For many operators, creating a warehouse budget for the new year ahead is a check-the-box activity. Smart operators, however, use a budget to look for ways to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and grow profitability.

Construction of new warehouses slowed significantly in the latter half of 2023, and activity is projected to decline further in 2024. This is forcing warehouse operators to create more efficient and optimal space within existing structures. When it comes to creating a materials handling budget for 2024, warehouse operators should look closely at their current processes, new ways of doing business, and whether they need to adapt to remain competitive.

As you consider your warehouse budget for 2024 or plan your end-of-year budget spending, here are some of the key steps to take.

Evaluate Your Current Materials Handling Processes

An efficient warehouse layout and the right equipment pay dividends. Now is always a good time to make sure you are using your space optimally.

Look critically at bottlenecks and redundancies that could be eliminated. Reorganizing your layout, adding warehouse automation, or installing the right pallet racks and conveyors can streamline operations. For example, travel time can account for as much as half of your total picking time and more than half of your labor costs. If you can create a more efficient layout or add the right equipment, your ROI can happen quickly.

Have your supervisors time key processes throughout the materials handling lifecycle, from receiving, storage, order picking, packing, and shipping, to identify any inefficiencies. Include your workers in the discussion. They know where the problems are.

As you put together your warehouse budget for 2024, look specifically at where replacing equipment or layout can improve throughput and lower labor costs.

Research Emerging Technologies

Once you understand your current situation, you need to examine emerging technology in equipment and automation. Will adding an updated conveyor system or automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) help meet your goals for 2024 (and beyond)?

Warehouse operators are deploying new strategies. Are you aware of them? Talk to experts, like the team at Conesco Storage Systems, who work with warehouse operators nationwide, to get ideas on evolving trends and new ways of doing business to increase efficiency.

The right automation and systems can help you dramatically reduce costs by:

• Optimizing space
• Improving inventory visibility
• Reducing  labor costs
• Minimizing  workplace accidents

Major retailers like Amazon and Walmart are investing heavily in automation, such as high-density AS/RS systems. Walmart, for example, opened what it called its next-generation fulfillment center in Indianapolis in June and plans to have five such operations by 2026. Amazon is increasing its use of automation and robots—now numbering about 750,000 in its warehouses.

Create Your Warehouse Budget

While building your warehouse budget for 2024, do not forget about anything leftover in 2023. Many companies have a use-it-or-lose-it attitude toward budgeting. End-of-year budget spending on improvements can set you up for success next year while potentially providing tax savings for all of 2023.

Your budget needs to strike a balance between current needs and future growth, so now is the time to think about the future and start planning.

If you have a tight budget, you may want to consider used equipment. Conesco is an industry leader in decommissioning warehouses and handling liquidations. This results in significant amounts of high-quality used equipment—some of which are almost brand new. You can often find the right piece of equipment to improve your operation without having to break the bank.

Execute Your Plan

With your budget in place, it is time to execute.

Work with a supplier that does more than just sell you products. You want warehouse operations experts who can guide you with best practices from the industry’s top operators.

The team at Conesco has been around since 1986 and has a deep understanding of the complexities of warehouse and inventory management. With hundreds of years of combined experience in pallet racking, material handling, and operations, Conesco can help you find the equipment and warehouse layout you need to optimize your materials handling budget.

Here is to a prosperous 2024! If we can help, get in touch.

Make the most of your materials handling budget in 2024. Call the Conesco team at (303) 690-9591 or request a consultation online.

TALK WITH AN EXPERT. CONTACT US.

Conesco can help. Complete our contact form or call us directly at: (303) 690-9591.

At first glance, moving a warehouse may seem like something any professional mover can handle. Maybe using your existing staff and hiring a few day laborers might get the job done. However, warehouse relocation is complex and much more challenging than a typical office move.

When you are searching for warehouse staffing agencies near me, experience matters.

Without proper planning and staging, it can result in lost inventory, inefficient layouts, and damage to equipment. For example, movers may not know how to disassemble and reassemble pallet racking or conveyor systems.  They may not have the right tools or equipment to handle the job efficiently and safely.

They certainly will not know how to optimize the layout of your new warehouse space.

These issues can result in a warehouse move that creates unnecessary downtime and disruptions to your organization. These costs outweigh any short-term savings from using regular movers.

Warehouse Staffing for Relocations

An experienced warehouse staffing company has the specialized skills and expertise to make sure you get a smooth transition from one facility to the next. Conesco has more than 100 years of combined material handling and warehouse experience to get the job done right.

The right relocation company will have the proper equipment for the job and warehouse staffing that is trained safely and efficiently to dismantle and reassemble warehouse equipment. They will also be able to help you plan and optimize your new warehouse layout for peak efficiency.

Besides staffing for your relocation, Conesco can also help you plan your project from start to finish with our four-phase approach:

Initiation

The initiation phase identifies any problems you want to solve in moving to a new warehouse space.  Experts can help analyze workflow, product placement, equipment issues, layout, and automation strategies to improve operations.

Planning Phase

The planning phase establishes the work, resources, costs, and timeline to address the problems and plan the move efficiently. Planning also looks at whether replacing equipment or adding automation can streamline operations.

Execution

The execution approach depends on factors like warehouse size, time of year, storage conditions, and vendor specifications. You will need adequate warehouse staffing from experienced materials handlers to ensure a smooth transition.

Closing

After the move is complete, you will want to review what went well and what could be improved. This knowledge can help you plan future warehouse relocations or expansions.

Finding Warehouse Staffing Agencies Near Me

Finding the right team to work with for your warehouse relocation is crucial for a safe and efficient move. Here are some of the key items you will want to look for.

Industry Experience

Look for companies with extensive experience in moves for your specific industry and type of warehouse. You will want to make sure they have the expertise to handle the type of inventory and equipment you have.

Dedicated Project Managers

The relocation company should have an experienced project manager to oversee the entire warehouse move. They will be your single point of contact before, during, and after the move. This person should be highly experienced and have managed multiple moves previously.

Up-to-Date Licensing and Training

Safety is crucial, so make sure anyone you work with has the required licenses and training for their workers. This includes forklift operation certifications, OSHA safety training, and any compliance needs for your location and industry. Do not risk regulatory violations.

References

A qualified company will be able to provide references from past warehouse relocation clients. Reach out to their former customers to hear about their experiences to gain confidence in their capabilities. You will also want to check their reputation, the Better Business Bureau. Look for a business with an A+ rating.

Services

Not all moving companies offer a broad range of services. You will want to make sure whoever you work with provides more than just hauling your equipment. Even if you only have them handle the physical move, experienced warehouse relocation experts can provide guidance to help make the move easier.

Making Your Warehouse Relocation Go Smoothly

When planned and executed properly, a warehouse relocation can go smoothly. However, it takes a team of professionals with the experience, training, and tools to make a successful move. When you work with the professionals at Conesco Storage Systems, you get a team that has a deep understanding of the complexity of warehouse operations and materials handling.

You get far more than just warehouse movers. You get safe, efficient, and careful moves that minimize downtime, mitigate problems, and optimize your operation.

Contact Conesco today at (303) 690-9591 to discuss your warehouse staffing for smoother warehouse relocation.

TALK WITH AN EXPERT. CONTACT US.

Conesco can help. Complete our contact form or call us directly at: (303) 690-9591.

Materials Handling Staffing Solutions

Relocating to a new warehouse is a logistical challenge for companies of any size. Moving to a new facility while keeping current operations running requires thorough planning to avoid disruption and make for a smooth transition.

The team at Conesco Storage Systems are experts at material handling and warehouse relocation services. We can help you plan the perfect move, provide the staffing you need to get the job done efficiently, and help restore your current facility to a broom-clean finish.

A Smooth Warehouse Relocation

Assuming you have already decided where to move, here are the key things you need to address when planning your warehouse relocation.

Layout

Warehouse relocation offers an opportunity to rethink your space for better utilization and workflow. Before simply replicating your layout in a new facility, you will want to examine whether there are efficiency gains from a different layout.

You may be comfortable with the way things are now, but there is a variety of layouts and footprints you can use. A good place to start is to talk to your team members and find out any areas where they struggle. For example, are there intersections that are congested, areas that require crisscrossing the warehouse, or inefficient racking that slows down the pick, pack, and ship process?

You will want to think through these pain points and visualize the new space and potential configurations, including adding automation. If you can reduce travel time or improve operational efficiency, it accelerates your fulfillment and reduces your labor costs.

Regulations

New locations may have new regulations. Make sure you investigate any permitting or regulatory requirements as soon as possible for your warehouse relocation. For example, some communities require a review of rack storage facilities for fire codes. There may also be regulations about density and material storage, safety features, and lighting.

An experienced material handling company can walk you through the process to ensure a smooth transition.

Timeline

Planning your relocation requires careful attention to timing. Downtime costs you money, so you want to make the move as efficient as possible. Using a company like Conesco with decades of experience with warehouse relocation services can help you create a realistic timetable to mitigate downtime. In most cases, a phased approach works best if you have to continue operating in the current space until the new space is ready.

Inventory

You will want to do a full inventory of your stock and eliminate obsolete or dead stock. Every item you have to move requires labor, so you only want to move items you will use in the future.

Besides the stock on shelves, you should think about pallet racking, mezzanines, conveyors, uprights, wire decks, shelving systems, and other equipment. If you need to sell used equipment or update it with new equipment, Conesco can help. We buy and sell new and used equipment at a high volume, enabling us to get great deals.

Labor

Do not underestimate the importance of using experienced warehouse relocation services experts when it comes to staffing. It takes specialized expertise and the right tools to do the job efficiently and safely. Experienced professionals will know the proper way to disassemble pallet racks, conveyors, and other equipment to avoid damage. If key components get damaged or parts get lost during disassembly and moving, it can derail your deadlines.

Conesco Storage Systems can help you plan your warehouse relocation and provide the warehouse staffing you need to make the transition safely and efficiently.

Testing and Training

After you move into the new location, you will also want to reserve time to do some test runs of your equipment, processes, and workflow to ensure everything works the way you intended. If you changed the layout to speed up fulfillment, for example, you will want to do an end-to-end trial run to make sure you meet your goals.

A new location also requires updated training for safety procedures, potential hazards, and locations of emergency exits and safety equipment. It is a good time to do a general refresher on safety and include any new information.

Choose Conesco Storage Systems

Since 1986, Conesco has been one of the nation’s largest buyers and sellers of warehouse equipment, specializing in warehouse relocation, decommissioning, and liquidation. With more than 150 years of combined warehouse experience, the Conesco team knows how to manage a relocation project efficiently and safely from start to finish.

Call the Conesco team at (303) 690-9591 or request a consultation online to discuss your warehouse relocation.

TALK WITH AN EXPERT. CONTACT US.

Conesco can help. Complete our contact form or call us directly at: (303) 690-9591.

When you are liquidating your pallet racks and other warehouse equipment, there are a few options. You can take the time to document, photograph and list the items on an online marketplace, like eBay, or reach out to other businesses to see if there is interest in purchasing them. These take a considerable amount of time and may not yield the best results.

The most efficient way to sell your pallet racks is to work with an expert material-handling company like Conesco Storage Systems. Conesco can evaluate your pallet rack liquidation assets, provide an offer based on fair-market value and even handle the teardown and cleanup if you want.

A Pallet Racking Liquidation Plan

Proper preparation and planning are key to a smooth liquidation process. Following these steps can get you started.

Take Inventory

Put together a comprehensive inventory of your pallet racks and any other equipment that you plan on selling. Make a note of the age, condition and estimated value of each item. The inventory will be your guide on which items likely have resale value, what can be recycled and what has to be scrapped.

Determine Timelines

You also need to establish a pallet racking liquidation timeline. This needs to include:

• Evaluating and tagging assets
• Teardown and removal
• Recycling and disposal of remaining items
• Facility cleanup

Equipment may also require inspection, cleaning or minor repairs. You will also want to build in time for any other work that needs to happen. For example, many companies want to remove company logos or identification on their pallet racks before selling.

Value Assessment

Finding the fair-market value in a pallet rack liquidation process can be tricky. It depends on the quality of the pallet racking, the demand for used equipment and what is up for sale elsewhere. It is also important to get an accurate value of your assets to get an idea of how they match remaining asset values and depreciation for tax purposes.

A professional evaluation from an experienced material handling company can provide an accurate estimate so you know what your equipment is really worth. A company like Conesco that buys and sells huge volumes of used equipment knows market pricing, so you get a fair deal.

Selling Your Equipment

You can sell equipment yourself, but it can be an extremely challenging and time-intensive process. You will need to itemize, tag and photograph equipment, market your assets to potential buyers and negotiate deals. And there is no guarantee that your pallet racking will sell for fair market.

Equipment Teardown

Your plan will also need to account for equipment teardown, making sure the job is done safely and without damaging equipment.

Scrap and Cleanup

Leftover equipment that cannot be sold or is damaged has to be disposed of. You may be able to recycle some assets, while others need to be hauled away. After you have successfully liquidated your pallet racking, you will need to clean up the area and make any necessary repairs or modifications.

Working with Conesco Storage Systems for Pallet Racking Liquidation

Conesco is an expert in warehouse liquidations and provides end-to-end services to streamline and accelerate your process. As a nationwide leader in both new and used material handling services, Conesco has specialists to facilitate pallet rack liquidations.

A team of dedicated buyers and product acquisition specialists can evaluate your pallet racks and any other warehouse equipment you need to liquidate. Typically, this includes an on-site visit to document equipment and discuss your timelines and priorities. If you have multiple photos of the pallet racking, warehouse layout plans and details on conditions, this can help speed up the process. Based on your circumstances, we can help you create a realistic timeline and provide you with a top-dollar bid for your equipment.

If you need labor, such as teardown, disposal, cleanup or repair, Conesco can handle that too.

Conesco buys and sells pallet racking and other warehouse equipment at scale. Our customers have a high demand for quality used equipment. This helps us to know the sweet spot between supply and demand to ensure you get the best offer possible.

The process itself is fairly straightforward when you work with Conesco:

1. Fill out a form for a free consultation.
2. We can answer all of your questions and evaluate your equipment.
3. In a few days, you receive a custom evaluation and detailed proposal.
4. We send a contract, purchase order and down payment.

After that, we get to work executing the plan to meet your timelines.

Contact Conesco today at (303)-690-9591 to discuss your pallet rack liquidation needs and get top dollar for your equipment.

TALK WITH AN EXPERT. CONTACT US.

Conesco can help. Complete our contact form or call us directly at: (303) 690-9591.

Distribution center liquidation is a big job, and you want to make sure you get top dollar for your equipment. Other operators are always looking for quality used equipment, so there is often high demand. With the right partner, you can get fair market value pricing.

Conesco Storage Systems is a nationwide leader in the material handling industry and specializes in maximizing the value of your DC equipment. A team of dedicated buyers and product acquisition specialists will do an on-site visit, document and evaluate your equipment and provide a top-dollar bid. We can also assist with the labor for teardown, removal and cleanup as part of your liquidation distribution center strategy.

Liquidation Distribution Center Strategy

Careful planning is key to liquidating your assets. Here is a step-by-step process and some of the key factors you need to consider when making your decision on how to move forward.

Create Your Equipment Liquidation Schedule

The first step is walking through the distribution center and cataloging each piece of equipment, furniture and supplies. Creating an inventory list will help you estimate the scope of the liquidation and prepare you to value assets.

A spreadsheet can have columns for item names, descriptions, quantities, conditions, sizes and any notes. It may also help to indicate age and original purchase price if known.

Value Warehouse Equipment

When assessing your equipment’s value, you have to keep a few things in mind. The age and condition of the equipment will have a significant impact on the value. You may want to check recent prices for comparable equipment on auction sites or marketplaces, factoring in depreciation based on age and condition.

Liquidation in a distribution center often includes selling almost everything. So, liquidation prices may be lower than fair market value, especially if there is a single buyer involved. How quickly you need to sell and carrying costs may also impact sales price. Pricing, of course, will vary depending on market demand. In some cases, this can work in your favor to command higher pricing.

There is a market for:

• Pallet racking and accessories
• Conveyor systems
• Mezzanines
• Pick modules
• Balers
• Shrink wraps
• Industrial scales
• Lifts
• and more

Obsolete, damaged or low-value items may have little value but can also be sold as scrap in many cases. For high-value or in-demand equipment, you should get a professional appraisal.

Sell Your Equipment

In a distribution center liquidation, you have a few options to choose from when it comes to selling your assets.

Auction

You can choose to host an on-site auction or an online auction.

Pros: This can produce quick sales and competitive bidding.
Cons: Requires promotion and prep. It may not yield maximum sales. You have to handle paperwork and logistics.

Private Sales

You may want to find individual buyers on your own.

Pros: Can yield fair market pricing for in-demand assets.
Cons: Time intensive to find and broker deals. This may result in selling only some equipment.

Liquidators

Distribution center liquidation specialists can purchase all of your assets and resell them.

Pros: Fast and simple way to liquidate your distribution center equipment. Liquidators handle logistics.
Cons: May produce lower prices for single items but higher total purchase price for all equipment.

Online Marketplaces

Pros: Can reach a wide audience.
Cons: Extremely time-intensive and can yield mixed results.

Regardless of the method you choose, consider the time investment, potential profits and your internal resources.

Disposal and Cleanup

For items that cannot be sold or have no value, you will need to plan for disposal. Some items may be sold for scrap, while others may cost you to haul away. If you have furniture that still has a useful life, you may want to consider donating to charitable organizations.

Dismantling and removing equipment can get messy. You may need to do some serious cleaning, along with making sure anchors are ground flushed and epoxied if needed.

Talk to the Distribution Center Liquidation Experts

After looking at this list, you can see why we said the liquidation of a distribution center is a big job. Your best strategy is to get an evaluation from warehouse liquidation specialists like Conesco to help streamline the process and maximize your return.

Conesco has been a leader in the material handling industry since 1986. We are not an auction house; we are specialists who know the difference between quality used warehouse equipment and junk and can help you get top dollar for your DC assets. Our team is adept at quickly cataloging, assessing and valuing equipment.

Whether you are looking to liquidate your distribution center or shopping for high-quality used equipment, Conesco is here to help.

Conesco has multiple locations nationwide and serves the entire U.S. Contact Conesco today at (303)- 690-9591 to discuss your distribution center liquidation plans.

TALK WITH AN EXPERT. CONTACT US.

Conesco can help. Complete our contact form or call us directly at: (303) 690-9591.

​Warehouse layout design directly impacts efficiency, productivity and safety. An efficient warehouse layout design can streamline operations, save time, and reduce expenses.

A great layout makes it easier to store and pick/pack/ship items, reduces travel time and improves fulfillment rates. From layouts to pallet racking, pick modules, mezzanines, and conveyers, planning your warehouse design is crucial.

How to Design a Warehouse Layout

There are three fundamental principles when it comes to how to design a warehouse layout: safety, cost reduction and sustainability.

Safety

Outside of the construction industry, no other industry has as high of an accident rate as the transportation and warehousing industries. More than a quarter of a million injuries were recorded in 2021 in these sectors, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So, safety has to be your top priority.

Warehouse layout design needs to follow best practices for safety, including:

• Clear Aisles and Walkways: Create wide and unobstructed aisles with visible floor markings to ensure smooth movement and prevent collisions.
• Emergency Exits and Evacuation Routes: Strategically place exits, mark evacuation paths and conduct regular safety drills for employee preparedness.
• Proper Lighting: Install sufficient lighting throughout the warehouse, especially in dimly lit areas, to enhance visibility and prevent accidents.
• Safety Equipment: Provide easy access to safety equipment.
• Load Capacity and Stability: Ensure storage systems can handle the weight and dimensions of items.
• Avoid Blind Spots: Eliminate blind spots and implement mirrors, alert employees of potential collision points.
• Design workflow: Ensure workflow patterns for pick, pack and ship operations do not cause conflicts.

Cost Reduction

With rising wages for warehouse workers and continuing labor shortages, the cost of staffing and managing warehouses continues to increase. Warehouse managers looking to reduce costs need to optimize space utilization and streamline processes to realize efficiencies.

Organizing space efficiently can maximize capacity without hurting accessibility. For example, more efficient pallet racking, mezzanines and vertical storage systems in your warehouse layout design can make the most of your available space.

Travel time is one of those hidden costs that add up fast. Since travel time accounts for about half the total time it takes for order picking, even modest improvements in warehouse layout design can reduce travel time. Eliminating sub-optimal storage or slotting of products can dramatically decrease travel time.

When considering your warehouse design, you should also consider cross-docking to minimize storage time for incoming items. When you can unload incoming shipments and load them directly into outbound vehicles, it eliminates the need for excess storage space. However, you will need the right design to handle the workflow efficiently.

Sustainability

Warehouse operators are increasingly concerned with sustainable practices and for good reasons. Incorporating sustainability into warehouse layout design can create cost savings and eliminate waste. Using green or recycled materials can reduce the environmental impact. Load consolidation and route planning can help reduce fuel consumption and emissions from freight hauling, but your warehouse must be configured to accommodate load consolidation efficiently.

Designing an Optimal Warehouse Layout

When deciding how to design your warehouse layout, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities have unique needs, and different warehouses will need different solutions. You will likely have different footprints, warehouse practices and budget needs for each facility.

At Conesco, we put our industry experience to work for you, evaluating your storage and retrieval challenges. Our team can recommend custom solutions, including the pros and cons of different types of automation, and advise you on the best equipment to deliver optimal results.

At the heart of an efficient warehouse is its design and layout. We help you plan your layout, develop concepts and handle new installations or system upgrades. Our team has deep industry connections and can save you money on warehouse systems with access to high-quality used racking and equipment or our bulk buying power for new systems. We can also handle setup, teardown and liquidation.

Creating a warehouse plan can be complex. We employ a four-phase process to develop warehouse plans:

1. Initiation: Identification of problems you are trying to solve.
2. Planning: Visualization of the space and potential layout configurations, including automation.
3. Implementation: Construction, renovation or phased-in changes.
4. Closing: Wrapping up the project and planning for future work.

With the right warehouse design, you can improve your efficiency with a more organized use of floor space while providing a safer environment for your employees.

Conseco has multiple locations nationwide and serves the entire U.S.

Contact Conesco today at (303)-690-9591 or contact us online to discuss your warehouse planning needs.

TALK WITH AN EXPERT. CONTACT US.

Conesco can help. Complete our contact form or call us directly at: (303) 690-9591.