Warehouse storage decisions directly affect capacity, accessibility, material handling, and day to day efficiency. When storage systems are not designed around how a facility operates, businesses can lose valuable space, create unnecessary movement, and make inventory more difficult to access. Over time, these inefficiencies compound into extra travel distance for pickers, bottlenecks around high-traffic aisles, and pallet positions that sit underused.
The right racking solution should be designed around the products being stored, available space, storage requirements, and how materials move through the facility. That means looking beyond a simple pallet count and evaluating the full picture: inventory turnover, seasonal fluctuations, and the equipment used to move product in and out of storage.
McMurray Stern provides custom racking and storage solutions designed around the specific needs of each operation, helping businesses improve storage density, accessibility, ergonomics, and overall space utilization.
Choosing a racking system involves more than determining how much inventory needs to be stored. The right solution should account for the physical characteristics of the inventory, available warehouse space, storage density requirements, accessibility, and material handling needs. A system that looks efficient on paper can still create problems if it doesn't align with how employees actually retrieve and restock inventory throughout the day.
Before selecting a racking solution, consider:
A properly designed system can help an operation use available space more effectively while creating a safer and more organized storage environment. It can also reduce physical strain on employees and make inventory counts and audits more straightforward.
Different operations require different approaches to storage and retrieval.
Auto Stak is a fully enclosed system of trays accessed by an integrated crane. This configuration provides an organized approach to storing materials while using vertical space efficiently. Because the trays are enclosed, the system can also help protect stored materials from dust, debris, and unauthorized access useful for operations storing sensitive or high-value inventory.
For operations looking for an enclosed storage system with integrated access, Auto Stak can provide a solution designed around the facility's storage requirements, including how frequently materials need to be retrieved and how much vertical clearance is available.
Tire storage presents unique challenges because of the size, weight, and shape of the products being stored. Tires don't stack or store the way palletized goods do, and inconsistent sizing across a tire inventory can make traditional shelving inefficient or unsafe.
Maxrak is a heavy duty tire racking system featuring instantly adjustable shelves that require no tools. This flexibility makes it possible to adjust the storage configuration as requirements change, whether that means accommodating a wider range of tire sizes or reorganizing inventory as new stock arrives.
For operations that need dedicated tire storage, Maxrak provides a durable and adaptable approach to organizing inventory while making better use of available space.
When floor space is limited, reducing the space required for material handling can be an important consideration. Traditional racking systems often require wide aisles to accommodate forklifts, which can consume a significant portion of a warehouse's available footprint.
ProStak features instantly adjustable shelves and an ultra compact motorized crane, eliminating the need for forklifts within the storage system. By removing forklift traffic from the equation, operations can often narrow their aisles and reclaim that space for additional storage positions.
This configuration can help operations maximize available storage space while providing an integrated approach to accessing stored materials.
Military and government operations can have demanding storage requirements where accessibility, organization, and flexibility are critical. These environments often involve strict inventory tracking standards and a wide range of cargo types that need to be organized systematically.
Unit Supply Cargo Rack is designed for cargo storage at military bases, providing a safe, efficient, and flexible storage solution when time is critical.
For facilities supporting military operations, selecting a storage system around the specific requirements of the application can help improve organization and operational efficiency.
No two storage environments operate exactly the same way. A facility storing fast-moving consumer goods has very different needs than one storing heavy industrial components or seasonal inventory, and a racking system should reflect those differences rather than force every operation into the same layout.
McMurray Stern's racking solutions can be configured around factors such as pallet size, storage requirements, available space, and system capacity. The company highlights flexible pallet sizes, variable length systems, and integrated crane capacities of up to 6,000 pounds as design considerations.
This approach allows storage systems to be developed around the operation rather than forcing the operation to adapt to a standard configuration.
When warehouse space is limited, increasing storage density can provide an opportunity to increase usable capacity without expanding the facility. For many operations, particularly those in urban areas or older buildings, expanding the physical footprint simply isn't realistic, which makes getting more out of existing space a priority.
McMurray Stern offers high density mobile storage solutions, including standard high density mobile systems, low profile mobile systems, and high bay mobile systems. Its racking page also highlights custom high bay mobile storage for manufacturing, distribution, retail, and warehouse operations.
The right approach depends on the facility, inventory, available space, and storage requirements. High density solutions tend to work best in operations where inventory doesn't need to be accessed constantly throughout the day, since consolidating aisle space naturally means fewer aisles are open at any given time.
Storage capacity is only one part of an effective storage strategy. Even a system with abundant pallet positions can create daily friction if it isn't positioned with an understanding of how people and equipment actually move through the building.
The placement and configuration of storage systems can influence how employees access materials, how equipment moves through the facility, and how efficiently available space is used. Poorly planned layouts can lead to congestion at popular pick locations, longer travel times, and increased risk of equipment collisions in narrow aisles.
A storage solution should therefore be evaluated as part of the overall facility rather than as an isolated piece of equipment. McMurray Stern takes a design-build approach to storage projects, helping customers evaluate their space and develop solutions around their operational requirements.
Even experienced operations teams can run into avoidable issues when selecting a racking system. Common mistakes include:
Avoiding these pitfalls generally comes down to one principle: racking should be designed around how the operation actually works, not just how much it needs to store.
Storage requirements can change as inventory levels, product types, and operational needs evolve. A racking system installed for today's business alone may struggle to keep pace with growth, new product lines, or shifts in order volume.
A system designed around current requirements should also provide the flexibility needed to accommodate future changes. The ability to reconfigure, expand, or adjust a system without a full replacement can save significant time and cost down the line.
McMurray Stern's racking solutions include flexible pallet sizes, variable length systems, and configurations designed around specific storage requirements. These options can help businesses develop storage environments that remain useful as their needs change.
Warehouse capacity is not determined by floor space alone. The right racking strategy can help businesses make better use of available vertical space, reduce unnecessary aisle space, and increase usable storage capacity without expanding the facility.
When evaluating storage capacity, consider how pallets are positioned, how frequently inventory is accessed, and how material handling equipment moves through the warehouse. A system that increases pallet positions but creates access or workflow issues may not deliver the expected operational benefits.
McMurray Stern can help evaluate your existing warehouse layout and storage requirements to identify opportunities for better space utilization. By matching the racking configuration to your inventory profile and workflow, you can create a storage environment that supports current operations while allowing room for future growth.
Whether the priority is increasing pallet positions, improving inventory access, or making better use of vertical space, the right racking strategy can turn available warehouse space into greater storage capacity.
Before committing to a new pallet racking system, it can help to work through a short list of practical questions with your team:
Working through these questions before evaluating specific racking products can make it easier to identify which type of system is the best fit for the operation.
Selecting a racking system is only one part of developing an effective storage environment.
McMurray Stern works with businesses to understand their storage requirements and develop solutions around their available space, materials, workflow, and operational goals. Its racking solutions include Auto Stak, Maxrak, ProStak, and Unit Supply Cargo Rack, along with custom high bay mobile storage applications.
The best storage solution is not simply the one that provides the most storage positions. It is the one that creates the right balance of capacity, accessibility, organization, space utilization, and operational requirements.
Before investing in a new racking system, evaluate how your facility currently uses its space, what challenges your storage environment creates, and what your operation needs from its storage system.
Ready to improve your warehouse storage? Connect with McMurray Stern to discuss your racking and storage requirements.