When it comes to warehouse operations, efficiency is the name of the game. High pick rates ensure quick, accurate order fulfilment, reduce operational costs, and enhance overall throughput and productivity. But improving your pick rate is often easier said than done.
This is where Unistor – Australia’s leading manufacturer and supplier of mezzanine flooring solutions, steps in. With smart strategies and the right tools in place, you can maximise your warehouse’s potential.
Here’s a closer look at how installing a Unistor mezzanine system can enhance the efficiency and profitability of your business operations.
The Importance of Efficient Pick Rates
Before jumping into solutions, let’s understand the importance of an efficient pick rate. Put simply, pick rate is the speed at which items can be picked from the shelves in preparation for dispatch. When orders are picked quickly, you can process more orders within a day, resulting in higher profits.
But, more than speed, accuracy matters. An efficient system reduces errors, translating to fewer returns and happier customers.
Common Pick Rate Challenges
Hitting a high pick rate isn’t without its challenges. An inefficient layout can lead to pickers wasting time navigating, while poor inventory management and labelling can make items hard to find. Outdated equipment, insufficient lighting and storage, or the absence of tech integration like Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) platforms and Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) can further slow down the process.
Overcoming these obstacles requires strategic planning, the right infrastructure, and of course—utilising vertical space.
Benefits of Unistor Mezzanine Systems
Unistor’s mezzanine flooring solutions are designed to provide the perfect blend of space and efficiency, pushing your pick rates to their optimal best. When properly integrated into a warehouse design, a mezzanine system can improve the speed at which items are retrieved for orders in a number of ways:
Maximum Storage and Space Utilisation
No need for relocation or expensive extensions. Unistor’s mezzanine systems increase capacity in your warehouse by doubling or even tripling floor space – all without impacting your building’s existing footprint.
With this expanded floor space, warehouses can adopt efficient picking methods like batch picking, where items for several orders are retrieved in one go. It also supports zone picking, designating specific areas to specialised pickers, and ensuring that products are swiftly and accurately collected.
Remember, the best-picking strategy always considers the unique requirements of your facility, from the amount of inventory to the warehouse layout.
Streamlined Layout for Peak Performance
In order to lay the foundations for efficiency, a well-organised warehouse should reflect your logistics requirements. Traditional warehouses spread outwards, leading to pickers walking longer distances. With mezzanines, warehouses can be segmented into designated picking zones for receiving, storage and dispatch – leading to improved layout and workflow.
This strategic segmentation minimises cross-traffic, offering pickers more efficient paths. These multi-tiered mezzanine systems also allow staff to operate within a centralised area without the need to travel further. The result? Greater pick productivity.
Flexibility: Adapting to Changing Business Needs
We recognise that business needs are ever-evolving. Thankfully, Unistor’s mezzanine designs offer unmatched flexibility. Modular and customisable by nature, they can easily transition from storage spaces to picking, packing, or even office spaces.
As inventory and order volumes increase, mezzanines offer a cost-effective way to accommodate expansion, ensuring efficient picking processes continue at full speed. This adaptability means refining strategies to suit business trends is a breeze.
Elevating Workplace Safety
Safety and ergonomics are vital in warehouses. A thoughtfully designed mezzanine system not only elevates safety with appropriate railings, stairs, and lifts – but should also consider ergonomics to minimise picker fatigue and injury risks. With easily accessible item locations, up-to-date equipment, and proper lighting, pickers stay safe and efficient.
By refining warehouse layouts and conducting ongoing training, you not only enhance pick rates but also ensure an environment that prioritises worker well-being and productivity.
Keeping Track with Improved Inventory Control
Knowing where items are and in what quantity is crucial. When mezzanines house specific goods or processes, better inventory control becomes easier than ever to achieve, leading to swifter picking processes.
Pair your mezzanine system with digital inventory tracking systems that allow real-time updates. This way, pickers are always aware of inventory levels and locations, ensuring that they don’t waste time searching for items.
Integrating the Future: Mezzanines and Automation
The structured layout of mezzanines makes integrating advanced tech solutions more straightforward. These platforms seamlessly integrate with conveyor systems, automated storage, retrieval systems, and robotics, optimising the picking processes.
In particular, the use of Unistor’s AMR platforms AS/RS are cutting-edge warehouse solutions that will improve your warehouse picking speed. Real-time item identification means picking errors are virtually eliminated, ensuring customer satisfaction and upholding brand reputation.
This is particularly beneficial for e-commerce and distribution centres where time is of the essence, calling for swift and accurate storage and retrieval operations.
Harnessing Full Warehouse Potential with Unistor
In an industry where change is the only constant, staying ahead of the game demands both innovation and foresight. Feeling the pinch of increased orders, but find yourself struggling with pick rates that just can’t keep up? It’s time to consider optimising your picking productivity and improving your bottom line with Unistor’s trusted mezzanine systems.
As Australia’s leading manufacturer and supplier of mezzanine solutions, we pride ourselves on turning common warehouse challenges into opportunities for success.
Ready to find out how Unistor can make your warehouse work faster? We encourage you to visit our website or talk to our team of experts. Discover how our mezzanines can be customised to fit your unique business requirements, drive productivity and promise a return on investment.
Unistor offers end-to-end project services from consultation, design, and manufacturing to installation, ensuring you deal directly with the manufacturer – a point of difference that can save you thousands in the long run. Dive into our offerings today and let us help you find faster, smarter ways to pick and store.
Choose Unistor as the right mezzanine solution and increase your storage capacity by double.