As businesses prepare for busy peak periods — whether due to holiday demand, seasonal shifts, or unexpected spikes — one critical component that often gets overlooked is the warehouse itself. A well-designed warehouse layout is crucial for maintaining efficiency, reducing operational costs, and ensuring the safety of workers during these high-demand times.
Unfortunately, too many businesses wait until they’re overwhelmed by orders to evaluate their warehouse design. However, making the decision to redesign the layout of you warehouse isn’t a simple choice, but it’s one that can deliver tremendous value when approached strategically.
As a warehouse manager, it’s crucial to ask the right questions before going ahead with a redesign, so we’re highlighted below some of the top questions you should consider:
What are our current pain points during peak periods?
Before you approach a warehouse redesign and layout, it’s important to identify the specific challenges you are faced with during peak times. Are there delays in order picking? Are you struggling with limited storage capacity? Do bottlenecks form in certain areas of the warehouse? Understanding these key pain points will help focus your redesign efforts on areas that will have the most immediate impact.
Are we utilising your warehouse space efficiently?
Inefficient use of warehouse space is one of the most common issues we come across when visiting customers warehouses. You need to be asking yourself…Could you increase the vertical space that could accommodate increase the height of the pallet racking? Are you aisles unnecessarily wide, reducing storage capacity? A useful task, is to conduct a space audit to identify opportunities for optimising the layout. Sometimes, simple changes like reconfiguring aisles, increasing the height of the racking, or introducing mezzanines can lead to significant improvements in storage efficiency.
How well is our current layout suited to our product range and order patterns?
If your business inventory needs and order patterns have changed since your last warehouse design was implemented. A redesign of the warehouse gives you the opportunity to reorganise your storage based on product velocity, ensuring that high-demand products are positioned for quick and easy retrieval during peak periods.
Do we have the right pallet racking systems currently?
There are many options and reconfigurations of pallet racking systems available, depending on the type business operation, adjustable pallet racking, drive-in racking, or double-deep racking may be more suitable. Consider how flexible your currant racking system is, and whether it can accommodate growth in inventory or new product lines. You may not need to upgrade your whole system, is could just be a simple solution like adjusting your current racking system. A pallet racking specialist, like Stamina Storage Systems can provide a free site survey to recommend the most suitable and cost effective options.
What technology do we want to integrate?
Warehouse Automation is increasing in popularity, therefore it’s this is an option consider how the technology will be integrated into your warehouse redesign. Are you planning to incorporate a Warehouse Management System (WMS), automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), or robotics? Consider these factors to ensure your layout can accommodate these systems to improve efficiency and reduce reliance on manual processes, especially during peak periods.
How does our layout impact employee productivity and safety?
The layout of your warehouse will have a direct impact on how efficiently and safely your employees can work. Are your order pickers able to move quickly between different areas of the warhouse? Are there clear paths for forklifts and foot traffic? Are products organised in a way that minimises heavy lifting or reaching? A redesign can help improve the ergonomic conditions for your employees, reducing accidents and increasing overall productivity during busy times.
Are there seasonal or peak-specific adjustments we should be making?
Depending on the nature of your business, certain products may be more in demand during specific times of the year. For example, Black Friday, or Christmas holidays, or during seasonal changes. Understanding changes in demand for your products is really important in helping you design a warehouse that can flexibly enough to accommodate different needs throughout the year.
How will this warehouse redesign impact our lead times and operations?
A successful warehouse redesign should improve the operational flow of products through your storage facility, from receiving and storage to picking, packing, and shipping. Take a close look at your current workflow and identify areas where delays occur. Does the current layout cause congestion in various key areas? Would a new picking method or route optimisation help speed things up? Use this insight to guide the redesign process – you can seek advice from the team at Stamina Storage Systems to help with this as they have many years experience in this area.
What is the projected ROI of a warehouse redesign?
A warehouse redesign does come at a cost, but it’s important to understand the potential return on this investment for the business. You will need to consider the costs associated with redesigning, including potential disruptions to operations. Then, weigh that against the anticipated improvements in productivity, reduced labor costs, and increased storage capacity. A clear understanding of the ROI will help you justify the redesign to upper management and stakeholders.
How will we measure success post-redesign of our warehouse?
Finally, how will you measure whether the redesign has been effective? Consider key performance indicators (KPIs) such as order picking speed, accuracy, throughput, labor costs, and safety incidents. Establish a timeline for when these metrics will be evaluated after the redesign to ensure that you are hitting your targets.
A well-thought-out warehouse redesign can make all the difference in how your business handles peak periods. By asking the right questions and addressing pain points proactively, you can create a warehouse layout that not only improves your operations during busy seasons but also sets your business up for long-term growth. The key is to plan ahead — don’t wait until peak demand hits to discover that your current layout is inadequate.
At Stamina Storage Systems, we specialise in providing storage solutions that can be adapted for any changes you are considering, as well as pallet racking, we can offer long span shelving, cantilever racking. We hold large stocks therefore can provide quick delivery and installation to customers, no matter where you are in the UK.
If you’re considering a warehouse redesign of your warehouse layout, get in touch with us today for expert guidance tailored to your unique needs.