Designing the layout of your warehouse can be tricky. So to make your job easier, here are some common warehouse design mistakes you’ll want to avoid. If you currently see issues in your warehouse or areas that you want to improve, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’ll help you find the easiest solutions possible.

Warehouses are complex beasts with tons of moving parts, and a smart warehouse has an efficient design to make those movements smooth. So, what are some of the design mistakes to avoid?

INADEQUATE SPACING

When looking at warehouse design, there’s much more than just a “one-size-fits-all” answer. You need to nail down the specific measurements of your products and equipment so you’ll choose the best amount of space. Data is the roadmap to a more efficient warehouse, and that data will tell you how to design your warehouse to work for you, not against you.

For example, the size of the products you house will give you an idea of what types of racking to buy. That racking size and space will show you what types of forklifts fit within those spaces and which will be best for moving products around. Poor spacing in your warehouse design causes issues in your inventory management.

Check out this blog post for more info on how much warehouse space you need.

POOR PLANNING

Another warehouse design mistake comes with poor planning. This is occurs most often with seasonality fluctuations. Special holiday products, for example, may occupy 40 percent of a warehouse in the 100 days leading to the Christmas shopping season. If you do not plan accordingly, you may not have a place to put those seasonal products. And if they don’t sell, well, you could be stuck with extra products taking up needed storage or floor space. That will slow your operation way down if you aren’t careful.  

CONGESTED DOCK AREAS

A dock area can be the most congested and potentially most dangerous area within your warehouse layout. If your employees don’t have adequate space to do their jobs, accidents can happen harm your people or equipment. When designing your warehouse facilities, take advantage of the newest ideas and technology, including just-in-time cross-docking.

Cross-docking is a technique where fresh inventory is unloaded directly from the inbound vehicle, then immediately re-loaded onto outbound vehicles — all without having to store the inventory in the warehouse. You’ll need to allocate additional space and multiple docks to perform these operations without impeding material flow.

Don’t allow non-storage areas to become storage areas. Make sure they are cleared out daily to avoid congestion and product damage.

CONNECT WITH US

If you’re experiencing some of these problems, learn more about it through talking with outside experts regarding your layout. An experienced set of eyes can scan your warehouse design and spot signs of trouble. A poorly designed warehouse can be very costly. Even the smallest inefficiencies can unnecessarily drive up your costs. Send us a message and avoid these and other common warehouse design mistakes.