Warehouse automation and storage densification are enablers of sustainability and modern building design
Sustainability means doing business without negatively impacting the world around us. When sustainability is at the forefront, it drives increased value and growth, creating a better future for us all.
As owners move toward zero emissions and wiser resource usage, warehouse automation and storage densification is top of mind. By designing a modern warehouse from the inside-out and pairing end-user needs with the right storage densification solution, owners will achieve the greatest level of efficiency and realize enduring value and environmental sustainability.
The FLEXSPACE Mobile Racking System is crucial for warehouses on the sustainability journey. It offers several key drivers to warehouse sustainability: smaller building footprint; less land, labor and energy; as well as overall decreased construction and land costs.
Smaller Building Footprint
We use the example of a 106,000-square-foot warehouse space using the FLEXSPACE Mobile Racking System rather than a traditional double-deep system. To achieve the desired pallet positions of approximately 30,000, a warehouse using the Mobile system for storage density would be 32% smaller than the warehouse using a double-deep storage system. Here is where the business case becomes apparent: less space means less energy usage, an enhanced opportunity for labor performance optimization, and greater resource efficiency. FLEXSPACE Mobile System facilitates storage densification within a smaller building footprint, helping to achieve labor efficiencies with single-select access to each pallet position. The mobile system raises the bar on the current status quo process of warehouse design and construction and successfully demonstrates sustainability.
Less Land, Labor, and Energy
Energy costs comprise the largest percentage of operating costs in a cold-storage environment. A smaller building with storage densification will reduce energy demand through energy efficiency. Energy is a huge economic opportunity in the short term and long term, while creating a resilient organization. Consider that the International Energy Agency calls energy efficiency the “first fuel” – the most economical method to drive sustainable impact as it costs nothing to conserve energy. With today’s mounting energy cost pressures, reducing energy consumption is a smart way to create not only a sustainable organization but also help hedge risk and participation in global decarbonization initiatives.
Less labor and more productivity are the holy grail to nearly every owner today. It remains challenging to attract and retain workers today. Building on a smaller footprint means less of everything: labor, travel time navigating a smaller warehouse, equipment, and time spent locating inventory in a single-select environment. In this scenario, less is more opportunity to upskill team members in an automated environment.
Less Construction and Land Costs
In the post-pandemic world, we are experiencing widespread constraints on building materials and price escalations. This has triggered a new look at how to build more efficiently and sustainably. Couple the scarcity of building materials with a scarcity of land, and owners are asking design and build firms and developers for new ways to build smaller, more efficiently, and more sustainably for financial and competitive value. The FLEXSPACE team consults with owners and design/build firms to design from the inside-out with end-user needs the top priority. The goal of every project is to create a modern, efficient warehouse, reducing material and construction costs to help owners optimize their sustainability impact.
Sustainability is no longer just “nice to have.” It’s a mandate for a more livable world and a well-run business. In the case of modern warehouse design, sustainability is a must-have that serves the loftiest and most pragmatic goals alike.
Please reach out , info@flexspace360.com, to learn how we can help your organization unite automation and sustainability to achieve lasting value and efficiency.