How to Keep Your Warehouse Productive with Efficient Material Handling Solutions

A more efficiently designed warehouse can store more stocks and enable easy transportation. For warehouse productivity, material handling plays an essential factor. Material handling is a process of handling and managing inventories that directly impact sales. It’s essential for any medium to large-sized business that deals in inventories.

As improperly managed inventories result in unwanted damage and stock shortages. In today’s blog, we will talk about various material handling equipment essential for warehouse productivity. In addition, we will further explore best practices to handle materials efficiently. So, without any delay, let’s get started now!

Material Handling Equipment Essential for Warehouse Productivity

As mentioned in the introduction, you would need efficient material handling equipment for effective warehouse productivity. Talking of material handling equipment, they are broadly classified into four types. Let’s have a detailed look at each of these types of equipment:

Bulk Material Handling Equipment

Bulk material handling equipment is used to control, store and transport stocks in larger quantities. Such equipment is generally preferable for materials like minerals, metal items, and processed food. Examples of bulk material handling equipment are hoppers, reclaimers, conveyor belts, stackers, etc. With this equipment, the movement of large stocks becomes easier. Thus, the warehouse space is efficiently managed for long time usage.

Industrial Trucks

Industrial trucks offer a wide range of equipment for material handling. They are commonly designed to help make material transportation smooth and effortless. Industrial trucks vary from small hand-operated equipment to large drivable machinery. Two of the types are as follows:

• Stacking Trucks: For loading and stacking materials
• Non-stacking Trucks: For material transportation

With industrial trucks, warehouse productivity is improved extensively, as one can transport any stock or material, despite their size, from one spot to another. This gives the advantage of shifting positions of stocks in more appropriate areas.

Handling and Storage Equipment

Handling and storing equipment help to organise and safely store materials until they move towards the following process. Handling, storage, and retrieval are essential to ensure effective storage without disturbing any other items. Although, how a company uses these types of equipment depends upon its needs.

Generally, these types of equipment are stationary and not automated; however, they can always be integrated and used with automated equipment and systems. Automation saves a lot of time, resulting in overall improvements in warehouse productivity.

Engineered Systems

Engineered systems are types of automated systems that help store and transport loads or materials. These automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) include AGVs making the warehouses work more efficient; as anything that is to be moved around the warehouse is done by machines and not workers.

In such a system, a good amount of research is done before making any investment. This is one of the sole reasons, engineered systems are popular as they eliminate the need for manual labour to an extent. With the adoption of such a technology in warehousing, the storage of goods can be managed properly, eventually improving warehousing production.

Steps for Efficient Material Handling for Better Warehouse Productivity

Material handling is a complex process, and it becomes more complex when it comes to warehouses. Material handling needs to be done the right way for better warehouse productivity. Here is a three-step guide for handling material to enhance warehouse productivity:

Step 1: Start with Choosing the Appropriate Equipment

The initial and most crucial step of material handling is picking the right equipment, whether it is for manual or automated processes. Depending on your material handling needs, you must ensure that you choose the right equipment.

For example:

For all types of warehousing requirements like storage, retrieval, and receipt of pallets or goods, the iStacker helps in effective data management. The built-in software in the ISTOS variant further helps track and monitor the location as well as the quantity of items and makes the MIS for stock that is easily accessible.

Similarly, the roll out rack is used to store materials one above the other in a vertical fashion. The rack can move in as well as out using a controller machine.

Step 2: Physically Assess the Equipment

A physical evaluation is a must-to-do step regardless of theequipmentyou choose. Doing this helps you determine how strong and efficient the machinery is. Also, when assessing the equipment, it’s essential to consider factors such as service records, programs, and specifications. Check if they meet your requirements and have the capacity to get the job done in the required timeframe.

Step 3: Implementing Best Practices of Material Handling

For successful material handling, adapting material handling practices is significant. Now what practices are considered the best?

Here are some of the best practices for material handling:

• Handle material with complete safety
• Don’t lift beyond the specified safe working load capacity
• Take complete leverage of automation
• Implement a warehouse management system, etc.

In addition to the above-discussed best practices listed below are some other material handling practices.

Best Practices for Effective Material Handling to Enhance Overall Warehouse Productivity

Efficient material handling helps maintain and enhance warehouse productivity. The following are the top best and most effective practices for material handling.

Planning

Planning is probably the most underrated practice in material handling. It means defining goals and objectives towards achieving higher production. In this approach, create a plan after considering inputs from suppliers, consultants, management team and staff from operations. With a dedicated plan, the material handling process can be carried out seamlessly in a proper flow.

Create a System

Creating a dedicated system means aggregating material storage and movements that must be coordinated during the shifting process. The system can consist of receiving, inspecting, predicting, arranging, packaging, shopping, and handling returns. Having a dedicated system ensures that everything is being done at the right time and in the right place.

Automation

For any business, time is the most precious resource. Performing tasks manually is time-consuming; therefore, try implementing automation wherever possible. This will save time and make the overall material handling process time efficient. You can also consider using electric equipment over the manual.

Shift Unit Load in Bulk

This could be the best practice you can implement while performing material handling. When you shift loads in bulk. In such a process, you save considerable time, money, and other resources. Besides that, shifting loads in bulk can also eliminate the need for extra labour.

Space Utilisation

Proper space utilisation is the key to success in material handling. This is also the reason why the proper design of warehouse layout, considering factors like; the size of equipment, areas of loads, etc. is essential. With proper space management, you will be able to carry on material processing without any issues.

It’s always easy to shift materials in a clutter-free and well-organised space; therefore, make sure to take care of that.

To Wrap Around:

For seamless output and better warehouse productivity, focus on efficient material handling. Further, material handling can be best maintained with the above knowledge. Also, if you are looking for premium material handling equipment, try Bajaj Indef.

Bajaj Indef is India’s leading material handling equipment manufacturer, with the widest range of offerings in Hoists and Cranes.

Check the storage & retrieval solutions range from Bajaj Indef for your warehouse-related material handling requirements. For more details about features, cost, customization and offers mail us at enquire@indef.com or even call on +91 (22) 489-33303. We will help you get the best material-handling equipment at your doorstep!