Consolidating Frozen Storage to Optimise Growth and Logistics
18 Jul 2015
Consolidating storage space is a way for manufacturers to provide opportunities for growth and to optimise the logistical process. Coloma Frozen Foods worked to consolidate their storage operations which resulted in a more efficient system that saw a reduction in overall costs. The use of the right type of pallets can also help to create a successful storage operation that is cost-efficient.
The Issue of Storage
Before they consolidated their storage operations, Coloma Frozen Foods had an inefficient logistical system that was becoming increasingly costly to run. In order to meet the capacity requirements for their range of frozen fruits, vegetables, concentrates and juices, they needed to outsource or lease facilities. This resulted in storage units that were spread across a 20-mile area, lowering productivity levels and costing the business money in additional transportation and handling requirements.
The Solution
In order to consolidate their frozen storage space, Coloma built a 90,000 square foot freezer unit that featured a 75,000 racking system. This new centralised facility made the production, storage and transportation network cheaper and more efficient.
It was important for Coloma to consider their options carefully when developing the unit so that it worked exactly as required and was as efficient as possible. The space features drive-in racks, which are more cost-effective and create a higher-density space. These racks allow forklifts to drive straight into the units, reducing the time it takes to load and unload goods and minimising the requirement for manual handling.
The new racking units are capable of storing at least two pallets deep, which makes a better use of the available space and results in a need for fewer aisles. They created five different levels of racking, including a floor level, to make a more efficient storage facility which can handle a variety of SKUs. Coloma now have the capacity for up to 75% more pallets than with a selective racking system, and this is the best option for high-traffic operations such as theirs.
The Benefits of Pallets
The example of Coloma shows how pallets can be used to make storage and logistical operations more cost-effective. With their new storage space, the company can expect to save up to $200,000 annually. This saving covers the reduction in labour, transportation, management, maintenance and energy costs.
With the use of racking systems, pallets can be quickly and efficiently loaded on to forklifts and stored in the correct space. When goods are required for transportation, the particular pallets can be quickly identified and unloaded from the racking system. They can also be efficiently stored when loaded and empty, as standardised pallets can be stacked safely on top of one another, reducing the amount of space that they take up.
If you’re looking to purchase plastic pallets, these can help to create a consolidated approach to storage. There is a wide range of plastic pallets available at http://www.plasticpalletsuk.co.uk/ that will meet a variety of logistical requirements.