Posted by Stephanie on April 24, 2023
Running a warehouse requires you to make consistent improvements to the facility’s efficiency when it comes to loading, unloading, and organizational tasks. By making your warehouse more efficient, you’ll be able to maximize your available space, improve worker productivity, and streamline your operations. With an efficient warehouse, you should be able to deliver shipments in a timely manner and maintain profits.
Even if you’ve been able to make shipments on time and keep your customers satisfied, you should continue taking measures that will improve operational efficiency. The most effective way to improve warehouse efficiency is to keep the area clean and organized at all times, which may be more difficult than anticipated if your warehouse is already messy. One solution that will help you stay organized is a tool cage, which gives you the ability to store all of your most important tools and pieces of equipment in a wire partition.
Tool cages can be built in a wide range of styles and sizes to accommodate your needs. They are simple to install and don’t come with any special tool requirements during the installation process. The wire mesh panels are built section by section, which means that the construction process differs from other storage cages. In this guide, you’ll find out more about how tool cages are designed to improve operations and boost warehouse efficiency.
Tool Cages for Custom Warehouse Needs
Every warehouse has a different design and varying needs, which is why there isn’t a one-size-fits-all option when you’re searching for the best tool cage to place in your warehouse. Even though this would be convenient, needing to customize your tool cage allows you to create one that adheres to your warehouse specifications. In order to enhance warehouse efficiency, you’ll first need to understand your floor’s layout and how the decision you end up making will alter your company’s bottom line, productivity, and total expenses.
You can also choose to customize the tool cage to fit your needs. For instance, stock panels are available in widths that range from 1-10 feet and heights that can be either four or five feet tall. You should also look into the numerous panel options at your disposal, which extend to:
For the entry to the cage, there are many sliding, hinged, and double-hinged doors to select from. The type of entryway you choose is mainly based on preference. The two materials that are most commonly used in the making of tool cage doors include steel and aluminum. All doors should come with locking functionality.
Once you’ve customized the tool cage as you see fit, there are many reasons why you should use it in your warehouse. For one, your tools will no longer be messy and disorganized. If an employee needs to complete a simple task but is unable to locate a specific tool for 15 minutes, a basic task that should have been completed in just five minutes will now take 20 or more.
Most of the storage space in a warehouse is used up by other resources or products that you store temporarily, which means that space is valuable. A customized tool cage gives you the organized space you need to make sure all of the tools in your facility are readily visible to personnel. Keep in mind that the right tool storage can help you protect and maintain your tools. When the cage is locked, your most important tools will remain secure at all times.
The only people who can gain access to the cage are ones who have a key. If you take this approach to securing your tools, you could make sure that everyone who removes a tool from the cage needs to first write down their name and information, which allows for an appropriate paper trail if ever a tool is lost.
If you want to further boost security in your tool cage, consider customizing it further by adding motion sensors, card readers, and keypads. Doing so ensures that no unauthorized users gain access to your tool cage and the tools within.
Injuries and Lost or Disorganized Items
A disorganized and cluttered warehouse tells your personnel and anyone who visits that your warehouse operations aren’t as efficient as they should be. In an unorganized warehouse, it’s common for items to become misplaced and injuries to occur when the area hasn’t been properly maintained.
Safety is an essential component of managing an efficient and productive warehouse. Any injuries that your employees experience will reduce the team’s productivity significantly. While an employee is injured, they will likely take time off from work, which means that you’ll need to shift around resources to make sure that all responsibilities are met. When equipment and tools are properly stored, injuries should be kept to a minimum.
After you improve safety in your warehouse, efficiency should automatically see improvements as well. You can use tool cages to keep all types of products, equipment and inventory secure. Even heavy machinery can be locked inside a tool cage depending on the size of the one you select for your facility. If you want to make sure that the equipment you’re storing can only be accessed by a small number of employees, consider custom locks. It’s also possible to add ceilings to your tool cage if you want to boost cage security even further.
Increase Your Warehouse Efficiency With Tool Cages
Depending on how large your warehouse is, using the entire facility in an efficient manner is a challenging task to complete, which is why you should seek assistance from professionals who understand how to implement tool cages in a way that will increase your facility’s safety and efficiency.
Keep in mind that the right type and amount of storage solutions and shelves must be taken into account for every sector in your warehouse. During this process, you’ll also be tasked with thinking about your work processes and traffic patterns if you want to ensure that efficiency is optimized.
Tool cages give you the ability to store a lengthy list of your tool set in one location. This area is customized for your warehouse and is easy to organize. If one of your employees requires a tool, they can sign out when they’re taking something and sign in once they’re done using it.
Once a tool cage has been installed in your facility, it should be easier for you to manage your inventory and keep track of your more valuable items. Make sure that you compare how efficient your warehouse is after the cage has been installed with your efficiency metrics from before. This data gives you insight into additional improvements that can be made for more efficient workflow.
Since you have the ability to customize every feature of your tool cage, you can also design the structure’s shape and size. Most tool cages are three-sided solutions that are placed against a wall. However, freestanding cages are also available if you want to be able to easily move the cage to any area of your warehouse.
Before you begin customizing a tool cage, understand that there are other factors that will allow you to maintain an efficient warehouse. For instance, it’s essential that the right employees are in the right roles. Team members must also be effectively managed to ensure that everyone’s on the same page. Another factor that’s essential for an efficient workplace is time management. Any processes or tasks that only serve to waste time should be eliminated.
Why Choose QMH?
Tool cages offer numerous benefits that you’ll be able to take advantage of, the primary of which is that you’ll always know where tools are. If someone checks out a tool but hasn’t checked it back in, you know exactly who to make inquiries to. These cages are also easy to install. The entire installation process can be completed with basic hand tools and a minimal amount of nuts and bolts. Some of the additional benefits of tool cages include better product safety, affordability, and visibility.
Here at QMH, we provide warehouses and other facilities with numerous tool cage solutions. If you want to be certain that the tool cage you select for your warehouse is a good fit, we can work with you to customize every feature and facet of the cage. If you believe that you lack space in your facility to have a tool cage installed, our team will take a look at your layout to identify how it can be improved before and after tool cages are implemented. Our goal is to help our clients improve efficiency and productivity in their warehouses. Call us today to begin designing a secure storage solution.
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