For a business to run smoothly and efficiently, its employees need to be able to access the materials and equipment that they need without wasting valuable time searching for the items. Additionally, all items should be stored in a safe manner to minimize the chance of a worker being injured. Nevertheless, many businesses have trouble organizing their inventory and supplies properly. Here are a few suggestions to help organizations meet their storage needs without sacrificing productivity.
Get Rid of the Clutter
A home can quickly become cluttered by less-than-useful items, and so can a business environment. Once items become outdated or are no longer being used in a business's processes, they should be discarded, given away, or sold. The valuable storage space that the unneeded items occupy could be used for more important items. Also, the presence of the unnecessary items could hinder the ability of workers to find the supplies that they need.
Use Plastic Storage Containers
If your business works with acids and other reactive substances, choose plastic bins for storing groups of packaged items. Acids and other chemicals are often packaged in glass containers. The plastic can minimize the chance of contents breaking during storage, and it provides a storage material that is less reactive than most metals.
Maintain Visibility of Contents
If you are concerned about the ability of employees to see the contents of a container, be sure to use clear plastic storage containers. The transparency of the containers can simplify the process of locating needed items.
Use Shelves
Shelving can help keep items organized in an easy-to-access fashion. while maximizing the square footage of your facility. Since shelves allow items to be stacked vertically, less floor space is used. If the items being stored are exceptionally large or heavy, specialized shelving, such as bulk storage racks, should be considered. Additionally, multiple storage products can be used simultaneously. Heavy duty plastic storage bins can be combined with shelves to further organize items.
Label Properly
Labeling allows workers to maintain awareness of a container's contents without having to look inside. Still, a label is ineffective if it is not easy to read or if it fails to contain the information needed to help employees quickly identify the container's contents. Appropriate labels may contain a product name, description, identification number, or picture.
To review a large variety of storage products for your business, go to this site to schedule a consultation with a business storage specialist. Be sure to fully explain the type of business that you have and clearly describe the items that will be stored.