Successful inventory management is vital for every business to avoid waste and losses, and one option available to assist with those aims is to rent secure storage units from a commercial storage facility.

By getting a proper inventory management system in place with the help of secure storage units, you will avoid unnecessary purchase orders, expired excess stock, and wasted working hours trying to deal with all those issues.

In this blog post, we will take a more detailed look at why effective stock management is vital and, specifically, how to use a secure storage facility as an integral part of what will make implementing your stock management easier for you.

First Steps

The first step is to select a storage facility with the space available and the additional services you need that will suit the needs of your business.

Look at factors such as the size of the storage unit you require, the security on-site, flexibility such as opening times, and availability of climate-controlled units if they will be required.

Also, ask other business owners if they can recommend any storage facilities they may have used.

Take An Accurate Inventory Count

Before transferring your existing inventory to your storage unit, accurately count what you currently have.

This will not apply if you have no inventory or are a new business and will send your first inventory purchase to your storage unit.

An accurate count of what you have provides the basis to check your inventory levels more easily and get an ongoing accurate inventory count once your stock is stored in your storage unit.

Customise Your Storage Unit To Suit Your Needs

Another action you should take before your inventory is moved to your storage unit is to customise your storage unit(s) to suit your needs. This can include installing shelving and storing storage boxes and stock containers.

You might also wish to add lighting and office equipment, such as a PC and printer, assuming there is enough room in your storage unit.

As part of this process, you should think carefully about the layout of your storage unit or units if you have rented more than one.

You must ensure that access to inventory is both easy and safe so that means making sure there are no obstacles and that all shelving, boxes, etc are laid out logically.

Finally, you should have a labeling system created to label shelves and containers within the storage unit for easy inventory identification when looking for them.

Maximise The Available Space

One way you can make managing your inventory easier when it is stored in a commercial storage facility is to maximize your available space.

Examples of how this can be done are to think vertically and utilise the height of your storage units, and stacking items whilst keeping them accessible, is also best practice. Finally, if you have large items of inventory that can be disassembled, disassemble them.

Keep Popular Items To The Front

You should know which product lines are the most popular with your customers and thus most likely to need replenishing the most often.

This should mean those popular items are placed at the front and made the most accessible within your storage unit. Conversely, items that rarely sell should be at the back of your storage unit.

Rotate Inventory Where Possible

Even if the products you sell are not perishable, it is always a good idea to rotate your inventory based on how long it has been stored.

In other words, when newer items arrive, place them to the rear of your storage unit and bring forward similar items purchased some time ago. This ensures that no inventory becomes forgotten and is left to diminish in value by sitting on a shelf for years.

Control Who Has Access To Your Inventory

One reason inventory management gets out of control is too many people have access to it, and each manages it differently.

Once you have your inventory at your storage unit and implement your new inventory management system, limit how many employees can access it. For those you allow, ensure they are well briefed on how you want the inventory managed and that they should keep your storage unit and inventory tidy and organized.