After a few years of operation, you may feel as though you’re running out of room in your warehouse. While this is a frustrating problem, expanding your physical footprint isn’t the only solution. Just by taking a close look at your warehouse and implementing a few new methods, you can fully maximize your space.

Install a Mezzanine

Installing a mezzanine is a great way to vertically expand your warehouse. These platforms can be free standing or supported by shelving or racking to take advantage of underutilized vertical space.

Reduce Aisle Width

If your warehouse has extra wide aisles, you may want to consider bringing your racks in. Even if you bring in the racks just a few inches, it may give you enough space for an additional row.

Increase Rack Height

Most warehouses have extremely high ceilings. This means that there’s probably plenty of room to expand your shelves vertically. If your warehouse uses shorter racks, it’s time to consider purchasing taller ones — you can even find pallet racks that reach up to 45 feet tall.

Consider Seasonal Inventory Storage

If your warehouse has seasonal inventory, you may want to consider using a temporary or underutilized storage space. If you want to get seasonal inventory completely out of the way, you can rent trailers to store those items. Storing seasonal inventory is also a great way to utilize a mezzanine.

Manage Inventory Levels

One of the best ways to maximize warehouse space is to better manage your inventory. Implementing a system that notifies workers of discontinued inventory will ensure that warehouse space is taken up by active inventory only. You most likely already have some sort of software that tells you which inventory is discontinued, old or not selling well. Use this data to better inform your physical inventory management.

Check for Underutilized Space

Look around your warehouse. Where do you see empty space? Think about all of the places where you could add shelves and racks. Using the best commercial storage rack for your inventory needs will ensure that you’re taking advantage of as much space as possible.

Use Properly Sized Picking Containers

Taking a closer look at the size of your picking containers is a great way to save space in your warehouse. You shouldn’t be using the same containers for every item. Using appropriately sized containers for the size and quantity of a specific item will prevent half-full picking containers.

Reconfigure Your Warehouse Floor Plan

If all else fails and you still find yourself looking for more space, it may be time to reconfigure your floor plan. When you first designed your warehouse, you may not have expected to grow as quickly as you have. Now that you have a better idea of what you need, you know how to maximize your warehouse space.

Choose the Right Rack

There are many different kinds of racks that you can utilize in your warehouse. Knowing which rack system will work best for your needs may take some time. If you need to maximize your warehouse space, but you don’t know how your warehouse is going to grow over the next few years, try flexible storage, such as stack racks or cantilever racks.

Find a Storage Solution That Works For You

The most important thing to remember is to find a solution that works for you. Not all organization methods and layouts fit the needs of every warehouse. If you find that you keep running out of space or your workers are not as efficient, then you may want to try something new.