Why Shelving Matters in Modern Warehouses
Efficient shelving impacts speed, accuracy, and overall fulfillment. There is a growing demand for faster turnaround due to e-commerce and same-day delivery.
Shelving strategies connect with staffing to create an overall streamlined warehouse.
The Role of Shelving in Order Picking and Fulfillment
Shelving creates space optimization in warehouses. Space is valuable in a warehouse and the right shelving makes sure the warehouse is getting the most of vertical and horizontal space.
Having the shelving be accessible is vital, especially in warehouses who hire picking and packing workers to fulfill orders. Shelving systems that make pick locations easier to reach and that store SKUs in an accessible location make a big difference.
Clear labeling and logical organization cuts down mistakes and creates systems that temp labor and full time staff can use. Having the proper shelving can support batch picking, zone picking, and wave picking.
Types of Warehouse Shelving and Their Best Uses
There are many types of warehouse shelving and each has a specific purpose that benefits warehouses in different industries.
Static Shelving
Static shelving is the simplest and most common type of warehouse shelving. This type of shelving is like heavy-duty bookshelves that don’t move.
This type of shelving is best for light items such as small parts, tools, cartons and slow moving SKUs that don’t require rearranging. It can be great for seasonal or temporary warehouse workers who need to learn the ropes quickly.
Mobile Shelving
Mobile shelving is like static shelving with wheels. Instead of being bolted down, mobile shelving sits on wheels or tracks that can slide out of the way.
This type of shelving is a space saver as it can be reconfigured based on demand. This is also great for warehouses with fluctuating demand and staffing levels.
Pallet Racking
Pallet racking is the backbone of most large scale storage systems. They have heavy duty steel frames with horizontal beams designed to hold pallets stacked with goods.
This is best for warehouses that use forklifts to load and unload pallets. This does offer flexibility for multiple styles of racking. But it is typically managed by forklift operators, which is staffing that requires trained warehouse workers or trained warehouse temp staffing.
Cantilever Shelving
Cantilever shelving is shelving with long, open armed storage that is designed for items that don’t fit neatly on standard shelving or pallets. Think of a coat rack for warehouse giants.
Cantilever is best for irregular or long items like pipes, steel bars or furniture parts. It does require training for safe handling, which can be a good fit for skilled temps or permanent staff. But could be potentially hazardous for unskilled temp labor.
Carton Flow Shelving
Carton flow shelving, sometimes called flow racks or gravity flow racks, is shelving built to keep products moving smoothly toward the picker. Shelves are tilted on a slight slope and equipped with tracks or wheels. You load cartons from the back and gravity pulls them forward to the pickers.
This is ideal for temporary warehouse workers and pick/pack staff, especially during busy rushes. Because of its simplicity warehouses can find pickers and packers who can use this type of shelving without needing skilled training.
Staffing Types and When to Use Them
Full-Time Warehouse Staff
Full time staff is best for consistent demand as workers will be there whether or not demand is there. They are also good when managing specialized shelving systems like pallet racking and cantilever shelving.
Temp Labor
Temp labor is useful for seasonal surges or when rolling out new shelving systems that require extra hands. Temp labor has the flexibility to be there when demand is high and not there when demand is low. However, traditional temp agencies near you can be slow and expensive.
On-Demand Staffing Apps
Staffing apps are the modern way to find warehouse workers. Warehouse job apps give managers fast access to flexible workers who can pick up warehouse shifts that fit their schedules.
Staffing apps have benefits beyond finding warehouse staff, there are backup workers, the ability to scale up or down quickly, and the Bacon Score.
Specialized Temps
Specialized temps are temps skilled in a specific area. This can be important for handling advanced shelving setups like pallet racking or forklift driving.
Conclusion
Smarter shelving and smarter staffing equals faster fulfillment. The right shelving boosts efficiency, but the right staffing makes it work. Explore shelving upgrades and flexible staffing solutions like warehouse job apps.
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