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Wherever you keep your stock, be it in a large warehouse, a room or even just a glorified cupboard, you need to have some level of organisation. Being able to find what you need when you need it is a fundamental part of running a business. Get it right from the start and it will be easier to adapt and stay on top of as your business grows and diversifies.
This month, the team at Morplan is taking a look at some key bits of advice to bear in mind when it comes to organising a stockroom.
Get the right storage solution for what you’re storing and the space you’re storing it in
Don’t just buy the first shelving you see that meets your budget and then try to make your stock fit into or onto it. Take the time to work out what best suits the space you have to work with and whatever it is you need to store there. Perhaps bins, racks, drawers or cabinets would work better than plain shelving.
Labelling and signage
You may know where everything is and where everything should go, but does that apply to everybody else in your organisation? And if not, what happens on the day you’re on holiday, off sick or visiting a client? Clear labelling and signage ensures that others put things where they should be (so everyone else can find them afterwards) and can find things without having to ask every time.
Make your most commonly needed items the easiest to get at
However you organise your space, it makes sense to ensure that the things you need to get to most often are also the ones that are easiest to get to. Otherwise, every time you go to get them, it will be taking you longer than it should. And as we’re talking about your most commonly needed items, that extra time will quickly add up to a lot of wasted time.
Use all the space you have, including your vertical space
You almost certainly have more space to use than you first assume. Go as high as you need to – just make sure that the things you put up there are a) not needed too often (see previous point) and b) not too heavy (see following point). And make sure that you have something handy to use to get up there and fetch things down when you have to.
Put light items up high and heavy items down low
Both practical and logistically sensible, having heavy items down low doesn’t just make them quicker and easier to get to, it also – and more importantly – reduces the potential for accidents. If someone is fetching something down from a high shelf and doesn’t realise how heavy it is, it could easily slip out of their grasp and fall on them.
Have a regular sort-out
No matter how careful we try to be, stockrooms can easily get out of order over time, and we don’t always have time to sort it out there and then. Make regular space in your schedule to give the whole space a good tidy, making sure everything is in the right place and accessible.
We hope you find these storeroom organisation tips useful – they’ve certainly been among the guiding principles we follow when managing our own extensive warehouse. And as the leading supplier to the UK's retail and fashion industries, we understand more than most the importance of keeping a stockroom in good order.
To find out more about Morplan and how we can help your retail business with affordable, stylish and practical display, point of sale and packaging solutions, contact our friendly team now.