Pm2 Services
Storeroom Maintenance & Organization Solutions
We Make It Easier for You to Keep Track of Your Stock
Your storeroom is the backbone of your business. It’s where you store the inventory of materials and supplies that keep your business running. But as your business grows, your storeroom can become cluttered and disorganized, making it difficult to find what you need when you need it.
That’s where PM2 comes in. We can provide you with the latest storeroom inventory management practices to make it easier for you to keep track of your stock.
Keep Your Business
Running Smoothly
Contact us today to learn more about our storeroom solutions and how we can help you keep your business running smoothly.
What Is A Storeroom?
At its most basic definition, a storeroom is an area where inventory is kept. This can be anything from office supplies to spare parts for machinery. A storeroom can be as small as a closet or as large as a warehouse. No matter the size, every storeroom needs to be properly organized and maintained in order to function correctly.
Store Room Function & How It Works
The main function of a storeroom is to provide an environment where people know what they have, how much they have, and where they can find it when they need it.
It supports the everyday functioning of all your buildings, machines, and operations.
A well-functioning storeroom will be organized in such a way that makes it easy to find and retrieve items.
Keeping essential items stocked and organized is critical to the performance of any business.
Why Stockroom Maintenance Matters
Proper maintenance of a storeroom is essential to ensuring that it functions correctly. Poorly maintained storerooms can lead to a number of problems, such as:
Plant downtime
Lost or misplaced inventory
Incomplete work orders
Significant increased costs
Increased risk of accidents
Inefficient practices and wasted time
Proper storeroom maintenance includes regularly ensuring there is a place for everything and everything is in its correct place, properly recording new items in the database, eliminating duplicates in both data and locations, and processes established during the initial adoption are followed. A well-maintained storeroom is a safe and efficient place to work. It is essential to keeping your organization up and running.
Effective Inventory Management
In order to properly maintain a storeroom, an effective inventory management system must be in place. Inventory management is the process of tracking inventory levels, ordering new items as needed, and keeping track of where inventory is located. An effective inventory management system will help to ensure that a storeroom is properly stocked and organized.
PM2 provides inventory management solutions that are designed to keep your storerooms and your operation running smoothly and efficiently.
Efficient Use of Time and Space
When it comes to storeroom organization and maintenance, having proper processes is of the essence. Creating and following a schedule for cleaning, organizing, and stocking inventory will help to ensure that your storeroom is always in top condition.
You should also make use of vertical space to help you maximize your storeroom space. Utilizing storage solutions such as cabinets, shelves, racks, and bins can help you to keep your storeroom organized and tidy, saving you time, money, and space.
Reduced Costs and Stockouts
By properly maintaining your storeroom, you can help to reduce the costs associated with less than optimal inventory management, such as unnecessary overstock and stockouts, excessively long search times, extra trips to acquire needed items, unnecessary shipping costs, and more, all of which can disrupt business operations. Keeping your storeroom clean and organized can help to prolong the life of your inventory and reduce the likelihood of accidents.
How to Organize a Storeroom
Storeroom Organization and Layout Techniques
No matter what you keep in your storeroom, organization of the physical space, the data that tracks it, and the processes that keep it maintained are all key. When addressing the physical space, following a few simple storeroom organization and layout techniques, you can help to ensure that your storeroom is efficient and effective.
Promote a Clean, Orderly Environment
Keep your storeroom clean and orderly by regularly cleaning the space, putting away items that have strayed from their designated location, and removing any unwanted, outdated, or expired items from your active inventory. If you have critical spares that are not often used, make sure they are labeled and properly entered into your database so they can be found in an emergency. Doing so will make it easier to find and retrieve items when you need them.
Use Proper Racks & Shelving
Utilize appropriate store room shelving, cabinets, bins or other storage solutions to organize your inventory, make the most efficient use of your space, and prevent items from becoming lost or damaged. Placing items in the correct type of storage room shelf, or most appropriate cabinet, rack, or bin for each unique item will make it easier to find and retrieve items when necessary.
Make the Most of Your Space
Make use of vertical space to store items and promote organization. By utilizing the right cabinets, shelves, racks, and bins, you can make the most of your storeroom space and keep inventory organized and accessible.
When it comes to storeroom layout, it is important to consider the items you will be storing and how often you will need to access them. By taking the time to strategically plan how your space is laid out, you can ensure that your storeroom can operate efficiently and effectively.
Clearly Label Everything
Label everything in your storeroom, from individual items and shelves to bins and drawers. Doing so will help you to keep track of your inventory and quickly find the items you need. Whenever you receive a new item, labeling its new location with its stocking information will help you maintain an effective and organized storeroom.
Implement an Effective Inventory Management System
In order to properly maintain a storeroom, it is important to have an effective inventory management system in place. By tracking inventory levels, ordering new items only as needed, and keeping track of where inventory is located, you can ensure that your storeroom always has the items you need while preventing excess stock.
Managing a Safe Storeroom
Storing Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials, such as chemicals and flammable liquids, must be stored in a safe and secure manner to protect employees and prevent accidents.
Best Practices
Businesses that use hazardous materials must take special precautions to ensure the safety of their employees. In order to prevent accidents and keep employees safe, businesses should follow these best practices when storing hazardous materials:
Clearly label all containers
Store containers in a cool, dry storage space
Ensure that the storeroom meets all safety standards
Use proper ventilation when handling dangerous chemicals
Inspect containers regularly for leaks
Keep location and data information up-to-date
Ensure that only authorized personnel have access to the storeroom
Train employees on how to properly handle hazardous materials
To maintain a sufficiently safe storage area, there are specific requirements businesses must meet depending on the materials they are storing.
Safety
Requirements
There are a variety of federal, state, and local regulations businesses must follow when storing hazardous materials.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency that regulates the safety of workplaces. OSHA has a set of guidelines businesses must follow when storing hazardous materials.
State and local governments also have regulations businesses must follow. In some cases, these regulations may be more stringent than those set by OSHA.
To ensure compliance with all safety regulations, businesses should be aware of these safety regulations and/or consult with a professional storeroom consultant like PM2.
Flammable Storage Room Requirements
There are a variety of requirements businesses must meet when storing flammable items. Some of these requirements include:
A room no larger than 500 square feet
A fire-resistance rating of at least 2 hours
Proper ventilation
One clear aisle that is at least 3-feet wide
Self-closing doors
Automatic sprinkler system
Additionally, storage rooms that house flammable materials should be kept clean and free of clutter. Clearly labeling containers and restricting access to only authorized personnel are also critical for maintaining a safe storeroom.
Chemical Storage Room Requirements
When storing chemicals, businesses must take special precautions to ensure employee safety. Some safe storage rules include:
Store chemicals in a designated room or cabinet, away from sunlight, electrical panels, heat sources, and pathways
Categorize and separate chemicals according to their hazards (i.e. water reactives, corrosives, etc.)
Clearly label all containers
Keep containers closed unless dispensing or refilling chemicals
Inspect containers regularly for leaks
Restrict access to only authorized personnel
Hazardous chemicals must be stored below eye level but cannot be placed on window ledges, balconies, or the floor. To comply with safety regulations, businesses should be intimately familiar with all federal, state, and local regulations or consult a warehouse professional, like PM2.
Maintaining Your MRO Storeroom
In an MRO storage room, organization is key to maintaining a safe and efficient workspace; organization of the physical space, the data that helps keep track of it, and the processes that maintain it. Products must be properly labeled and stored in a designated location, accurately represented in the management database, and maintained in such a way that it is easier to put product in the right place than it is to put it in the wrong place. A well-organized storeroom can help employees find the supplies they need quickly, help them get their job done, and reduce costs.
There are a few simple steps businesses can take to maintain their MRO storeroom for optimal efficiency, including:
Set Goals and Objectives
Whether you are setting up a new MRO storage room or reorganizing an existing one, it is important to begin by setting clearly-defined objectives. In order to track your progress, you’ll benefit from having current data on your inventory as well as size, current stock levels, and usage of each product. You should also acquire an illustration or blueprint of your storeroom layout to inform your decisions.
Once you have gathered this information, you can start to develop your goals and objectives. These may include:
Improving employee safety
Decreasing the time it takes to find MRO supplies
Reducing MRO supply costs
Maximizing storage space
Improving MRO supply accessibility
Engage an Inventory Management Consultant to Optimize Your Storeroom
When you work with PM2 to organize and manage your storeroom, we’ll help you implement the most effective solutions for your unique environment. This is our area of expertise, and our team will provide you with actionable recommendations and resources to implement the most effective MRO storeroom.
Storeroom Layout Design
We can help you design (or redesign) your space to improve efficiencies and meet OSHA requirements. Proper storage room designs are never one-size-fits-all; we’ll take a unique approach to your storeroom to ensure the layout suits your specific needs and processes.
Equipment Selection
Most storerooms require shelving, cabinets, drawers, or other storage equipment. Knowing which options are best suited for your needs can be a challenge with the number of products available. PM2 can provide informed recommendations for equipment so you can confidently optimize the organization and maintenance of your storeroom.
Installation
When it comes to assembling and installing new equipment, many companies find that they simply don’t have the time or resources to handle the process. At PM2, our team will safely and securely assemble and install your new storeroom equipment for optimal performance.
Consolidation
Moving all of your inventory into one place can be a daunting task, but for many businesses, it is essential. PM2 will help you identify how much space you will need and how to efficiently use your available space. Creating this plan ahead of time will save you time and money, and PM2 will handle the logistics and execution of the move itself, allowing you and your team to keep working.
Relocation
Whether your storeroom relocation takes you to a different area of the same plant or to another building altogether, PM2 can provide you with the solutions you need to make the move as efficient as possible. From selecting the storage equipment you’ll need in the new location to identifying who is responsible for re-establishing data connections and maintaining data integrity, PM2 is equipped with the expertise and resources to help you successfully relocate your storeroom.
Relabeling
As you make changes to your inventory database, you will likely need to change or update barcode labels. PM2 will print and relabel the items in your storeroom to ensure everything is properly accounted for in the physical space as well as in the databases you use.
Integrate Technology
Technology can help businesses streamline your MRO storeroom operations and improve efficiencies. By investing in a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), businesses can manage their inventory levels, track MRO supplies, tie products to work orders, and schedule preventative maintenance tasks.
In some circumstances, installing an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) can also help businesses improve the efficiency of their MRO storeroom by automating storage and retrieval tasks and freeing up space.
Businesses can also use radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to track MRO supplies and equipment. RFID tags are small devices that emit a radio signal that can be used to identify and track items. By attaching RFID tags to MRO supplies, businesses can quickly and easily locate and track usage of items in their storeroom.
Overhaul Outdated Practices
If your business has been using the same MRO storeroom practices for years, it may be time to overhaul your methods. Review your current procedures and look for ways to improve them.
For example, if you are still using paper-based records to track your inventory levels, you may want to switch to a computerized system. This will help you to track usage across the enterprise, compile reports, and reduce human error costs.
You should also take a close look at your safety procedures and make sure that they are up-to-date. Review your policies and procedures to ensure that they are in line with the latest OSHA requirements and current best practices.
Another element that could have a huge impact on the revitalization of your MRO storeroom management is identifying and removing slow-moving or obsolete inventory (SLOB) from active inventory. This is inventory that takes up valuable space in your storeroom but is never used, tying up money that could be better spent elsewhere. By getting rid of SLOB, you can free up space and money for more important items.
Employ & Train the Right Personnel
The success of your MRO storeroom depends largely on the employees who maintain it. When hiring for MRO storeroom positions, look for individuals who are organized, detail-oriented, and have good customer service skills.
It is also important to provide employees with the training they need to perform their duties safely and effectively. Employees should be certified to use storeroom equipment, such as forklifts and cranes, as well as how to safely handle MRO supplies.
Defining and enforcing policies and procedures is also critical for maintaining a safe and efficient MRO storeroom. Your policies should cover all aspects of storeroom operations, from stocking supplies to picking and shipping orders to OSHA requirements for how to properly and safely store that equipment. Make sure that your employees are familiar with your policies and procedures and that they follow them at all times.
Implement Consistent Maintenance Plans
To keep your MRO storeroom in top condition, you should implement a consistent maintenance plan. This may include regularly cleaning and inspecting your equipment and supplies as well as making repairs and scheduling maintenance before any issues become expensive problems to repair.
Install an Appropriate Security System
To protect your MRO storeroom from theft and vandalism, you should integrate an appropriate security system. This may include fencing, cameras, motion-activated lights, alarms, or a badge entry system.
It is also important to keep your storeroom locked after hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Storeroom Maintenance
What are common storeroom issues?
Regardless of the type of business you run or the materials you store, it’s important to be aware of common storage room issues so you can take steps to prevent them. Some of the most common issues include:
- Inventory management issues
- Data not matching what is actually on the shelves
- Lack of space or inefficient use of space
- Dirty or cluttered conditions
You can address some of these problems by engaging PM2 to help identify and introduce inventory management solutions, investing in a computerized inventory system, matching your data to the product on the shelves, and establishing processes to maintain and keep your storeroom clean and organized.
How do you improve your storeroom design and layout?
There are a number of ways to improve your storeroom design. To start, you can:
- Analyze how your storeroom is currently being used and identify areas for improvement
- Clean and organize the storeroom
- House only products you need with only one item per location
- Invest in storage shelves, racks, and bins to maximize space
- Make sure everything is clearly labeled and accurately represented in your database
Improve Your Storeroom Inventory Management With Solutions from PM2
For an efficient, effective storeroom, you need high-quality, proven, inventory management solutions. PM2 will help you get your physical environment, your data, and your storeroom processes running efficiently to help save you significant time and money.
Eliminate downtime and improve employee production! PM2 storeroom solutions are designed to help you streamline your operations and improve your bottom line. To learn more about PM2 storeroom solutions, contact us today. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have and help you implement the unique solution for your business.