Warehousing 101: Rent Your Way to a Comfortable and Efficient Warehouse

Lean Material Handling: The Key to an Efficient Warehouse

If you’re struggling with wasted time and slow performance, you may need to implement lean material handling. This approach to running a warehouse emphasizes eliminating parts of your warehousing processes that waste time, lead to slow performance and increase operating costs. We’ve rounded up our top tips for creating a more streamlined work environment for effective operations.

1. Assess Your Current Processes
   There’s a lot going on in a warehouse so it’s easy to waste time and resources without even knowing it. Carving out time to assess your overall operations workflow is essential for identifying weaknesses and capitalizing on your strengths. Start by getting curious and investigate each process to see if it’s efficient and in line with your production standards. 
2. Build a Strategy
   Before you put lean material handling into place, you have to build the system. Once you’ve identified your weaknesses you can decide on your objectives and how to achieve them. Do you need new technologies or equipment? Or maybe you need new policies and procedures. Putting it down on paper, creating a timeline for implementation and communicating everything to you team will help you hit your goals and save time and money down the road. 
3. Set Realistic Goals for Your Team
   Your people are the most important resource you have, so it’s crucial to train your team early and often about any new technology or systems they’ll work with. Setting realistic expectations and clearly communicating goals will go a long way to making the transition to lean handling a smooth one.  
4. Take Advantage of Automation
   Automation technology is growing rapidly, creating exciting new opportunities for business owners. If you haven’t implemented automated solutions yet, now’s the time! Consider including GPS, computerized technology and automated controls to store and transport loads. You can do more in less time, reduce the burden on your workers, and improve consistency and safety. 
5. Stay Flexible
   Structure is essential when developing efficient warehousing operations but being adaptable is just as important. Unforeseen events or opportunities can pop up at any time and being flexible ensures that you’re ready to adapt and grow. 

Climate Controlled: Managing Seasonal Heat in a Warehouse

The large, open warehouse environment makes keeping a cool, comfortable climate a challenge in the warmer months. However, with a little ingenuity and the right equipment you can create a more comfortable environment for your team, lower your energy costs, and boost your bottom line. 

1. Upgrade Your Insulation
   Insulation pulls double duty because it keeps cool air in and hot air out. The caliber of your insulation dramatically impacts performance and the quality of insulation continues to improve. If you don’t have insulation or it’s been years since you had it installed, now’s the time to invest in high-quality insulation for your warehouse.
2. Close Doors and Windows
   We get it, it’s difficult to remember to close dock doors after shipping or receiving orders but this simple tweak can mean huge energy savings. The cool interior air escapes and hot air enters leaving your team and your products sweltering. If you’re having trouble remember to close your dock doors, consider automating. Today, commercial garage doors come equipped with motion sensors that open and close the doors automatically. 
3. Illuminate Efficiently
   LED lighting is ideal illuminating large, open spaces like warehouses thanks to their efficiency. LED lights typically use 25-80% less energy than incandescent bulbs and run much cooler, saving you money and keeping your space cooler.
4. Don’t Neglect Your Roofing
   A traditional dark roof can reach a temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer make your interior much hotter in the summer. In the past, there’s not much that could be done to combat this problem, but today we have access to cool roof technology that reflects sunlight instead of absorbing it. Cool roofs are designed to radiate much of the heat they do absorb back into the atmosphere, lowering roof temperature by 50 degrees Fahrenheit or more.
5. Inspect your HVAC
   An aging, inefficient HVAC system is a drain on your resources. But upgrading your HVAC system is expensive and may not always be possible. Renting air conditioners and other HVAC equipment for the summer is an excellent and cost effective alternative that provides short-term cooling solutions that fit your budget. 

Contact the Cat Rental Store for Your Warehouse Solutions

Renting high-quality equipment, whether it’s for lean material handling or HVAC needs, can be a strategic move for your business. 

At The Cat Rental Store, we carry an extensive inventory, from automated solutions to large-scale commercial HVAC equipment like air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and air handlers. Rely on our years of expertise to guide you to the right choice and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with our comprehensive repair and maintenance services for every rental. 

Reach out to us anytime by filling out our online quote form or browse our offerings. For more information, call 1-800-RENT-CAT. Rent whatever you need from the people who do whatever it takes.