The year is nearly over! If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to sit down and make 2016 goals for your Chicago warehouse. Naturally, many of your goals will center around improving efficiencies, decreasing accidents and injuries, and improving the workflow in your warehouse. One aspect of your warehouse that touches on all of these areas of improvement is your pallet racks. Your pallet racks are vital to your warehouse, and if you want to improve how your warehouse operates in 2016 you’ll want to start by improving your pallet racks. Here are some suggestions that can help get you started:

• Evaluate whether or not it’s time to replace your pallet racks. Good pallet racks should last your warehouse for years and years. However, if you purchased cheap pallet racks or if they are starting to get old enough to be worn, it’s time to replace your pallet racks. While this can be a large initial investment for a warehouse, particularly depending on the size of your space, it can save you both in repair costs and worker’s compensation claim payouts if something should break.
• Do a thorough end-of-year cleaning of your Chicago pallet rack shelving. After the rush of the holidays is a great time to do a thorough cleaning of your pallet racks. Cleaning your racks keeps them better organized, reduces the risk of injuries, and helps you ensure that racks are loaded correctly and used efficiently for storage. Combine this with your end-of-year inventory for double benefits.
• Inspect, inspect, inspect. Along with your end-of-year cleaning, do a thorough inspection of all of your pallet rack shelving. Make notes of any damaged areas and arrange for their repair or replacement immediately. The first of the year is a great time to replace pallet rack shelving as needed since you still have the budget.
• Evaluate your warehouse organization. Now is the time to think about what is working for your team and what could be improved. Most warehouses are at their lowest inventory levels after the holidays, so it’s easy to move merchandise and products on your shelves as needed if you need to adjust your workflow. Think about how your team moves through the warehouse and match the workflow to their needs.

Start with these four steps and you’ll be well on your way to improving your pallet racks, which will have a positive ripple effect on the rest of your warehouse. Taking care of your pallet racks is the first step to improving the efficiency, safety, and capacity of your warehouse. If you need help with any of the suggestions above, contact an RMH Systems project manager. Our team can help you make the necessary decisions and improvements, including helping you optimize your warehouse layout and purchase new pallet rack shelving. We have experienced project managers who are familiar with the needs of warehouses like yours and are ready to help you get everything done for the New Year! Give us a call or contact us through our website today.