Initiating your business with a short warehouse might be a great decision. But soon after your business expands, you may experience a space shortage. On the other hand, some businesses search for a larger warehouse for sale in Kolkata. 

However, the ecommerce boom and rise of in-city warehouses have put a strain on warehouses to manage high consumer demand. Lack of available storage space is not one of the business’s problems. So, do you think your warehouse is short on space while your inventory is overflowing? You’re not alone.

Why Is Your Business Facing Storage Issues?

Warehouses may run out of space anytime, and the reason is not just one. It might be the business’s rapid progression for which it has to store more products. You may decide to buy inventory for more months because of the great deal of the purchase. Dead inventory might be another reason.

If a specific stack of items does not move from your inventory, you may need extra space to store those products. The biggest issue is congestion, which may result in additional work. Extra work means your workers have to move products to and fro unnecessarily to take out other products. 

Thus, a lack of storage in the warehouse may hinder workers’ productivity while reducing staff morale and affecting your company’s bottom line. 

So, now that you understand your warehouse lacks space, it’s time to do something without spending hefty expenses. How about maximising storage? 

Top Ways to Increase Space in a Small Warehouse

Limited storage leaves room for errors and delays. So you can create more storage without increasing the physical space. If you have leased or bought an in-city warehouse in Kolkata, here are the ways you can improve storage space utilisation:

Warehouse Optimisation

No businesses will purchase or lease an in-city warehouse without automated solutions today. After all, technology has a lot to do with optimising space utilisation. Warehouse optimisation not only simplifies tasks but also ensures maximum space utilisation.

Implementing automated warehouse picking might not create space, but it helps the warehouse fit in the area. Those traditional management strategies have been replaced by technology. Today, conventional material handling or manual picking is no longer an in-thing, requiring more space. Alternatively, automated systems help you move up and down easily. 

Identify Spaces that Aren’t Yet Used

There are spaces that you haven’t yet used. You need to identify those spaces and make the right use of them. You can find additional space above the shipping doors where the pallet racks are full of supplies. 

If it has a pick module in that facility and a conveyor down the module’s centre, hanging a shelf above the conveyor is the best way to use it. This way, you can increase the storage capacity for slow-moving or small items. 

Use a WMS – Warehouse Management System

A warehouse management system helps optimise commercial real estate. The solution offers an insightful understanding of the storage location and other practices. Managers working on the site can check how effectively they can use the space, including understocked or overstocked areas. 

This will help you understand the best practices for improving your warehouse space. Remember, using a WMS helps managers check the areas that need reorganisation to reduce inefficacy. Such a system offers a real-time update that ensures maximum space with the change in inventory.

Alter the Process of Packaging

Most businesses often overlook the impact of packaging and storage systems on space utilisation. Many products don’t require the standard pallet size of 40 by 48 inches. You can free up valuable floor space by re-evaluating item dimensions and understanding packaging practices. This way, you can maximise vertical storage. 

You can reduce work areas like aisles that let you pack more goods into the existing floor space. Maximising the space is about more than just the floor. You can incorporate vertical storage solutions to use the height. If you bought the Kolkata warehouse, you can work on the storage. But if it’s a leased one, you must consult the owner. Additionally, understanding the product size and the current storage systems offers opportunities for space savings.

One quick note: You may store products in the trailers to meet temporary warehouse storage requirements. Maximum warehouses have additional trailers. 

Wrapping up

When it comes to warehouse space utilisation, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Once your company starts expanding, you may naturally need more warehouse space. But sometimes, you need help to afford additional expenses associated with leasing or buying another space. That’s where storage capacity becomes a better alternative. 

It entirely depends on you how you want to free up space. You can add tech-driven equipment or free up space and create a plan. Whatever you want to proceed with, ensure you don’t jam the area using 100% of the space. As a general thumb’s rule, it’s noteworthy to keep at least 10-15% of storage empty.