Updating your facility can improve the efficiency of your processes, make the area safer and uncover underutilized floor space. Mezzanines provide a smart way to take advantage of vertical space in your warehouse or production facility, and they have many creative uses.
Warehouse mezzanine office
Having an office space embedded into your warehouse can simplify a lot about your business. Physical proximity to your facility’s operations means it’s easier to oversee processes and respond to issues quickly. Additionally, when plant managers are located nearby, they are more accessible to employees. Issues can be brought to the table quicker and addressed promptly.
Furthermore, tasks that need to be cross-checked with documentation or problems that require paperwork can be taken care of faster when these records are within reach.
Despite the many benefits of having an in-plant office, there’s one glaring issue that can’t be overlooked: Offices take up floor space. With a warehouse mezzanine office, this isn’t the case. By elevating the plant manager’s office, no square footage is sacrificed.
Mezzanines for extra inventory
As a business grows, it accumulates inventory to accommodate its increasing demand. But while booming business might be good for the bottom line, space constraints pose a serious problem for rapidly developing companies. Your facility has only so much square footage, but investing in new property may not be feasible or a smart financial decision.
When this is the case, don’t overlook vertical space. It can be very valuable when you know how to make the most of it. Mezzanines can give your facility the boost it needs.
Growing companies may have other needs for their space beyond storage. If a manufacturing plant begins to expand or adds new items to their capabilities, it may be worthwhile to expand production lines. Clearing the floor of all storage space by moving all storage to the mezzanine, or by adding production space up above, can help the business ramp up production without the need to expand outward or invest in new real estate.
Break room mezzanines
Floor space is a valuable resource in your facility, and it may be tempting to fill it all with production stations. But it’s important to remember to give your employees some space of their own. Workers should have areas for preparing and eating their lunches, or just taking a break. Installing a break room on mezzanine can provide employees with a cafeteria and lounge away from work spaces.
Materials handling and manufacturing are physically intensive, so providing a comfortable relaxation space can help ease the demands of the job. It’s also a great way to show employees that the company cares about them and appreciates their efforts – two positive messages that can positively impact turnover rates. Break rooms also encourage employee interaction, giving team members the opportunity to get to know each other better, which makes for a stronger bonds at work.
Conveyor side mezzanine
In production facilities, a single item goes through a number of stages, during which it’s built upon and transformed into an end product, then packaged for delivery. Depending on the item, it can be difficult to access certain components from the ground level. Having a mezzanine strategically installed alongside a conveyor system can help. The conveyor will move the product to the side of the mezzanine, and the employee will be able to meet it comfortably and with all necessary tools and parts, which can be organized next to, behind or even on the mezzanine if space allows. This gives the worker easy access to the necessary components as well as an advantageous vantage point for assembly.
Ergonomics in the workplace has received greater attention over the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ergonomics is meant to prevent musculoskeletal disorders among employees, which are caused by repetitive motions and poor posture. Providing mezzanines that allow employees to reach and better manipulate the objects they’re working on can provide a more comfortable, healthy work environment.
Keep stock separate
International freight forwarding companies often welcome products from a wide variety of industries and countries that they then must keep organized and separated. These items may arrive before the proper documentation can be processed, which means the items must be securely held for a period of time.
When a facility’s storage area is undivided, it can be all too easy for two or more shipments to mix together. To keep all items neatly organized and separate from one another, facilities should consider installing mezzanines, complete with fences and cages. This way, all clients can be confident that the items are well taken care of as relevant documents are processed or in the waiting period between arrival and departure.
Installing mezzanines into a facility can go a long way to improving productivity, opening up floor space or making storage more efficient and secure. However, they need to be installed properly and maintained. For more information about choosing the right metal mezzanine systems for your facility, reach out to Miner.