dock levelers. Your landlord should include shelters and levelers in good working condition. You may also need safety lights and dock lights so that trucks won’t prematurely pull away. Safety barricades for empty docks and inside trailer lighting are some other needs to take into consideration.
5. Electrical Requirements
Small or mid-sized facilities can be faced with electrical challenges, which is why you need to make sure that your facility has the capacity to support any charging requirements you may have if you own a fleet of stock pickers and lift trucks. The location of these chargers is also critical to organizing a layout.
6. Footprint and Building Shape
If you have a long, skinny building or an L-shaped building, you may experience issues with travel time and workflow. These structural issues can create additional walking and disrupt flow, which could add to your operational costs. There are other aspects of your facility that could affect productivity and flow. Eliminate or maximize offices on the dock, and keep a clear view of the dock to manage the processes and work effectively.
7. Floor Condition
You will need to evaluate the condition of your facility’s floor prior to signing a lease. Over time, a floor’s surface can break down due to order picker and forklift traffic, which can make it harder to maintain and clean, and can negatively affect your operations. You may need to reseal the floor before you start using the space. If the damage is significant, you may need to ask your landlord to repair it prior to moving into the facility. Your repair and maintenance costs on lift trucks could skyrocket if they are constantly jarred.
8. Work Environment
In order for a warehouse to have an optimal working environment, it must have sufficient ventilation and airflow. You will need to consider the functions your facility currently performs, including pick zones and assembly, as well as the working conditions for these spaces. A pre-existing facility you may be looking at might have adequate airflow when it is empty, but it could need an upfit when you add a storage system and products into it. You will also need adequate lighting, not only to meet code requirements but to read racking labels and pick documents as well. High-efficiency LED lighting can provide sufficient lighting and, based on energy savings, has an ROI between 18 and 24 months.
9. Fire and Safety
You need to understand the storage, sprinkler, and classification requirements of your facility. There must be sufficient water flow and capacity for your facility, as well as correct placement of the sprinkler heads, to be able to handle the commodity that you are storing. You will also need to check your local building codes to see how high certain product categories can be stored and obtain any necessary permits. Moreover, if an emergency arises, you will need to make sure that there are enough exit door locations for everyone to exit the building in a safe, and code compliant, travel distance.
10. Lockers, Bathrooms, and Breakrooms
Most breakrooms, bathrooms, and lockers are undersized. If you have a large facility, you may need to add some bathrooms and lockers, and increase the size of your breakroom. It is more cost-effective and efficient to have a little extra room to allow for growth, than to have to add an addition while you are operating the business.
We can assist you with Warehouse Design or the entire Warehouse Solutions Process.
