the importance of efficient 3pl warehouse design
As experts in end-to-end logistics management, our team know that optimised product storage and transport doesn’t have to be complex with the help of an efficient 3pl warehouse. Planning a warehouse layout design can be a costly and difficult process as the storage choices, inventory processing and layout design should ensure a logical cataloguing system and easy accessibility for swift product extraction and flow. Here, our team have outlined the purpose and importance of efficient warehouse design alongside all the considered (and costly) factors that may make 3pl warehouse management the right solution for your business.
warehouse purpose
For larger retail services, products must be catalogued and stored, ready for transport to customers at a moment’s notice. If a warehouse isn’t managed appropriately or the staff are ill-informed of the catalogue system, items can be misplaced, and deliveries can be delayed resulting in a poor customer experience. It’s important to know that warehouse management goes beyond simply loading items to and from a pallet. Warehouse designs that are optimised for efficiency allow ease of operation, better workplace safety, improve productivity and reduce any unnecessary expenses.
Establishing a well-organised warehouse is also important to achieve from the very beginning as layout changes are difficult due to the disruption and additional material needs. An issue many modern warehouse operators can experience is designing their space for current operations without considering the capacity requirements during busier seasons or the ever-evolving technology of the industry. When creating an individualised warehouse, It’s integral to consider the expected future capacity needs and integrate innovative technology as it develops. This scalability and adaptability are some of the many benefits of choosing a 3PL warehousing management.
factors to consider for an optimised warehouse layout
Selecting the most appropriate and effective layout option for a warehouse depends on the availability of space, budget constraints, and product type … for uninterrupted transit of goods, personnel and heavy machinery. For many retail businesses, this requires significant investments in additional sites, machinery and training all before testing out the efficiency of the layout design. Common warehouse designs include U-shaped, I-shaped and L-shaped layouts but extensive testing can determine which style is right for your business.
The first step to establishing an optimised warehouse layout is to design a map of the current measurements available and label the different operation areas and workflow directions. This can be done with warehouse layout design software or through warehouse design experts. When first establishing these zones, it’s important to make use of vertical space for storage and create wide aisles for thoroughfare of employees, forklifts and pallet jacks.
Another consideration to prevent bottlenecking or unnecessary doubling back is to maximise the space between the loading and unloading areas of the warehouse with a staging area (also known as a reception area) for easy sorting of products. Creating an effective picking area near the storage areas will also improve the speed of the pick and pack team for an efficient result. Not only will warehouse staff need to be trained to find all the stock requests in a timely manner but setting up a warehouse requires technology to make inventory visible to the warehouse team and the clients.
streamlined solutions with 3pl warehouse management
Creating and maintaining an efficient warehouse is costly, difficult to manage if low on time and dependent on many factors. It requires testing layouts for optimisation and it is also difficult to scale the space if necessary during those busier times that create an influx of stock storage and rapid movement.
To avoid expensive set-up costs and unnecessary stress, 3PL warehouse services allow effortless inventory and storage management off-site with on-demand scalability. At elite logistics Australia, our team offers comprehensive 3pl warehouse solutions for a streamlined flow of goods and innovative, WMS technology that is fully integrable with your workplace’s current systems. 3pl warehouse management providers allow peace of mind and easy access to inventory for a faultless warehouse experience.
3pl warehousing for peace of mind
At elite logistics Australia, we specialise in handling your complete logistics operations from 3PL warehousing to retail transport solutions. We provide end-to-end logistics solutions with our expansive warehouses with 12,000 pallet capacity across Australia and the meticulous care of our B2B and B2C specialists to ensure a seamless experience. Backed with the latest supply chain technology, a dedicated warehouse team, streamlined pick and pack procedures and an in-house freight fleet, our services are second to none.
Get in touch with our dedicated team today by calling 1300 652 157 or completing our online contact form.