Choosing the Best Storage System for Your Business

Our innovative solution

Locators’ Top Ten Tips

With so many options available, choosing the best storage system for your business can be a challenge – but it’s not impossible. All you need to do is identify the criteria that will ultimately help guide your decision. To ensure you make the right choice, we’ve put together a few helpful hints and tips. These cover factors such as maximising efficiency, optimising space, and improving turnaround time.

Find your solution

Create More Space for Storage or Production

What storage solution works best for your business?

Considering all the different types of racking solutions can be confusing. Push-back systems can store up to five loads deep on each side of an aisle for standard products. Single-deep systems are great for lower density but excellent for selectivity and occupancy. Double-deep systems put one pallet behind the other but can demand compromises in your operation. Then you have the various automated systems. These optimise volume, reduce staffing requirements and have 24-hour availability. Yet it all comes back to which is best for your business?

Tip 1

Make the most of your vertical space. Pallet racking, cantilever racking and metal shelving are solutions that free up valuable floor space.

Tip 2

Mezzanine floors are solutions that add increased office, production or storage space high above the ground.

Tip 3

Suffer from little to no room? Drive-in, mobile racking or pallet shuttle systems allow you to store products without the need for forklift aisles.

Tip 4

Reach trucks condensed design and high lift height make them the perfect machine for order picking in narrow spaces. Especially when you still need to pass fellow trucks in the aisle.

Don’t Compromise When it comes to Weight and Size

Consider the weight and size of goods to ensure you have the correct racking

Safety is key – which means you need to consider the weight and size of goods to ensure you have the correct load-bearing in your racking. Whilst the layout and construction of your racking will change depending on its product size, you must remember one key element. So too will the type and size of the materials handling equipment that has to access it.

Tip 5

It’s crucial the capacity of the racks conforms to the weight it bears – otherwise, you risk collapse. For safety, the limitations of all storage systems should be clearly signposted.

Tip 6

Depending on the size of the load, different types of equipment de-rate (lose capacity) at different heights. Having the optimal machine enables you to go higher with increased loads.

Tip 7

Paired with a 4-way truck’s mobility and compact design, cantilever racking enables you to store heavy, long loads in narrow aisles. Thus maximising your storage density.

CHOOSING THE BEST STORAGE SYSTEM FOR YOUR BUSINESS

The Right Racking for Your Budget

Plan ahead and prepare for extra stock

Many companies make the mistake of buying racking that meets their current requirements. Yes, you read that correctly. In not anticipating their future needs, many companies make a mistake. Instead, they should plan ahead, prepare for extra stock, newer products and faster turnarounds. They could even part-install systems and complete as required. This way, they don’t end up relying on expensive off-site storage.

Tip 8

Don’t cut corners: choose a solution that meets your requirements rather than the cheapest system. Take the long-term view; spending a little more now could save big in the future.

Tip 9

Most warehouses rely on forklifts, but some racking solutions need specialist equipment. Avoid sudden costs by working with a single-source supplier that appreciates both elements.

Tip 10

After low start-up costs? Use wide-aisle racking. It’s durable, long-lasting and is a good investment. All you need is a counterbalance forklift. You can always upgrade in the future.

An Innovative Solution

We design and supply integrated storage systems

Want to fit out a new warehouse? Perhaps you want to maximise some existing storage space? Either way, Locators’ knowledge and expertise can help your business gain a competitive edge. With over 30 years of experience under our belts, we design and supply integrated storage systems – including pallet racking, mezzanine floors, and forklift trucks. Our engineers will not only visit and assess your site, but we’ll also create 3D designs to visualise how we would go about optimising your space. This way, you can actually move around and explore our proposals before committing to any implementation.

To find out how we can help your business, email sales@locators.co.uk today, or call 01202 854 200 to arrange a discussion with a member of our expert team.

What our clients say

We are very pleased with the change from an engine to an electric fleet. The trucks have been well received by our operators as they are comfortable and quiet to drive and give excellent protection from the elements. We even have the option and flexibility to use spare batteries and a simple battery change system if we ever want to work back to back shifts in the future. Locators also design, supply and install all types of racking and storage systems. They reconfigured the CooperVision warehouse for narrow aisle operation which increases the storage density and pallet locations. Locators supplied Aisle-Master articulated forklifts to work in this area.

Coopervision, Hamble

We have worked with Locators for nearly 20 years. We are confident they can always make the best use of the space we have available and provide us with forklifts that are well suited for the long loads and other stock we have to move.

Colin Macgregor
Director, Y Goldberg

Every time we look at an application, Locators approach it like a blank canvas and always recommend the best equipment for our business. Locators have proved themselves as a very reliable and proactive service provider by keeping our trucks working and our fleet costs as low as possible.

Adam Conrad
Group Transport Manager for Covers

Being able to work with one supplier for storage and materials handling has been a benefit to us. Locators managed the complete installation and ensured the correct materials handling equipment was specified for their design. They also service and maintain all of the equipment they have supplied and offer a rack inspection service to make sure our warehouse remains a safe working environment. We are very happy with our new facility and we believe we have made the best use of the available space.

Marc Congdon
Engineering Manager, Costa

We purchased our first Toyota forklift from Locators 14 years ago for our farm. This truck has been very reliable and is still in service so we had no hesitation in deciding to purchase another Toyota machine. Locators recommended an electric forklift for our machinery depot as it is very quiet, has low running costs and does not create any pollution, making it ideal for working both inside and outside. Our operators are very pleased with our new Toyota truck and our business is very happy to be operating a forklift that has such a low impact on the environment.

Ed Smales
Director, NFFM

Locators installed the new racking system within a tight timeframe while our business was fully operational. They have provided us with a facility that has a similar storage capacity and reduced the size of our forklift fleet allowing us to lease one building instead of two. We are very happy with the outcome.

Paul Bickell
Nippon Express

Locators gave us the benefit of working with just one supplier for all of the storage and materials handling requirements of this project. By mixing 3 and 4 wheel trucks from the same model range, we have gained extra pallet locations and have the option to battery change between them and work multi-shift in the future. I was initially sceptical that electric trucks could replace LPG, but I am very pleased with the successful outcome of this project.

Mark Davis
Logistics Supervisor for Hall & Woodhouse brewery

It is a great benefit to us that we have a single source supplier who understands the needs of our business. This saves us time, improves efficiency and ultimately reduces cost.

Richard Horrocks
Smurfitt Kappa