Because of the competitive nature of manufacturing, distribution, and retail, implementing the following warehouse best practices from the experts at Papé Material Handling can mean the difference between merely keeping up with the competition and surpassing them.

When you purchase or rent a lift truck, understanding your capacity needs is critical to selecting the right forklift. Although it seems straightforward to match your typical load weight to a forklift with that rated capacity, there are a number of factors that can change the rated capacity you need. How? First, let’s make sure you know the basics:

Productivity is top of mind for warehouse managers, but moving more pallets per hour should never come at the cost of safety or your operators’ needs. Plus, keeping your operators happy reduces turnover and the cost of retraining new employees. So, what is it that operators want most? Simply put, new equipment.

Going green or making eco-friendly choices to reduce your warehouse energy consumption isn’t just about taking care of the planet or meeting Tier 4 emission requirements . For small businesses, even slight changes to reduce energy consumption can result in significant cost savings.

One of the most common warehouse and distribution center challenges is lack of space. Square footage isn’t cheap and it’s important for your business that you utilize your storage space effectively. Cost effective changes to your racking system or material handling equipment can increase the number of pallet positions in your space and help you operate more efficiently.

Warehouses and distribution centers are handling more SKUs than ever. This increase creates significant challenges, specifically in terms of storage, productivity, and safety.