8 Ways to Achieve Storeroom Success

If you operate a warehouse, or are planning to begin using such a facility in the near future, you'll need to be aware of how vital a safe and organized storeroom is to your operation. Whether your storeroom is well laid out and controlled can be the deciding factor in your business' success.

For some top tips relating to storeroom organization, keep reading.

1) Storage areas should be the right size to house stock - It goes without saying that your storeroom will need to be big enough for the products you plan to stow, both in size and quantity. Think about all the products you stock and how often you take deliveries to ensure you have enough room for everything.

2) Keep it uncluttered - Clutter can be annoying in any situation but especially so in a working environment, where it could result in wasted time, a reduction in productivity and even accidents if things are left lying on the floor, for example. Make sure debris is removed as soon as possible and keep bins on site for general waste as well as recyclable materials like paper.

3) Label everything - To ensure your storeroom is easy to navigate, labelling products and areas is a must. If there are clear signs telling your staff where they can find things, productivity in the storeroom should improve, as workers won't have spend so long searching for stock.

4) Keep it secure - The storeroom is key to your business in more ways than one; it holds your company's value in the form of stock, and as such, should be kept secure to avoid theft. You'll need to ensure your staff have access to the room and that there are escape routes for health and safety purposes, while you might also decide to invest in extra-secure features like lockable partitioning for high-value goods.

5) Avoid trips and slips - Keeping extraneous items like ladders and step stools out of the way can be important in terms of safety, as your staff could easily trip over something left in the main flow area. Carts, trailers and steps should all be parked well out of the way.

6) Keep things organised - Invest in useful organisational items like boxes or pallet racking so your stock is kept in order, rather than simply piling things up. Piles of products can make it difficult to reach all the areas of the storeroom, or make doing so dangerous. If you have some periods that are busier than others, consider buying useful storage options like folding pallet cages, which can be used when you have a lot of stock and folded away when you don't need as much storage.

7) Install sufficient lighting - It's important that your staff can see what they're doing in the storeroom, so make sure the lighting is sufficient. As well as installing ceiling and wall lights, you might also need to consider illuminating shelf spaces.

8) Keep records - Draw up an inventory of all your stock and check it regularly to keep tabs on which items are running low or not selling. This will help give you an idea of when you need to restock and potentially alert you to issues like breakages or possible thefts. It will also come in handy should you need to make an insurance claim and provide proof of your stock levels on specific dates.