Case Study: Stores Development

Stock Development and Management

A food distribution site enquired about our services to create a new ‘Engineering Stores’. The criteria would entail the construction of a caged secure storage area, the appropriate racking and the storage of critical spares. The project would also include the migration of current stock that was haphazardly located in various locations.

The customer found the current set-up of the stores had issues such as:

  • Disorganised stock locations.
  • Inaccurate stock levels.
  • Missing stock.
  • Stock location machine powering down making stock inaccessible.
  • Health and Safety risks.

We visited the site to measure and plan how we would configure the stores arrangement. Then we submitted a CAD drawing of a new stores area with bespoke racking for components, bin locations and a security perimeter fence that would be joined onto the existing engineering offices.

With the customer happy with the designs, we began by unloading existing stock so we could provide suitable space and housing in the new location. The racks were then assembled before the surrounding fence was installed.

We then began to migrate the stock from the pallets and existing racking into the new stores area. Using the critical spares list, we were able to place the components in suitable locations based on size and type.

Then we assigned locations, references and barcodes that can be used with the customer’s stock management system. The signage used the customers: fonts, pantones and logos to fit in seamlessly with the existing signage, but in some instances, the colours were inverted to make the engineering stores distinguishable and recognisable.

The space has transformed into a neat functional area, with the stock relocated as required. The engineering stores have been designed with future-proofing in mind and can be expanded for upcoming projects. Additionally, allowing the maintenance staff to reduce time spent searching for spares and easier stock management.

  • Rack, bay and bin locations are designated.
  • Company branding is utilised appropriately.
  • Stock is easily accessible to monitor.
  • Conforms to health and safety standards.