When deciding on the size warehouse you want to buy, lease, or build, there are several factors to keep in mind. More often than not, among the least important of which, to many executives’ surprise, is the number of employees you will have on site. Typically, your inventory and means of storage will require much more space than your people.
Pallets
If you are using pallets to store and ship your goods, you will need to consider three things as a factor of required storage space. What is the size of your pallets? Typical pallet sizes are 48” x 40” but can vary greatly. Next, and this is fairly obvious, how many pallets will you need to store at any given time? Your commercial real estate space needs to be able to accommodate the height of your inventory, not just your average, day-to-day stock.
Finally, how many pallets high can you stack your inventory? Several things go into determining this factor. One, of course, is the inventory itself. If your products simply can’t handle the added weight, you will need a great deal more space for your products. Another issue is the required climate for your commercial real estate facilities. If your products require a particularly cool environment, having a huge warehouse with high ceilings may cost a great deal more to cool than it’s worth. Third, don’t forget to consider how high you can actually reach. If your machinery can’t get to those top pallets, or even put them up there in the first place, you will never get your spacing right.
Dock Doors
You will need to know how many dock doors you need for your operation to run smoothly. Efficiency here is key. Keep in mind how many trucks will be coming in and out of your facility, and how long each truck will be staying there. This coming and going often takes several hours at least. Where is best for your doors to be located? All on one wall? Opposite walls? If your dock doors are all on one wall, and you have a good amount of doors, there is a good chance that your required square footage will be determined solely by the number of doors you need. Don’t forget you’re paying by the square foot. Efficiency is so important when making these decisions.
Equipment
How will you be moving your inventory around within your facilities? The large machines you might be using need a lot of space to maneuver between storage space and receiving and shipping docks. Complex conveyor belt systems also need a great deal of room.
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