The right warehouse space equipment is key to streamlining a company’s logistics processes. Why? Well, the better organised your warehouse space is, the quicker you can find the products you need and the more efficiently you can pack parcels for shipping. If you run your own warehouse and e-commerce business, it’s essential to see what equipment, accessories and furniture you need in your warehouse. You will find many key tips in this guide.
Essential warehouse equipment – what do you need to arrange your warehouse space?
When running your own e-commerce-related business, it is always useful to know how to arrange and divide up your warehouse so that it is as functional as possible and does not generate high costs for handling logistics processes. The management of space in the warehouse can be carried out by shift managers or even by employees assigned to this task.
Nevertheless, it is worth investing in the necessary warehouse equipment already at the stage of preparing the shipping warehouse for operation. So what do you need to start efficiently gathering, packing and packaging goods for shipping? Here is a list of the most necessary furniture and accessories.
Warehouse furniture
We are primarily talking about warehouse racks (steel or aluminium), platforms, stools and packing tables. Without such items of hall equipment, packing and storing goods would be virtually impossible. It is only after installing dedicated racks for storing small goods or even pallets that order can be ensured in the warehouse. It is worth bearing in mind that in a modern hall, both low metal racks and those for high storage, reaching up to several metres up, should be installed.
Workstations
This is standard equipment for the workstation of those employed in the warehouse. These are not only dedicated workstations for packing goods into parcels, but also work tops, storage racks for packing accessories and all kinds of warehouse infrastructure elements that improve the work of those managing this space.
Warehouse trolleys
Nowadays, every handling and shipping warehouse should be equipped with at least one pallet truck and several smaller, platform trucks. The number of trolleys should be adapted to the needs and capacity of the warehouse. However, it is a good idea to have at least a few in stock. This makes the logistical processes of moving goods from place to place and releasing them for dispatch much faster.
Warehouse boxes and containers
If you are wondering what should be in a warehouse – this is your answer. A mail order warehouse would not be able to function efficiently without a variety of boxes and containers in which to store goods for mail order. Plastic trays are a good choice and are particularly useful when packing goods. Euro containers, crates and polypropylene containers for small goods are well suited for storing items on shelves.
These are four categories of products for equipping a warehouse space which cannot be overlooked under any circumstances. Otherwise, the warehouse would not be able to function efficiently and this would directly affect the profitability of the trading and shipping company.
How much can a complete warehouse equipment cost?
The total costs associated with the purchase of basic equipment for an e-commerce company’s warehouse can reach up to several thousand PLN. There are several factors that affect the total cost of investment in warehouse equipment, namely:
- the total area of the hall,
- ceiling height – the higher, the larger and more expensive racks can be placed,
- the type of goods stored in the warehouse – if the goods are heavy and placed on pallets, to the basic equipment you need to add the cost of purchasing a pallet truck, the price of which can reach even more than PLN 100,000,
- the level of warehouse automation – if the company invests in modern software and work automation methods, the expenditure on warehouse equipment will be significantly higher,
- costs of assembling furniture and elements of equipment in the warehouse.
The expenditure incurred on the purchase of warehouse furniture is simply an investment. A well-organised and prepared work space translates into the efficiency of employees and thus the ability to handle more orders of the online shop in a shorter time.
Warehouse furniture and the warehouse worker’s workstation
If you are assembling furniture for the warehouse, you must remember to prepare the warehouse worker’s workstation so that it is as comfortable as possible . It is, of course, not only about the comfort of the employee, but also about their efficiency. The better organised the space in the warehouse, the greater the chance that all tasks during the day will be completed comprehensively and without unnecessary delays. Remember, too, to choose only tried and tested furniture and warehouse equipment – this guarantees the highest quality and durability.