Do you need to
expand your inventory storage without major remodeling or moving your
business? A simple storage unit could be just the solution you have
been looking for. This low-cost storage method can revolutionize the
way you handle your inventory and make your sales.
But how can you make
a storage unit inventory plan work? Take a look at the following five
critical steps.
1. Inventory Your
Inventory
Before you begin
moving inventory from one location to another, be sure you know
exactly what you've got. Dismantling your current inventory storage
methods without a proper list of everything and a plan for
reorganizing it could result in lost items and a lot of confusion.
Make special note of any inventory items that require climate
control, are especially sensitive, or are particularly valuable.
This is also an
excellent time to purge inventory that has been sitting around too
long. There's no sense in moving things that aren't selling or are
out of date. Get rid of these before deciding on a storage unit size
so that you can choose the correct size for what you really need to
transfer.
2. Identify Quick
Sellers
For most businesses,
not all inventory items are created equal. Some things move more
quickly than others. First, go through your inventory list drawn up
in the earlier step and identify which items you pull most often.
Then keep a section
of quick-moving inventory at your main business location so that you
can access it frequently and conveniently. This section could be as
small as a cabinet or set of shelves. If you don't want to keep
things in two separate locations, consider adding a place in the
storage unit near the front where you can keep your big-selling
inventory more conveniently.
3. Create Work
Space
Along with shelves
or rows of inventory to be pulled, don't forget to add some room for
yourself or employees to work. Leave room for air circulation and the
ability to see inventory labels clearly and easily. You may even want
to add some lighting options that can be turned on.
Pulling inventory
correctly also requires good organization. Installing something as
simple as a desk, a computer, clipboards, and a clear space on the
floor near the entrance will help everyone work in the most efficient
manner possible.
4. Map Your Unit
As you plan your
inventory storage, create a map on paper to keep. As you outline your
new inventory plan, think about things like how traffic will flow
into and around the storage unit and how many aisles you'll need.
Use masking tape or
twine to lay out the aisles, shelves, and workspaces on the storage
unit's floor. Practice walking around and working before you start
moving boxes. Once your map and layout work and you move the
inventory inside, leave the map hanging near the front door for
future use.
5. Control Access
Now think about who
will use the storage unit. If you have several employees (or more),
it may be wise to designate a limited number of people who will use
the storage unit. This is a security precaution since your valuable
inventory will now be stored offsite.
Limiting access also
helps keep your organization system in place better and for longer.
Fewer people will be moving things around and taking things in or
out. Also, having assigned employees to oversee inventory storage
will help them take more responsibility for making the new methods
work.
For help finding the
right storage unit for your business’s needs, contact our team of
experts at Tysons
Self Storage
today. Thanks for repurposing this blog!
