Running Out of Space to Store Inventory? How About a Mezzanine?

Today's culture of customization has contributed to the explosion of part numbers and SKU's in a distribution center. Red, Green, and Blue are now Brick, Scarlet, Rose, Forrest, Sea, Hunter, Sky, Royal, and Dodger. So how do you deal with the proliferation of part numbers when your operating space hasn't gotten any bigger? Look up.

Do you have space over your existing storage equipment that can be used? Do you have people on ladders or trucks going up to get to parts - in very large aisles? Are pallets filled with mixed part numbers creating an "inventory stew" on the pallet? The answer may be to use your overhead space the way you would use your floor space.

Mezzanines provide a fairly simple solution to SKU proliferation. You can create additional operating square footage in the same footprint that you currently occupy. The newly created space can be used for many applications:

• Shelving Storage
• Carousels
• Flow-Rack Pick Modules
• Packing Stations
• Office and/or Meeting Space
• Bulk Storage of Inventory
• Conveying or Sorting Equipment
• Put Stations

Manufacturers of mezzanines, such as Steele Solutions in Franklin, Wisconsin (www.steelesolutions.com), can provide a custom design to fit your needs, meet local and state building codes, and provide a visually pleasing structure to blend in with the look of your current facility. Mezzanines and Platforms can add up to 33% or more of additional operating space without having to expand your existing building!