A warehouse is a functional space, one which might not receive the TLC it deserves for long periods. This means that when renovations do take place, quite a lot of changes and updates are required to bring it up to scratch.
Knowing where to start with these improvements can prove taxing, so here are some suggestions on what to do and how to go about it so that you don’t get overwhelmed.
Understand what you need and build from there
There’s no point putting time and money into renovating a warehouse if you aren’t doing all of this in order to serve the needs of your business.
Research your requirements and determine how these apply to everything from the layout of the space to the materials chosen.
Looking into things like accessibility for forklifts, atmospheric controls for the goods being housed, and capacity limits in relation to your operations both now and in the future will stand you in good stead.
Check and improve Wi-Fi coverage
Warehouses are getting smarter and more interconnected all the time, hence why wireless networking has to be on-point across the entire site.
You can use color-coded Wi-Fi maps for insights into coverage, and to identify black spots so that these can be addressed with the addition of new access points in the perfect position.
Mapping your on-site Wi-Fi will also be useful in terms of avoiding over-provisioning items like routers and repeaters, thus saving you money as well.
Make safety a priority
An excellent reason to push ahead with warehouse renovations is in order to improve safety for those employees and visitors who need to access the site from day to day.
There are all sorts of safety considerations to put at the top of the agenda, ranging from fire suppression solutions and air purification to security and access control.
Depending on the location of the site, you may also need to take elements like flood protection into account.
Look into lighting
A stereotypical warehouse is a dark and dingy place, but this is a problem both from a safety perspective, and in terms of the quality of the working environment. Employee morale will be reduced if there’s not sufficient illumination in all parts of the space.
A renovation is the ideal time to rethink the lighting, which should also bring you lower energy costs if you’re upgrading to an efficient, modern system.
Don’t forget about maintenance
Maintaining warehouse space is instrumental in making it functional and safe for longer periods, and so making it easy to clean aisles and shelving at the design stage of a renovation is wise.
This is an area where false economies can also be avoided. For example, it might be more expensive to use a durable flooring material, but you’ll make savings in the long run if it can be kept in good shape and withstand wear and tear compared with a cheaper alternative.
Consider convenience
Speaking with employees about issues they have with your existing warehouse configuration is a good way of identifying inefficiencies and seeking to solve them when renovation work gets underway.
High-traffic areas in particular should be subjected to scrutiny, so that any bottlenecks are dealt with rather than being preserved when you revamp the layout.
Assess automation opportunities
The rise of automation in warehousing is occurring rapidly, and you may want to implement systems that let you streamline the handling of goods and materials that you store.
This could come to define certain aspects of your design, even if you’re not necessarily planning to adopt automated solutions right away.
Never lose sight of your budget
At the end of the day, money is a major factor in determining the scope of the renovation work you can carry out within your warehouse.
Knowing how much you’ll need to spend, and also the cost of the disruption caused by the renovations, is crucial.
Final thoughts
The main thing to remember about warehouse renovations is that the sooner you get started, the sooner you will be able to reap the benefits of the changes you implement.
That’s not to say that you should rush through ideas without putting them through their paces. A considered approach will iron out kinks.
