For any business looking to be more efficient, one of the biggest factors to consider is where you keep your stock. Your stock is one of your most important assets, and the way you store it will have a direct impact on many other areas of the operation. To make sure your storage solution doesn’t blow up in your face, here’s some important advice to follow.
The first tip I’ll give you is to shop around for the right deals. As with anything, there’ll be a lot of bargains and just as many rip-offs available to you. If you don’t have a warehouse of your own, then you’ll need to look around at mortgages or rental agreements. From there, you’ll need to buy a lot of commercial-grade storage gear, like the products offered by SSI Storage & Distribution. You may also have to pay out to make the whole facility comply with health and safety regulations, and resources for your warehouse staff. Money, money and more money. We all know how important it is to keep spending efficient, so shop around. You’d be surprised at how willing some people are to negotiate.
Once you’ve found a good deal on the space you’re going to use for storage, the next big thing is to organise it as efficiently as you can. Even today, some business owners leave this all down to the warehouse foreman. More often than not, these leads to staff coming in and stacking boxes with no real method in mind. Take a look around the facility itself, and figure out the best way you can use the space that’s available to you.
Consider where certain stock needs to be kept to keep operations running as smoothly as possible. If your staff are going to need to get to stock more frequently, put it in a more accessible area. Don’t let larger items get tucked away in hard-to-reach areas. Having a direct role in all this can help boost efficiency a lot.
Finally, make sure you consider insurance. This isn’t really seen as a given for most business owners, and to be honest you probably won’t need it. Of course, none of us like to consider the possibility of a massive fire destroying our main warehouse. However, accidents can and do happen. Look at a few companies like Swinton for quotes on your storage.
At these firms, you can insure your stock against damage and loss, but also throw in some liability policies while you’re at it. They’re not cheap as you can imagine. However, if you hit a rock without any insurance at all, your whole business could be driven into the ground. If you’re renting a storage space, then the owners may offer some insurance as part of the deal. However, it’s always better to look around the market for the most cost-effective solution.
There you have the most important factors to think about when it comes to your stock. After setting up a few safety nets, carry on focussing on efficiency and staff’s working conditions.
