When you take a look at your overcrowded warehouse and think “I’ve got to get a warehouse strategy plan in place,” you’re off to a good start. Many warehouse managers will just live with the problem and try to make do with the situation for as long as possible. At least you recognize that there is a problem and that you probably need warehouse optimization consulting.

When most people start sketching out ideas for warehouse optimization, they often start off by filling every square foot possible with pallet racks. After all, that’s what a warehouse is for, right? To hold pallet racking and everything that goes on them?

But when you start cramming in all of those racks, you might miss out on some options that could increase the efficiency of your warehouse in other ways. Most spaces have needs that go beyond simple racking systems, so when you contact a warehouse optimization consultant don’t be surprised if they suggest some of the following additions.

Prefabricated Offices

The need for prefabricated offices varies based on the type of warehouse it’s going into. Some warehouses don’t need any at all, especially if the manager spends most of his or her time on the floor in a forklift. Other warehouse managers don’t ever get out onto the floor often and spend most of their time in a prefab warehouse office doing paperwork and delegating; they might have a big office and two administrative assistants or pencil pushers to share it with.

But prefabricated offices aren’t just about offices, despite their name. These in-warehouse buildings make great breakrooms, helping employees get away from the noise of the warehouse for a while. They are also very useful as set-aside spaces for product testing, or they might have the equipment installed in order to work as clean rooms. They also make great shipping centers where delicate scales, printers, and computers are kept.

You might be thinking of building a separate structure outside of the warehouse for any of the above purposes, but putting up a prefabricated warehouse office is better on so many levels. First of all, they go up in a quarter of the time of stick buildings (usually in just a couple of days) and don’t have to have a foundation poured. Because they’re inside the warehouse itself, there’s no need to heat or cool it separately. They’ll also save you money on taxes because they’re considered tangible property instead of real property. Plus they can be moved if necessary, something you can’t do with most other buildings! You can learn more about the advantages of prefabricated offices right here.

Warehouse Mezzanine

Warehouse mezzanines can make excellent use of unused space. If you have a modular office or conveyor system and just can’t stand wasting all of that empty space above it — space that can’t necessarily be filled with pallet racks — then a warehouse mezzanine might be exactly what you need. When you add mezzanines to your warehouse, you’re able to add additional workspace or storage to parts of a warehouse that might otherwise go wasted.

When you think about adding additional floor space to a warehouse, you might think that it’s going to be a month-long construction process. In reality, you’re only looking at a construction time of a few days. The mezzanine will also be movable if you ever decide to redesign the warehouse again. They can be freestanding or building-supported, or even rack-supported! Basically, we can design them to work within your space.  Learn more about our warehouse mezzanines right here.

Industrial Lockers

While there are many types of businesses and institutions that require lockers — firehouses, police stations, health clubs — we’re here to talk about how they can improve your warehouse strategy planning.

There are many options for industrial locker placement. Some warehouses keep them in the breakroom, which may, in fact, be a prefabricated office. Others have bathroom/locker room combinations, or they simply put the lockers up against the wall in an out-of-the-way spot.

No matter where you put them, lockers are always a good idea in a warehouse and shouldn’t be forgotten. First of all, giving employees a place to put their stuff means that anything they bring into the warehouse isn’t going to clutter up any usable space in the warehouse. It’s also going to reduce the amount of theft, which simply keeps employee morale up. Plus, it gives the employees a great place to keep their cell phones if you’ve told them they can’t have them on the warehouse floor. We have many options, including rust-proof lockers, phenolic resin lockers, military lockers, and more. Check out our locker options here.

Wire Partitions

Most warehouses have something that needs to be set aside and locked up. Sometimes it’s expensive inventory, or maybe it’s tools that could easily slip into an employee’s pocket and walk out the door. In many cases, warehouse managers want to keep the warehouse scanners under lock and key. Maybe it’s chemicals that only a few select people should have access to.  If you have a corner of the warehouse that’s high-voltage, we might even be able to save lives.

No matter what you’re trying to protect, RMH Systems can help design and set up wire partitions that will keep things in and people out. Find out more about our wire partitions and take a look at the pictures right here.

RMH Can Be Your Warehouse Optimization Consultants

Because we handle warehouse layout design every day, we know the challenges that many managers are dealing with when it comes to overcrowded warehouses. When they come to us, we’re able to offer them options that they might have never considered before, and sometimes these ideas save them money and space.

If you’re looking for an efficient warehouse strategy plan, RMH is ready to work with you. Contact us today about our warehouse optimization planning or to have one of the benefits we mentioned above added to your warehouse.