Warehouse shelving and racking layout can feel like a low priority consideration for businesses that store inventory – but it shouldn’t be.
Shelving placement in warehouses, including warehouse aisle design, affects the efficiency, productivity, safety and storage capacity of your premises, particularly in industries like e-commerce, FMCG, 3PL and any that are reliant on cold storage.
In this guide we’ll reveal how warehouse layout design can affect the storage and flow of your inventory, by walking you through exactly how to design warehouse shelving for peak performance. We’ll also share the common mistakes to avoid when crafting an efficient warehouse shelving system.
Step 1: Analyse your warehouse space and workflow
The first step in our warehouse shelving planning guide is to gain a sense of your space.
You need to consider the dimensions of your warehouse: the total floor space and ceiling height, and the size of entry and exit points.
Some areas won’t be able to be used for shelving. You should sketch out your current product flow – inwards / receipt > storage > picking > packing > dispatch – and what that flow might look like in an ideal world.
You can then set aside non-shelving spaces – thoroughfares, order fulfillment areas, fire exits – to gain a clear idea of exactly how much storage space you have at your disposal.
You also need to gain an understanding of floor load capacity, as this may limit storage in any given area. A structural engineer may be required to set safe working loads for your floor.
Step 2: Define your storage zones and inventory requirements
Now that you’ve identified the areas you’ll use for storage, you should subdivide those spaces into specific storage zones, such as:
- Fast-moving items
- Bulk inventory
- Long-term storage
- Returns
- High value inventory
- Temperature controlled environments
You can further subdivide these areas by sorting inventory based on size, weight and accessibility. This must be done on a case-by-case basis, as tricky decisions often have to be made, particularly if your business experiences seasonal spikes or other fluctuations in inventory. The way that orders are picked is also very important (e.g. batch or zone picking.)
ABC analysis can help to determine which items should be stored in the most accessible locations:
- A items (High priority): The most accessible items should be the most valuable or frequently used (10-20% of items typically account for 70-80% of usage/value.)
- B items (Medium priority): About 20-30% of items tend to contribute 15–25% of total usage/value. This moderate value/usage inventory should be relatively accessible.
- C items (Low priority): Low value or rarely used inventory – often 50–70% of items but only 5–10% of usage/value – doesn’t have to be particularly accessible.
Step 3: Choose the right shelving types
Which shelving is right for your situation? The answer will depend on your situation, but a few of the most popular shelving solutions include:
- Longspan shelving: Versatile and easily reconfigured, longspan shelving is particularly adept at handling. Items that need to be picked in smaller quantities or picked regularly or fast moving items
- Adjustable pallet racking: Designed to be easily modified, adjustable racking systems allow warehouses, distribution centres and storage facilities to adapt to changing needs.
- Carton live storage: Gravity flow racks rotate stock and ensure it’s easily accessible – ideal for fast-moving and/or perishable SKUs.
- Mobile shelving units: Mobile shelving systems feature shelving units mounted on tracks, allowing them to slide, move and be compacted down when not in use.
Work to match your shelving solution to the weight and dimensions of your products, and the frequency with which they’ll be picked.
There are trade-offs to be made between accessibility and storage density, as densely stored inventory is more difficult and time-consuming to pick. Prioritise space around your high-priority A items.
Step 4: Optimise aisle widths and traffic flow
How wide should your aisles be? Greater width brings greater accessibility but reduces storage capacity. You need to find a balance between the two.
Warehouse aisle width recommendations will depend on the handling equipment you plan to use. Manual picking allows for narrower aisles, while forklift accessibility demands wider aisles. Narrow aisle and double deep racking can be very effective options
Traffic flow is another important consideration for the safety, efficiency and productivity of your warehouse. Consider minimising congestion through the use of one-way aisles and clear signage and operational procedures.
Step 5: Prioritise safety, visibility and compliance
Every aspect of your warehouse storage system should be designed through the lens of New Zealand warehouse safety standards outlined by WorkSafe. The specifics will once again depend on your situation, but some basic principles include:
- Ensuring shelving does not block emergency exits or fire systems.
- Labelling shelves and racking with SWL signage and other key information.
- Inspecting shelving and racking according to WorkSafe guidelines.
- Using barriers and bollards to protect workers and structures.
- Keeping heavy items at lower levels where possible.
A quality warehouse storage supplier will be happy to guide you on all the regulatory boxes you need to tick in order to comply with NZ warehouse safety rules.
Common mistakes to avoid in warehouse shelving layouts
Now that we understand warehouse storage layout best practices, let’s take a quick look at what not to do. Some common warehouse shelving mistakes you should work to avoid include:
- Poor stock visibility: You should be able to see stock that is stored on the upper shelves of your system.
- Underutilised vertical space: The key to maximising storage capacity is building up.
- Mismatched shelving to stock types: Each item should sit on a shelf or rack that is built to handle it.
- Lack of flexibility and scalability: As stock levels fluctuate, whether due to seasonality or market conditions, you should be able to adjust your shelving to suit.
Storepro: warehouse shelving professionals
Shelving can’t be an afterthought for businesses that operate warehouses – it’s central to your success. Nor is it set-and-forget: it’s vital that warehouse decision-makers regularly assess on an ongoing basis based on their current storage systems and consider future needs.
But doing so can require professional storage expertise.
At Storepro we are that professional. Since 2004, our expert team is ready to offer all the warehouse shelving guidance you might need, while enhancing the performance of your storage space through a custom designed, high quality storage solution.
Get in touch with our friendly team today for a free consultation, and take the first step towards smarter, safer, more efficient warehouse shelving.